The Lions went to the Defensive side of the ball again in the 3rd round and selected Alim McNeil from NC State.

The Lions went to the Defensive side of the ball with their 2nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and selected DT from Washington Levi Onwuzurike.

Lions 2021 UDFA signings RB Rakeem Boyd, Arkansas RB Dedrick Mills, Nebraska WR Jonathan Adams Jr., Arkansas State WR Javon McKinley, Notre Dame WR Sage Surratt, Wake Forest TE Brock Wright, Notre Dame TE Jake Hausmann, Ohio State G Tommy Kraemer, Notre Dame C Drake Jackson, Kentucky LB Tavante Beckett, Marshall DB D’Angelo Amos, Virginia CB Jerry Jacobs, Arkansas CB AJ Parker, Kansas State

Despite rumors swirling of Lions wanting to go in either direction, Brad Holmes stayed put at #7 and literally ran the card to the Podium to Take Oregon OL Penei Sewell.

Draft weekend is here, which means over the next couple days there will be plenty of juicy rumors and takes that may or may not come to fruition. We are keeping a running post of those items, so keep checking back frequently through the draft weekend, with the oldest rumors at the bottom.... Lions still sitting in perceived cat-bird seat Jeremy Fowler has doubled down on the trade up range which features the Lions, Panthers and Broncos from picks 7-9. All three teams seem interested in trading back, its just a matter of finding a willing partner, and then getting proper compensation to move back. Lions overplaying their hand with potential trade partners? This tweet from Jason La Canfora dropped at 3pm EST, a full five hours before the 2021 NFL Draft kicks off. So to say that a team is overplaying its hand, sounds like a team that is trading up not liking that the Lions aren't willing to take a likely lowball offer before the clock is even ticking. Brad Holmes wont show his best hand before the Lions are on the clock, so these sorts of tings are just the innuendo from a team that is pissed they couldn't fleece him. Saints Trying to Trade into top 10 (Lions #7 rumored target) This would be a bit of a hard pill to swallow for Lions fans, moving from #7 all the way down to 28. However, the exchange of picks to go back, and the ability to move around using this trade comp and teh Stafford Trade comp would allow Brad Holmes to target the guy he wants at the spot he wants and add additional players to beef up a depleted roster. Lions tried to trade UP to Four for Ja'Marr Chase This one seems a bit far-fetched for a team looking to rebuild from scratch, as draft capital is imperative to getting a string foundation before using it to get that final piece. Having said that, courtesy of Dave Birkett and Jeremy Fowler..... Chargers looking to trade up to 7 to grab Sewell This one makes sense and I have seen it twice now from two different sources (one national and one local). LA Chargers looking to protect Hebert by trading with Lions and grabbing Pennie Sewell at 7.

After an earlier report surfaced today that Hunter Bryant had been cut with a Non-Football injury, it seemed a bity confusing. however, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun shed some additional light that Bryant actually reverted back to the team. He has moved to the reserve/non-football injury list, which keeps him with the team, but doesn't count against the 90-player limit.

