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The day is here. The Detroit Lions begin their ascent to the top of the North today.

I have been awake since 4 am. I am writing this after midnight. There will be no poetry today. There will be no snacks today. I am so glad it is finally here. Draftmas is upon us. I will be doing three mock drafts of my own in this edition. My best case scenario, my worst case scenario, and a predictive mock draft. These are all within the realm of things that reputable sports journalists have reported as possibilities. I will not be publishing the equivalent of that year my buddy Sean drafted Jake Plummer first overall in our fantasy football league. There was no year where that was a remotely reasonable decision for those of you too young to get the reference. Let’s get to it.

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Detroit Lions Ideal Mock Draft

1. Michigan LB Devin Bush
2. Boston College OG Chris Lindstrom
3. Vanderbilt CB JoeJuan Williams
4. Ohio State WR Terry McLaurin
5. Miami Edge Joe Jackson
6. Two picks
   1. Georgia TE Isaac Nauta
   2. Toledo WR Cody Thompson
7. Two more picks
   1. Kentucky CB Derrick Baity
   2. Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson

Bush changes the Lions defense. Better coverage, better run support, and electric playmaking. Lindstrom is a day one starter at right guard. JoeJuan Willaims is the big corner that the Lions are missing from Matt Patricia’s matchup-based defensive preferences in the secondary. McLaurin is quite possibly going to be gone by the Lions fourth-round pick, but this is my ideal draft so play along. Maybe the NFL suddenly stopped liking touchdown production and special teams contribution.

Jackson is a guy that I think would benefit from losing a bit of bulk and speeding up for an outside linebacker role. Nauta had a bad day at the combine. Nothing about the player on tape looks like an unathletic schlub. Thompson, other than having a great last name, also has steady hands and runs good routes. Baity is my favorite of the Lions late, late, late round corner interests. Thorson is a guy that was hampered by injuries as a senior but looked pretty good in 2017.

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Detroit Lions Nightmare Mock Draft

The Lions trade back to pick 15, and they gain Washington’s third-round pick.

The Lions trade up in the third forfeiting one of their sixth-round picks to get their WR of choice.

One more time, the Lions trade up in the fifth in order to get their rookie QB a “weapon.”

1. Duke QB Daniel Jones
2. BYU LB Sione Takitaki
3. Two picks
   1. UMass WR Andy Isabella
   2. LA Tech Edge Jaylon Ferguson
4. Georgia RB Elijah Holyfield
5. Notre Dame TE Alize Mack
6. Rutgers CB Isaac Wharton
7. North Carolina Edge Malik Carney

Daniel Jeremiah thinks the Lions are going to trade back and take a quarterback. Gross. Takitaki is an interesting player, but the second round buzz he is receiving is overblown. Isabella is a body catcher, which is the opposite of what you want playing with Matthew Stafford who would never lose his job to Jones. Ferguson is a production over measurables case study and Bob Quinn has made that mistake before with Teez Tabor. Holyfield is the modern Leroy Hoard at the NFL level. You need two yards, he’ll get you three. You need five yards, he’ll get you three. I do not understand why people like Mack. He gets no separation, the play dies when he gets the ball. Wharton and Carney are just not NFL players. All of these players have had contact with the Lions in the pre-draft process.

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A Predictive Detroit Lions Mock Draft

The Lions trade up into the third for the price of their fourth and early sixth-round pick. They then trade up into the fourth round using their fifth-round pick and early seventh round pick. In yet another trade up, they trade next years fourth for a fifth-round pick in this draft. Bob Quinn has been more aggressive than normal in this offseason, and he will keep that going.

1. Alabama OL Jonah Williams
2. Georgia CB Deandre Baker
3. two picks
   1. West Virginia QB Will Grier
   2. Ohio State WR Terry McLaurin
4. Arizona State DT Renell Wren
5. LSU TE Foster Moreau
6. Toledo WR Diontae Johnson
7. Middle Tennesee LB Darius Harris

Williams is the only player in the rumor mill that the Lions have not reportedly specifically met with, though pictures of Bob Quinn eyeing up the Alabama lineman have surfaced on Twitter. Baker’s testing was surprisingly average but his tape shows the best all-around corner in the draft. A lot of teams didn’t like him. Patricia has a history of working well with defensive backs that people don’t like.  Grier is the player I am most sure that the Lions want in this entire draft. They have spoken to every West Virginia receiver available. It’s not because they’re great prospects. McLaurin is a special teams demon with deep speed and good hands. He replaces Danny Amendola in 2020 at the latest.

Day Three

Wren is a player with very high potential. The finer points of the game seem to have eluded the coaching staff who worked with him, but after a year in the Lions DT room, he could be a legitimately terrifying pro. Power, burst, and a lot of bad technique from playing a four-point nose role. Moreau is a promising blocker with really nice hands. He is a high effort player with experience in-line and in a fullback role that could save the Lions a roster spot. Johnson does something no Lions wide receiver has done a lot: he creates separation. Harris is a guy I had never heard of before I saw him on the Lions visit list. I suspect the Lions will ask him to bulk up and transition to a Jack linebacker role. His tape is only really good when he is blitzing.

If Only Tonight We Could Sleep

Merry Draftmas to all, and to all a good night. Listen to Chris and Case on the draft party. Buy a shirt for sick kids. Make some sweet dips. Unlike other years, the Draftmas event will continue. Check back for a review of Lions first round pick, and a preview of the second and third round targets that the Lions have met with tomorrow.