This year’s NFL draft will be a different experience for Detroit Lions fans. The Lions don’t pick in the top five overall, or even the top 10. Heck, Detroit isn’t slated to pick in the first 25 slots.
Brad Holmes and the Lions will make their first selection in the 2024 NFL draft at No. 29 overall (barring trades, of course). It makes forecasting what player the Lions will select infinitely more difficult.
Coming out of Senior Bowl week, there is a better feel for how the NFL views a lot more prospects in terms of draft range. Holmes and the Lions have proven they care not about what other teams, or draft media, care about draft range, but we now also have a better idea of what the Lions are looking for in a player.
In that spirit, here are 10 prospects who look to fit the bill as the potential first-round pick for the Detroit Lions in 2024 as of Super Bowl week.
Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
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An explosive athlete who brings a lot of size and power to the position, Robinson is not typically viewed as a consensus first-rounder. After his week in Mobile, you’re going to start seeing more of Robinson in the 25-35 overall range, and that’s the sweet spot for the Lions.
Robinson spent most of his Mizzou career playing inside, and he’s got the power moves to show for it. At 286 pounds and arms over 34 inches, he kicked outside in 2023 and progressed his game playing in the Josh Paschal/John Cominsky role the Lions use. Robinson is a more dynamic athlete with a better pass-rush arsenal despite being bigger than Paschal, who is currently the starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Watch Robinson’s weight and specific testing traits at the combine carefully. If he’s under 280 and running a great 3-cone and short shuttle, expect to see A LOT of Robinson projections to the Lions. Here’s your chance to get ahead of that curve…
Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona
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A three-year starter at left tackle, Morgan has the power and three-step range to operate very well in a gap scheme like the Lions use in the run game. He’s got very nice feet for a 312-pounder who is a hair under 6-foot-5.
Morgan can likely bump inside to start his NFL career, and questions about his arm length (measured just under 33 inches at the Senior Bowl) might confine him to guard. His ability to recover if beaten initially is impressive, and Morgan is one of those players who stays physical until the last whisper of the whistle.
For a deeper dive into Morgan, here’s our interview with him from the Senior Bowl, via the Detroit Lions Podcast:
Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
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Rakestraw is another prospect who probably doesn’t project into the first round right now in most mock drafts. However, his particular set of skills is one that I expect the Lions will find appealing enough to consider at 29.
At 6 feet and 188 pounds, Rakestraw is an outside CB and a man-coverage specialist. He’s very competitive and confident, with good ball skills and a pretty high football IQ. He needs some work on tackling angles and knowing when to let go in coverage, but the tools are there to work with, both athletically and culturally for Detroit.
Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
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Trice was an early projection from an in-season mock draft for the Lions. He still fits as a potential bookend for Aidan Hutchinson at No. 29, too.
In talking with sources familiar with Trice’s training, I don’t expect him to test like an elite overall athlete. He’s more of a student of the game with an impressive array of pass rush moves and countermoves. It’s very difficult to keep him blocked, and Trice finishes under control and with a nose for the ball in the backfield.
One big drawback for Trice is tackling. He posted an astronomical missed tackle rate of 24 percent in the 2023 season per PFF. It shows on tape, too; he’s often too high and a half-step too far away when he launches his attack. That’s a coachable technical issue — ask Aidan Hutchinson or Trey Hendrickson, who would be my favorite working player comparison for Trice.
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Wiggins definitely looks the part of a starting NFL outside cornerback. He’s 6-foot-2 and strong for his 185 pounds. He’s got experience playing press-man but also some Cover-3 and other zone schemes the Lions like to use. Wiggins can also blitz from the outside and shows outstanding closing burst to the point of attack.
His Clemson game tape was inconsistent, and that makes him a tough draft range projection. The good tape absolutely fits what the Lions want in an outside corner. However, Wiggins has some ugly tackling efforts in run defense and occasional “frozen pizza” moments in coverage that might not make him appeal to Detroit. The talent and tools are there for the Lions to work with at No. 29, if they so choose. And they might…
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
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McKinstry has the ready-made Lions moniker, and it’s easy to see why fans drink him in as a prospect. Long, sturdy and aggressive in both run and pass defense, Kool-Aid delivers a lot of sweetness. He’s an outside-only corner who uses the sideline well and communicates very well in zones and transitions.
There are questions about his long speed and his habit of stopping his feet and then restarting on double moves and quicker cuts. Lions fans who dislike Cam Sutton getting beaten deep to the outside probably won’t be big McKinstry fans either.
For the record, I prefer McKinstry’s running mate, Terrion Arnold, but I don’t think it’s feasible at this point that Arnold will last to No. 29.
Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
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Murphy grew into a big-time disruptor on the defensive interior in 2023. At a listed 305 pounds, he’s got enough bulk to hold up against heavier blocks, but he’s at his best getting up the field with a barrage of swims, rips and pulls.
His ability to line up all over the defensive interior figures to be a big plus for the Lions. Murphy and Alim McNeill are each capable of playing multiple spots. Add in that the hyper-competitive Murphy is a multi-time Academic All-Conference performer, and you’re looking at a prospect who meets the “grit” fit in Detroit.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
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The best offensive player at the Senior Bowl regardless of position, Powers-Johnson is a war daddy on the interior. He moves unusually well for a 334-pounder, showing excellent range and balance on reach blocks and at the second level.
Optimally a center, “JPJ” proved in Mobile he’s capable of starting right away at either guard spot, too. He regularly works out with Lions All-Pro RT Penei Sewell and plays with the same brand of angry power and technical prowess. Of the players listed here, Powers-Johnson is the least likely to make it to No. 29.
Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
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Highly attentive, properly aggressive outside corner with experience playing both off-man and Cover-3 zone for a top-notch defense that cranks out players into the NFL. Lassiter is very quick to attack and brings very good power for a 180-pound corner.
Lassiter can turn and run with speedy receivers, though wideouts who can break inside quickly can give him trouble. The 6-footer needs to clean up his grabbing on inside releases and show better eye discipline. He’s a confident player with real upside, and his aggressive playing style definitely fits Detroit.
Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
After starting over 40 games at left tackle for Washington, Fautanu has shown he can handle the speed on the outside. But he profiles better as a guard with his 6-foot-4 frame and tendency to overset outside.
The Lions love to run some pin-pull action with their linemen, and that’s where Fautanu was at his best for the Huskies. His quick feet and short blasts of power would fit nicely in Detroit, as would his through-the-whistle surliness.