Draft week is upon us, which means the next three and a half days will contain more rumors, what ifs and speculation than any other point of the year.  I plan to keep a running post of what is being floated in the twitter verse with a bit of analysis and thoughts on each scenario. The post in ongoing through the draft weekend, with the oldest rumors at the bottom.... My Reaction: Not sure that moving down to #10 is worth the gamble for the Lions in this trade. I would think Quinn would request both JAX Rd 1 picks (#9 and # 20) along with their Rd 2 pick (42) and likely a 4th and/or 5th. As for who the Lions would take? No clue. Kinlaw could come into play here, Isiah Simmons could fall due to OT and QB or maybe one of the WRs. Even with a large haul, this will be a gamble IMO to move that far back. My Reaction: This is what I have been saying a few times below. The value of CB with Okudah > DT with Brown. CB will rarely come off the field while even the best DT play only 80-85% of the defensive snaps. My Reaction: Yup. My Reaction: It's finally happening! For the first time in my Lions fanship, the team is not only in a position to trade back and acquire extra picks, but there seems to actually be a bit of a bidding war driving up the price. The best part is that they will get a BPA at a position of need whether it is Brown or Okudah AND get the extra picks to bolster the team depth. Only thing left is for the trade(s) to happen. My Reaction: Follow up to the piece by Salguero from last night, with this being the first I have seen that Detroit is considering moving to the NYG slot at #4. If this rumor is true, then the Giants and Dolphins are most certainly after an OT with the Phins NOT looking at QB at #3. What will be interesting is if the Lions could get the NYG to trade from #4 to #3, and then have the n convince the Chargers to come from #6 to #4 to grab Tua or Hebert. That would leave the Lions with Okudah, Brown or Simmons at #6 and several extra picks. My Reaction: I have to assume this is due diligence, as Isiah Simmons looks to be a great player, but the Lions already have players and money committed to the two positions he plays in Jamie Collins (LB) and Tracy Walker (S). When you are at the top of the draft picking from blue chip players, you better make sure you get the guy that most closely aligns with Best Player Available and Team need, and Simmons is #3 on that list behind Okudah and Brown IMO. My Reaction: Schrager speculated on a Lions and Dolphins trade down below NOT involving the #5, but with his final Mock draft out this morning, he goes the more traditionally route with a trade. What isn't traditional, is who the Dolphins would take and what the Lions would get back in compensation. First, he has them moving up for Justin Hebert, which as a Lions fan, I don't really give a crap who they take as long as it isn't our guys. Second, this is starting to be a trend where the trade from #3 to #5 only nets the Lions the Dolphins 2nd rounder at #39 for the right to move up two spots. Maybe that is the price, and I would be ok with that as long as Quinn is willing to risk losing Okudah and taking Brown at #5 if the Giants trade out of #4... My Reaction: We touched on this below when the Falcons trade up first came about, and this makes more sense. Atlanta is trying to move all the way up from #16 with the only extra draft capital being an extra 4th? That means future year picks, likely 1st and 2nd rounders would be involved, and you only do that for a generational talent. While Okudah is a really good CB, Chase Young is the only kid in this draft IMO that you would give up that much of your future to try and land. My Reaction: Two of the most trusted media members that happen to be Detroit Lions alumni are calling for a trade down, and I am here for it. In subsequent tweets Spielman stated that the team hasn't leached anything to him, but both he an Orlovsky are in tune with Quinn/Patricia thought process. Less than 12 hours from now, we should have a pretty good idea of what kind of trade down (if there is one) and who the Lions are taking. This backs up what was posted earlier from Dolphins beat writer Armando Salguero that Lions appear to be preparing to select at #5 tonight. My Reaction: This falls in line with logic when it comes to what it would cost for the Lions to move out of #3 and potentially miss out on the top 10-12 blue chippers in the draft. While it was fun to speculate, the Lions need an impact-now player, and that only happens at #3, #5 or #6. My Reaction: Hell yeah! Bidding war for the #2 or #3 pick for someone to take an OT is clearly what the Lions want to see. If it us at #2, then Chase Young falls to the Lions at #3. If it is a trade with the Lions at #3, then the price tag goes up, and the Lions get more compensation. This would honestly be best case scenario, as the Lions would get Young (Unicorn!) or get extra picks to still be able to draft Okudah or Brown (Giants would likely trade out of #4 or take Simmons based on their needs.) It WONT be a CB, but they could trade with someone that does want Okudah. My Reaction: Justin has his final Mock draft out, and he has what most expect, a trade down with Miami to #5 (Phns jump to #3 to grab Tua) and Lions grab Okudah at #5. What is a bit surprising, is that Justin think the Lions will only get the Dolphins 2nd rounder (#39) in return for dropping two spots in the draft. While I think this may be realistic, I certainly would hope Bob Quinn could get additional picks in rds. 3 or 4 instead of just a 2nd. Dream scenario is #5, #26 and #56 in Rd 2... My Reaction: So this is the second rumor in as many days (See Ian Rapoport below) that the Washington Redskins are fielding calls to trade out of the #2 spot. As I stated below, you would think that someone is looking to