The Lions are the only NFL team this century to draft a cornerback in the top three. Are they about to become the only NFL team ever to draft a cornerback in the top two?
Mel Kiper Jr. thinks so.
In his latest mock for ESPN, a two-round projection "based on a combination of my updated rankings, team needs and what I'm hearing from execs, scouts and coaches in the league," Kiper sends Cincinnati corner and Detroit native Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner to the Lions at No. 2 overall after the Jaguars take Michigan pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson No. 1.
Surely, Lions fans would be thrilled.
"Can I interest you in a 6-foot-3 corner with long arms and 4.41 40-yard dash speed who didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage in college? That's Gardner," writes Kiper. "The Lions have several needs and would likely jump at Aidan Hutchinson if he somehow fell here. But if they select Gardner and get something out of Jeff Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft who has played just 10 games in two seasons, they could have a much-improved secondary."
The Lions do seem committed to going defense at No. 2. But a cornerback? That's unlikely, even if Kiper isn't the first expert to suggest it. They have plenty of young pieces they're grooming at that position, and more youth wouldn't necessarily help. Moreover, their most pressing needs are in the front seven, particularly on the defensive line, particularly on the edge.
That's why Hutchinson would be such a good fit. And that's why Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon and Travon Walker of Georgia are more realistic picks for the Lions at No. 2 than Gardner, no matter his bonafides. Kiper has Walker going No. 3 to the Texans and Thibodeaux No. 4 to the Jets.
Those guys have the potential to be game-breakers in the NFL, not to mention Day 1 starters, which is what the Lions are seeking with the second overall pick. Even the most talented cornerbacks tend to have a difficult time adjusting to the NFL, as the Lions have learned first-hand with Okudah.
It's no knock on Gardner, who was mighty impressive at Cincinnati. (Though Kiper might be overselling Sauce's 40-time, which didn't rank within the top 10 cornerbacks at the combine.) The Lions just aren't a cornerback away from fixing one of the most talent-deficient defenses in the NFL. They need impact players at impact positions before they go plugging holes in their secondary.
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Ironically, Kiper has the Lions doubling-down in the secondary at No. 32 with Georgia safety Lewis Cine. But this move makes more sense with Detroit searching for a safety to pair with Tracy Walker, and with seven receivers and the top two linebackers, Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd, already off the board.
Cine led the nation's top-ranked scoring defense in tackles and passes defended last season. Kiper calls him a "good cover safety who is rising after he ran a 4.37 40 at the combine."
Back on the clock at No. 34, Kiper finally has the Lions addressing their front seven with Michigan pass rusher David Ojabo, whose stock has taken a hit after he tore his Achilles at his pro day last month.
"If the Lions are thinking long-term, they could get a steal with a high-ceiling edge rusher," says Kiper.