The Detroit Lions are in the enviable position of being able to select the “best player available” in the 2024 draft, beginning with selection 29 and continuing all the way through. There are some clear positions where a draft pick would be unnecessary, but the draft is Brad Holmes’ oyster.
The hype surrounding the Lions’ first-round pick appears to vary with the week. Offensive linemen? Sure. Wide receiver with a specific set of skills? Sure. A cornerback? Based on a recent run of top-30 trips to Allen Park, that notion is gaining traction once more. Finally, Holmes will do something unexpected. Trading up. Trading down and out of the first round. Nothing is necessarily off the table.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper (subscription required) released a fresh mock draft this week, with two rounds. Kiper makes deals in his mocks, but he keeps the Lions at No. 29 and No. 61.
In Mel Kiper’s latest mock, the Lions fill one weakness in their attack.
If the Lions have a hole in their offense, it should be filled with a large “X” receiver who can be a downfield weapon, win contested catches, and play in the red zone. According to Kiper, they will fill that vacuum at No. 29 with Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Detroit general manager Brad Holmes had an excellent 2023 draft class. Can he do it again? There aren’t many open spots on the Lions’ roster. I could argue that they should take a depth interior offensive lineman, an edge rusher, or a cornerback, but a receiver, especially one who can run vertical routes and play opposite Jameson Williams, sticks out.
“Mitchell might be a good fit. in 6-2, he ran a 4.34-second 40 in the combine, demonstrating impressive athletic abilities. He scored 11 touchdowns last season. This may be considered a luxury choice, but the Lions can afford to choose Mitchell.
Mitchell made our list of potential wide receivers for the Lions after the NFL Combine. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah described him as a perfect “X” receiver.
The key condition was that Mitchell would have to be taken in the first round, and he has been predicted as a late-first-round pick. However, as Kiper pointed out, the Lions’ outstanding roster allows them to consider a “luxury” pick.
The noteworthy aspect of Kiper’s mock pick of Mitchell for the Lions is that Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was still available and went to the Baltimore Ravens with the following pick.
Kiper predicted that the Lions will take Penn State defensive end Adisa Isaac with pick No. 61.
“Isaac was often overshadowed by Chop Robinson, but he actually outperformed his teammate previous season, tallying 7.5 sacks. He isn’t as explosive as Robinson, but he’s a well-rounded defender with an impressive get-off at the snap.” “At 247 pounds, he could play in the edge-rushing rotation in Detroit, which needs to get more out of its pass-rushers not named Aidan Hutchinson.”
The headline of Kiper’s new mock is the Lions selecting a wide receiver at pick 29, potentially making their offense a total beast if Mitchell can contribute quickly.