trade up for Chase Young, but what if a team is CB needy and wants Okudah and figures they have to get in front of the Lions to get him? The only player in this draft I would want the Lions to take before Okudah, is Chase Young. The Lions are in the literal cat bird seat, as either Young or Okudah not only lands the BPA at their positions, but also fills a massive need for the Lions. My Reaction: I am here for any trade down that nets the Lions additional picks and still lands them Okudah or Brown. My preference for Okudah is pretty clear over the course of this running thread, and Mike O'Hara looks to be on the same page as I am with his Final Mock Draft. His speculation of trading with Chargers for #6, still nets the Lions Okudah (or brown) and offers up a RB on Day 2. Not sure what the Chargers would have to give up to grab Tua, but at a minimum it will be #6, #37 and likely a 1st or 2nd in the 2021 draft. That extra 2nd at #37 would allow Lions to grab 2 of 3 from the remaining IDL, Edge, IOL, RB or WR, assuming they take Okudah. If they take Brown, then sap IDL with CB...... My Reaction: And the noise continues for the Lions to possibly take IDL Derrick Brown over CB Jeffrey Okudah come Thursday night. Birkett isn't wrong here based on the quote from Patricia, but you have to look at value through the entire draft at the positions to get a full view. What is the drop-off from Okudah to the next 5 CBs? What is drop-off from Brown to Kinlaw to the next 5 IDL? If you don't grab your guy at #3, who will likely be there in Rd 2? I personally feel it is easier to find Interior DL, especially because they are used rotationally, than it is to find lockdown corners who play every snap and are on an island. My pick is still Okudah. My Reaction: While I wholeheartedly believe this is the trade the Lions will make on draft day, on the surface, this seems kind of silly to move up for an OT. However, the Miami Herald yesterday stated that the Dolphins have interviewed both Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas, and many feel that you would need to get in front of Cleveland to get a shot at one. Despite the tweet speculating Okudah at #5 to Lions, remember those rumors down below about the Lions trading out of #3 for the #18, #26 and #39 picks? This may be the deal that the Dolphins are looking to do, coming away with both their QB and OT of the future at #3 and #5... My Reaction: Another NFL writer hopping on the Derrick Brown to the Lions train. While I agree with his logic, my issue with Brown is that it isn't clear whether Brown or Kinlaw are the best IDL in this draft, and Okudah is the clear best CB by a mile. If the Lions trade back, then yes, I think Brown MAY come into play, but I still think it is Okudah. My Reaction: I would think that anyone inquiring about trading to #2 is looking to get their hands on Chase Young, or seeing what the price is to move that high to leverage the cost for the Lions #3 slot. Either way, I don't think it changes much as the Lions are not expected to get a shot at Young, and if someone jumps in front of them, they can still take Okudah or Brown. My Reaction: This originated with a piece on Sports Illustrated from Albert Breer stating that he has heard rumblings that the Lions coaching staff has really taken a liking to Derrick Brown. My feeling is that the Lions will likely take Okudah or Brown, with Okudah more likely if they stay at #3 and Brown in the mix if they happen to trade back with the Chargers to #6. Having traded Slay and cut Harrison, there is truly a need at both positions for the team. However, IDL, even players that have been comped to Suh, can be found more readily than lockdown CBs. My Reaction: Erik Schlitt, Editor at the Lions Wire was asked about a second CB the Lions could draft if they also take Okudah in Rd 1. His answer was Iowa's Michael Ojemudia, a kid that has some of the physical traits the Lions look for in a CB, as he is 6'1" and 200lbs and ran a respectable 4.45 40 at the combine. However, his arm length, hand size and playmaking ability suggest this kid is a project and projects to a Day 3 pick and likely NFL backup. He wasn't much of a splash player at Iowa, recording only 6 INTs in 4 years, all coming against inferior teams. In fact, the kid is essentially a clone of current Lion and last years 5th rd pick from Penn St Amani Oruwariye. The big difference being that Oruwariye thrived at Penn St and was a stat stuffer, having more INTs and pass breakups his last two seasons than Ojemudia had in his career at Iowa. So if the Lions do in fact draft this kid (he played for the Lions in Senior Bowl), expect it to be in Rd 4 or 5 and have a slower development curve than Oruwariye did to get on the field. My Reaction: This scenario is a scary one for Lions fans that are firmly in the Okudah camp. If Lions drop from #3 to #5 to stockpile picks, the Giants could very easily trade out of #4 with the Falcons and the Lions would miss out on the Top CB in the draft. If they trade back, they better be happy with Simons, Brown or Kinlaw as a consolation prize. My Reaction:  Initially I was a “Hell No!” to any trade down with Mimi that doesn’t include the #5 overall pick.  My instincts were saying that there are only about 4-5 impact defenders in this draft, and the Lions need defense more than any position and really need to come away with as close to a guaranteed impact player as possible.  However, one of my partners here at The Grey Manes astutely pointed out that the Lions could grab 6 of the top 85 players in this scenario and really restock the roster and depth by making smart picks.  After that input, I am still very much in the needing #5 to make this trade back, but would definitely not be overly concerned as long as DB, DE, IOL, WR and IDL were addressed with those picks.

