Deandre Baker
Florida (9) vs Georgia (7) at 3:30 eastern time on Saturday
Deandre Baker is one of the top corner prospects in next years draft. Last year, in 2017, he led the Georgia Bulldog defense to a National Championship game appearance and is on pace to have an even better season this year.
Baker recorded 44 tackles, 3 interceptions and 9 passes defended over 15 games a season ago. So far, through 6 games this year, he already has 25 tackles, 2 interceptions and 8 passes defended.
Baker stands at 5’11” and weighs 185 pounds while being both speedy and agile enough to play cornerback at a high level.
While Darius Slay has been a lockdown cornerback for the Lions defense, they have struggled to find another corner to play across from him. Nevin Lawson has been the closest thing to an answer but is still merely an average number two cornerback.
Selecting Backer in the first round could give Detroit one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL. With Slay taking away one side of the field and Baker the other, the Lions would be extremely tough to pass against.
Benny Snell Jr
Kentucky (12) vs Missouri at 4:00 eastern time on Saturday
Snell is one of the best runners in the country this year, leading Kentucky to a 6-1 record and the 12th ranked spot on the college football poll.
Snell is a very powerful runner. At 5’11” and 223 pounds, he runs through defenses rather than around them. He is a physical player that will grind down defenses throughout the course of football games.
Last year, Snell ran for 1333 yards and 19 touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry. So far this season, he has been just as impressive with 893 yards and 9 touchdowns at 5.6 yards per carry.
If the Lions were to draft Snell, he would make for the perfect thunder to Kerryon Johnson‘s lightning. The two could combine to create one of the best running back duos in the NFL and could solve the Lions running game issues for the long term.
If the Lions want to draft Snell, the would likely have to invest a day-two draft pick in him. Snell is a great player, but they may not feel comfortable spending a day-two pick on a running back for the second year in a row.
Collin Johnson
Texas (6) vs Oklahoma State at 8:00 eastern time on Saturday
With Golden Tate potentially leaving in free agency, the Lions could look to the draft for a wide receiver to replace him. While Collin Johnson is not a similar type of receiver to Golden Tate, I would still love to see him in Detroit should Tate leave.
Johnson is a physical specimen of a receiver, standing tall at 6’6″. He weighs 220 pounds and is big and strong enough to consistently pull in 50/50 deep balls that Lions QB Matthew Stafford loves to throw up.
Johnson is building off of a solid 2017 season (54 receptions, 765 yards, and 2 touchdowns) with a very strong 2018. In 7 games he has 41 catches for 563 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Johnson should be available in the middle round (3-5) of the 2019 draft. Should Tate leave Detroit in free agency, a trio of Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, and Collin Johnson could be one of the strongest in the league.
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