Mock Draft Roundup: Bijan Robinson Becomes Popular Lions Pick

Mock draft roundup dives into who the Lions are drafting in 2023.

It's time for the latest All Lions mock draft roundup.

Over the last week, several mock drafts have targeted Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez for the Detroit Lions at No. 6 overall.

There have also been multiple projections that have the Lions selecting a running back at No. 18 overall. 

Let’s explore now who the draft analysts have Lions general manager Brad Holmes selecting in the first round, starting with the No. 6 overall pick.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Penn State 

Porter is presently being mocked by the following: 

CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson); Pro Football Network (Tony Pauline)

As Wilson pens,

"Porter is the prototypical big, physical cornerback who looks like he belongs in the NFL. He can sometimes get a little too handsy downfield, but he checks many of the boxes of what team's look for when drafting DBs. Is this too early for Porter? Maybe ... then again, there is a premium on big, physical cornerbacks; in recent drafts Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II were all taken early in the first round."

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Gonzalez is presently being mocked by the following:

SI.com (Kevin Hanson); The Draft Network (Keith Sanchez); CBS Sports (Kyle Stackpole); Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings); Pro Football Network (Kent Platte); *Pro Football Network (Joe Broback); Walter Football (Charlie Campbell); *The 33rd Team (Scouting Department); *indicates trade 

As Broback writes,

"Jeff Okudah gives Detroit a great corner on their defense, but pairing him with another potential star would spark more excitement into this franchise. The defense is full of guys that play hard, but the Lions need to find a way to elevate the talent level.

Christian Gonzalez is trending upward after this year. He’s considered the best athlete of all the corners in this class, and his film shows why. Pairing Okudah and Gonzalez gives the Lions two potential lockdown corners, and that helps a team that’s looking to make even more noise in the NFC North."

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois 

Witherspoon is presently being mocked by the following:

All Lions (Christian Booher); MLive (Benjamin Raven); *The Draft Wire (Luke Easterling); CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso); *indicates trade 

Defensive lineman Myles Murphy, Clemson

Murphy is presently being picked by the following:

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); MLive (Kyle Meinke)

EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

Wilson is currently being mocked by the following:

NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah); Detroit Free Press (Dave Birkett); Walter Football (Walter Cherepinsky)

Let's turn our attention now to who the draft analysts have projected for Detroit at No. 18.

Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

Hyatt is presently being mocked by the following: 

Pro Football Network (Kent Platte)

As Platte opines, 

"After years of putting it on the back burner, the Lions seem to have figured out that blazing speed gives your team a huge advantage on offense. Bringing in Jameson Williams last season and a player like Jalin Hyatt in 2023 would give them an edge by forcing opposing safeties to stay off the line.

This has a dual benefit of allowing their creative play caller, Ben Johnson, carte blanche to call whatever new run designs he’s thought of that week."

Tight end Luke Musgrave, Oregon State 

Musgrave is currently being picked by the following: 

Pro Football Network (Tony Pauline) 

Guard O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida 

Torrence is presently being mocked by the following: 

MLive (Kyle Meinke)

Linebacker Trenton Simpson, Clemson

Simpson is presently being picked by the following:

All Lions (Christian Booher); The 33rd Team (Scouting Department)

NOTE: Booher also has the Lions trading back into the first round to select Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey at No. 29 overall. 

Quarterback Anthony Richardson, Florida

Richardson is currently being projected by the following:

NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah)

EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

Van Ness is currently being mocked by the following:

CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson); MLive (Benjamin Raven)

As Wilson writes, 

"Van Ness never started a game at Iowa but that's not the point. The point is that NFL teams love his size, his athleticism, and where his game could be a couple of years from now. Purdue's George Karlaftis went at the end of Round 1 a year ago, and USC's Drake Jackson went a round later; both players were high-upside prospects who exceeded expectations as rookies. Van Ness is in the same conversation but could be the best of the bunch."

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

Porter is presently being picked by the following:

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards)

Running back Bijan Robinson, Texas

Robinson is currently being mocked by the following:

Walter Football (Charlie Campbell); Detroit Free Press (Dave Birkett); The Draft Wire (Luke Easterling)

Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson :: © Aaron E. Martinez / USA TODAY NETWORK

Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, Clemson

Bresee is presently being picked by the following:

SI.com (Kevin Hanson); The Draft Network (Keith Sanchez); CBS Sports (Kyle Stackpole); Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings); Pro Football Network (Joe Broback)

As Hanson writes, 

"Double-dipping with defensive picks in the first round is a distinct possibility for the Lions. While Detroit ranked top five in both total and scoring offense in 2022, it ranked last in total defense and only the Bears (27.2) and Cardinals (26.4) allowed more points per game than the Lions (25.1), who also ranked 28th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric for defense. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson (9.5) and James Houston (eight) combined for 17.5 sacks last season, but Bresee has the quickness and power to be a disruptive three-technique for the Lions."

Defensive back Deonte Banks, Maryland

Banks is presently being projected by the following:

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards)

Tight end Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

Mayer is currently being selected by the following:

CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso)

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Gonzalez is currently being mocked by the following:

Walter Football (Walter Cherepinsky)