The Detroit Lions are starting a massive rebuilding effort, and despite claiming a bounty of draft picks in the Matt Stafford trade to the LA Rams, they will begin the rebuilding effort with only a modest amount of 2021 picks. Without any compensation picks and having traded away their 6th and 7th rounders in prior deals, the only extra pick will be the 3rd from the Rams, leaving the Lions with a total of six picks to start off the 2021 draft barring any trades. Round 1, Pick 7/7: Round 2, Pick 9/41: Round 3, Pick 8/72: Round 3, Pick 38/101: (Acquired from LA Rams as part of Matt Stafford Trade 03/18/21) Round 4, Pick 7/112: Round 5, Pick 9/153: Round 6, Pick 6/192 (NO PICK): Sent to Dallas Cowboys as part of Everson Griffen Trade on 10/27/20 Round 7, Pick 7/235 (NO PICK): Sent to Seattle Seahawks as part of Quandre Diggs Trade on 10/22/19 *Note. We will update this in real time as any trades happen during the 2021 draft

Heading into the 2021 Draft, the Lions are currently sitting on a roster comprised of 65 players with yesterday’s cut of TE Hunter Bryant and Salary Cap space of approximately $22M . With an offseason limit of 90 players (plus up to 5 tryout players at May Minicamp), the Lions have plenty of room to draft, add Undrafted free Agents (UDFAs) and Free Agents over the next couple of weeks. Offseason Roster limit As of this morning, the team has room to add up to 25 players to get to the offseason max of 90 players prior to the May minicamp. There are currently six draft picks slated for those 25 roster spots, so that leaves 19 UDFAs and/or Veteran Free Agents that can be signed once the draft ends on Saturday evening. It is unlikely the Lions will sign that many UDFAs, as Veteran players are a more proven commodity, especially in a year when medical, testing and in-person meetings were severely limited. As far as Veteran Free Agents, it is important to note that the Compensation Window for Free Agents ends at 4:00pm EST on the Monday following the Draft, so any player signed starting after then will NOT count against the Lions Comp formula. The Lions are currently projected to get three comp picks by Over The cap in 2022 (3rd-Gollday, 5th-Jones & 6th-Agnew) and likely will not want to offset any more by signing any vets prior to the comp window closing on Monday. Another note on roster limits, as the NFL recently limited teams to only hoisting five tryout players at the May Minicamps, so that will have an impact on the UDFA signings and Tryouts that typically starts being lined up in the 7th round and immediately after the draft ends on Saturday. Salary Cap Implications Based on figured recorded at both Over The Cap and Spotrac, the Detroit Lions have approximately $22M in Cap Space after their Top 51 contracts. With a rookie Draft Pool at $9,264,765 per Over The Cap (assuming no draft position changes) and their 1st, 2nd and both 3rd round picks expected to fall into the Top 51 contracts shaving another $4.3M off available space, that leaves the Lions with about $18M in cap space for the Top 51 contracts after signing their picks. This space will be reserved for use on UDFAs, veteran Free Agents and potentially save some for injury additions during the season. With those numbers now know, it suggests that there will be a focus on cheaper Vets and more UDFAs to fill out the remaining 19 open roster slots once the draft concludes.

According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle times, the Detroit Lions cut promising second year TE Hunter Bryant late Wednesday. he was released with the Non-Football Injury Designation, which usually means the player was hurt while away from the team. After further review, it appears that Bryant, who was hurt most of 2020, was likely destined to be cut with the additions of both Alize Mack and Hunter Thedford, both who offer more rounded skills than Bryant. Mack was drafted by New Orleans and Coach Campbell is very familiar with him.

