Detroit Lions Mock Draft 2.0

Check out who the Detroit Lions select in Vito Chirco's second 2021 NFL mock draft.

With a little over a month to go until Day 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft (April 29), it's time for another SI All Lions mock draft. 

Remember, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes possesses six total picks in the draft. 

Here is my second Lions-specific, seven-round mock.  

First round, No. 7 overall: Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II

The Lions draft a cornerback in the top 10 for the second straight year. 

Last year, it was Ohio State product Jeff Okudah at No. 3 overall, who struggled in his rookie campaign, and this year, it's Surtain. 

The hope is that the talented Alabama corner, coming off a unanimous first-team All-American campaign, can form a dynamic one-two punch with Okudah on the outside for years to come. 

What also helps out Surtain's case is that he's got good genes. He's the son of former Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs corner Patrick Surtain, who played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro. 

The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder finished the 2020 campaign as the top-rated Pro Football Focus corner in college football, having allowed 25 receiving yards or fewer in 10 of 13 games, to go along with an Alabama-high 12 passes defensed, a fumble recovery and a pick-six. 

Second round, No. 41 overall: Texas EDGE/LB Joseph Ossai

I'm sticking with the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Ossai at No. 41 overall. 

I love the versatility he brings to the table, as he possesses the ability to both play in a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker and to put his hand in the dirt in a four-man defensive front. 

The Longhorns product amassed 54 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes defensed in nine games in 2020. 

Third round, No. 72 overall: Western Michigan WR D'Wayne Eskridge

Detroit has already lost wide receivers Kenny Golladay (N.Y. Giants), Marvin Jones Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jamal Agnew (Jaguars) to free agency. 

So, there's no doubt it direly could use help at the receiver position, even after adding former N.Y. Jets receiver Breshad Perriman via a free-agent deal. 

Enter the Western Michigan product in Eskridge. 

Sure, he's small at only 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, but he makes up for it with his top-level speed. 

He also would offer the Lions a solid degree of versatility, with his ability to play on both the inside and outside.  

He's no surefire bet to be a No. 2-caliber receiver right away at the NFL level. But, with some seasoning, he could become just that. 

I like Eskridge here for the Lions at pick No. 72. 

Third round, No. 101 overall (acquired from the L.A. Rams): Pittsburgh EDGE Patrick Jones II

Even with the Lions adding defensive end Charles Harris and re-signing Romeo Okwara, I still like Jones here. 

The Lions are not presently in a state where they can say they can't add a pass-rusher because they have too many of them. I don't know if any NFL franchise, no matter how stacked it might be in the department, can truly say that, either. 

Drafting Ossai and Jones, a behemoth of a man at 6-foot-5, 264 pounds, along with bringing back Okwara could immensely upgrade the organization's pass-rushing unit going into the 2021 season. 

Jones recorded nine sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery during his final season at Pittsburgh. 

I would love to see what Jones could do playing on the opposite end of Ossai and Okwara for a full season. 

I think the production would be plentiful, and Holmes & Co. would certainly reap the benefits at No. 101 overall. 

Fourth round, No. 112 overall: Cincinnati OT James Hudson 

This would be a great value pick right here, as he's been projected to go in the third round  by various mock drafts. 

Hudson profiles as a developmental offensive tackle. However, with some solid coaching, the former Cincinnati Bearcat could sprout into a starting left tackle within his first few seasons in the league.  

The NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated thinks highly of the ex-four-star defensive lineman recruit who started off his collegiate career at Michigan. 

According to the NFL Draft Bible, 

"In only his fourth season at the position, Hudson was the starting left tackle for the 2020 Cincinnati Bearcats, helping the team to a 9-1 record. The former defensive linemen is a special athlete at the tackle position who gets out of his stance explosively and climbs to the second and even third level fast. This makes him a valuable asset for teams that run wide zone schemes and get their linemen on the move on screens. Hudson gains depth in his kick step and slide with ease, beating speed rushers to the apex on a consistent basis." 

Right off the bat, Hudson would be a valuable depth piece on the offensive line for the Lions. And, with time, he could become a starter one day -- and sooner rather than later. 

Fifth round, No. 153 overall: Michigan WR Nico Collins 

The Lions get another receiver here, with their final pick of the 2021 draft -- barring no trades.  

As I previously mentioned, Detroit's receiving corps is extremely depleted, so it can use all the help it can get at the position. 

It's not to say that Collins would just be a depth piece, either. 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout, who opted out of the 2020 season over concerns with the coronavirus pandemic, is a legitimate vertical threat with upper echelon ball skills. 

He's a mismatch for smaller defensive backs on the outside, and can use his size to his advantage to come down with 50/50 balls. 

He could walk right into the X-receiver role in the Lions' receivers room, and make an immediate impact. 

I certainly think he could be a sleeper pick for Detroit at No. 153 overall.

© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

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