Brad Holmes has “a good cluster” of players he would feel comfortable drafting at No. 7, but mathematically speaking, it’s anyone’s guess how many prospects that cluster entails.
Trevor Lawrence, clearly, is the top player in this draft, and the Detroit Lions are believed to have eyes for LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Presumably, Holmes would feel good about taking Florida’s Kyle Pitts and BYU’s Zach Wilson, too. All four of those players could be off the board by No. 7, though, so it is safe to say Holmes has at least three other players he is considering with his pick.
In trying to identify draft fits for the Lions this year — guys who play hard, have high motors and love football, according to Holmes’ definition — and whose talent would make them worthy of the No. 7 pick, I settled on these five possibilities (beyond the four previously mentioned, and knowing full well others could be in the mix in a trade down).
HOP ON THIS ZOOM: Talk NFL draft with ex-Michigan player, break down Lions with Dave Birkett on Tuesday
Penei Sewell
Position: OT
College: Oregon
Vitals: 6 feet 5, 331 pounds
Scouting report: Sewell has been ticketed as the top offensive tackle in the 2021 draft since he started seven games at left tackle as a true freshman. He is a phenomenal athlete for his size and has the ceiling of a perennial All-Pro. The Outland Trophy winner as a sophomore, Sewell opted out of last season and has had to answer questions about his consistency and maturity. It’s important to note, however, that he played most of his first two college seasons as a teenager and would join a veteran offensive line in Detroit where he would start his NFL career as a cog in the machine at right tackle and not the modern day version of Anthony Munoz.
He said it: “Sewell’s such a good player. Again, we haven’t seen him play in over a year, but he’s 330 pounds. He’s long, he’s athletic. He’s not as quick and as sudden as … Rashawn Slater. But he’s so hard to get around because he’s so long and big. And once he latches onto you, it’s over. I think he’s going to be the first offensive tackle off the board.” — ESPN analyst Todd McShay.
LATEST MOCK DRAFT: Lions land Sewell, one of top non-QB prospects
EXPLAINER: Why Lions can’t go wrong by taking Oregon OT Penei Sewell at No. 7
Rashawn Slater
Position: OT
College: Northwestern
Vitals: 6-4, 304 pounds
Scouting report: Sewell’s potential is undeniable, but some scouts favor Slater and his higher floor as the best lineman in the draft. Slater was a three-year starter at Northwestern before opting out of the 2020 season. He played right tackle his first two years, then switched to left tackle and did not allow a sack as a junior. Slater gets high marks for his makeup — his father, Reggie, played seven seasons in the NBA — and durability, though there are questions about his eventual position because of his size and 33-inch arms, which are on the short side for NFL left tackles. A five-position player up front, Slater would start at right tackle or guard in Detroit.
He said it: “You go back and watch him at Northwestern against Chase Young in 2019 and he more than held his own. His ability to recover and rework his hands in that game is really good. He can bend. He’s one of the better guys, and even comparing him to the group last year, if you look at just the ability to climb up to the second level in the run game and what he can do with his athleticism, I’d say he does that better than even the tackles in last year’s draft. But he would be my top one this year.” — NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
DeVonta Smith
Position: WR
College: Alabama
Vitals: 6-0, 166 pounds
Scouting report: It’s a coin flip who the No. 2 receiver in the draft is behind Chase, and I gave Smith the slightest of nods here over his Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle. Both players seem to check the “love for football box,” and both bring dynamic return ability to the table beyond their prowess at receiver. Smith’s small frame could be an issue, but he’s taller than the jet-quick Waddle and he will enter the NFL as a polished route runner who understands the nuances of getting open. Smith caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns to win the Heisman Trophy last season and excelled at every receiver spot on the field.
He said it: “I think at the end of the day, if you ask the quarterbacks, like one of the, if not the most important attribute when it comes to receivers, for us, would be get open. What do you do? Do you get open? I don’t care how you get open, just get open. And I think he’s got the best get-open ability out of the receiver group (outside of Chase) and with his suddenness and his route running and the way he drops his hips.” — ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.
Trey Lance
Position: QB
College: North Dakota State
Vitals: 6-4, 224 pounds
Scouting report: The Lions don’t seem to be in the Round 1 quarterback mix, but Holmes did his diligence on all of the top signal callers and attended pro days for Lance and Ohio State’s Justin Fields in person. Lance may be too boom-or-bust of a prospect for Holmes, but he is the type of athlete head coach Dan Campbell said he wants at the quarterback position and he gets high marks for his character and work habits. A one-year starter who played at the FCS level, Lance is incredibly raw and has struggled with accuracy at times, though he threw just one interception in his career. He needs a good year of seasoning, but has star potential if he’s brought along in the right system by the right teachers.
QB 1? Why Trey Lance to Lions at No. 7 makes sense, even after Jared Goff’s arrival
He said it: “He’s played in a complex, complicated system where he had a good amount of responsibility on his shoulders, and so even though the starts are what they are, you’ve got 17 starts to work off of, the guy is — what we know like is irrefutable. He’s built like a brick house, so he’s going to be durable. He’s going to add to your running game because you can use some designed quarterback run game, which he’s built to handle. He’s incredibly intelligent, and that’s — I’ve spent time with him, and I’ve talked to a bunch of teams that have spent time with him and have been kind of blown away through the interview process with him. The character, the work ethic, all that stuff is exceptional from everybody that you talk to there at North Dakota State.” — Jeremiah.
Patrick Surtain II
Position: CB
College: Alabama
Vitals: 6-2, 208 pounds
Scouting report: This is not a draft teaming with impact defensive players, but Surtain and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons are potential top-10 picks who should be of interest to the Lions. Parsons would fill a bigger positional need as multi-purpose linebacker, but Surtain is a match to the type of player Holmes described in his pre-draft news conference and he plays a premium position. The son of former NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain Sr., the younger Surtain has the length, physicality and cover skills to make an immediate impact in the NFL. He was the best player on Alabama’s defense last year, though penalties were an issue in 2019. One question: Would the Lions take a first-round cornerback after investing such a high draft choice in Jeff Okudah last year?
He said it: “(Alabama associate defensive coordinator Charles) Kelly kind of compared (Surtain to Jalen Ramsey) because he’d seen Pat in high school and he knew what kind of player Jalen was, he actually recruited Pat to Florida State. So he knew what he was getting (in Surtain) as a player when he went to Alabama. He coached Jalen at that position and I guess sees some similarities.” — Patrick Surtain Sr., to the Dothan Eagle.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.