Lions Draft DT Ross Blacklock in Mel Kiper's Latest Mock Draft

Mel Kiper has released version 4.0 of his NFL mock draft

On Tuesday, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released the fourth edition of his NFL mock draft.

In version 4.0, Kiper predicts the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He has Ohio State product Jeff Okudah being taken with the No. 3 overall selection.

"After trading away Darius Slay, the Lions brought in Desmond Trufant, but he's no longer a No. 1 corner. Okudah could be that guy, and he'd instantly help the league's last-ranked pass defense. Detroit could solicit trade offers to add valuable picks, but Matt Patricia is 9-22-1 in two seasons as coach, so he needs to win now to keep his job. His best bet might be taking the draft's best cornerback," Kiper writes.

In the second round, Kiper sees the Lions continuing to add to the defensive line by selecting defensive tackle Ross Blacklock out of TCU. 

Kiper explains, "Matt Patricia really needs to fix the Lions' defense, and Blacklock could slide in as a starter next to free-agent addition Danny Shelton. Blacklock played a lot of nose tackle at TCU, but he could rush the passer more in Detroit's 4-3 defense."

In 2018, an Achilles' injury unfortunately sidelined Blacklock. 

In 2019, Blacklock recorded 3.5 sacks and 40 tackles for the Horned Frogs.

Detroit could benefit from adding depth and talent to the defensive line.

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