Draft Day is finally here, and with the first couple of waves of Free Agency in the books, lets take a look at what needs the Lions still have entering the draft: Needs: WR, LB, Edge/DL, S, OL, CB WR: Its a forgone conclusion that the Lions will draft not only one, but maybe two or three WRs in this year’s draft. After signing speedy Tyrell Williams, former 1st Rd pick Breshad Perriman and Damion Ratley to go with holdovers Quintez Cephus and Geronio Allison, the Lions still have a long-term need to restock the position. Fortunately, the position is particularly deep with pretty much every size, shape, speed and quality of player you could want in all the rounds. The Lions should be tempted by Ja’marr Chase in Rd 1 if he is there, but choosing between Alabama receivers Waddle and Smith at 7 over an OL, QB of the future or trading back will be a tough choice. LB: With the addition of Alex Anzalone and re-signing of Jaylen Reeve-Maybin, it lessoned the need a bit to go all in on a LB in the draft. The supposed crown jewel is Micah Parsons of Penn St, but the kid has so many red flags that the Lions shouldn’t take him at #7, yet he will likely not be there at #41 in Rd 2. So the Lions could grab one of the next lien of guys in Baron Browning, Jabril Cox or Jamin Davis. Bottom line, the Lions need more speed at LB and there are quite a few options to choose from. Edge/DL: This draft is literally the worst DL draft on paper in the last 10 years. The edge’s outside of Kwity Paye have major warts until you get down into late 2nd early 3rd and the DTs only have 102 guys that are MAYBE second rounders in Barmore and Onwuzurike. Lots of depth-type and promise, but there really is not a sure thing in this draft. Lions will likely grab an Edge or DT at some point for depth, but don’t count on them being a major contributor right away. S: yes, the lions lack Safety depth and likely one starter. Tracy Walker hopefully rebounds after being misused by the last staff and Will Harris starts to show the promise that mad him a 3rd round pick (unlikely). The Lions also have Bobby Price, Jalen Elliott, CJ Moore and Dean Marlow, but that’s not exactly a group that inspires confidence. I expect the lions to look at Safety in Rds 3 and 4, especially if one of the guys like Moehrig, Grant or Holland slips. OL: The Lions did next to nothing with OL in Free Agency outside of picking up Frank Ragnow’s fifth-year option yesterday. That leaves a fairly strong unit intact, but with some questions on the right side. Vaitai seems destined to be cut had it not been for the ridiculous contract that the last regime saddled Holmes with, but I don’t expect him to be here in 2022 unless his play picks up significantly after playing injured most of last year. RT is Crosby and Matt Nelson’s to fight over, which is fine, but not ideal. That is why at #7 don’t be surprised to see the lions jump on Sewell or Slater to ensure that the OL is solid for the next 4-5 years. CB: Last year the lions drafted Okudah at #3 and had both Trufant and Coleman under massive FA contracts to go along with Oruwariye and the thinking is that they were set for the next 2-3 years with developmental guys in the pipeline. Unfortunately, injuries killed that though and the CBs were and absolute disaster outside of Oruwariye and occasional flash from Okudah before he was shut down. Coleman and Trufant are gone, and Lions brought in Corn Elder and Quinton Dunbar as veterans, but there is still a need for depth and more development guys. I doubt the Lions go CB in Rd 1 barring a trade back, so that leaves Rds 2-5 to pick one up, and there is some decent depth to choose from. While at least four CBs should go in Rd 1 (Surtain, Horn, Newsome and Samuel) there is the injury marred Farley, the two Georgia kids in Stokes and Campbell and Syracuse’s super-sized kid Melifonu that should be available in Rds 2-3. One name to keep an eye on, Shaun Wade of Ohio State. He didn’t have a great year while playing injured, but the potential is there to be as good if not better than prior tOSU CBs. Lastly, depending on curve balls, the Lions could end up with a QB of the future (Fields/Lance in Rd1 or development guy in Rd 5 like Kellen Mond, David Mills or Peyton Ramsey) or even a hybrid TE in Pitts in Rd 1 if the picks fall the right way.

The Detroit Lions went into the offseason knowing they would be changing their front office, coaching staff, and then discovered their star quarterback desired a trade. The Grey Manes completed an analysis examining the reported offers out there believe the Lions made the best pick in trading Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams. Besides the obvious, not having to immediately draft a young quarterback to fill a gap left by the departure of the long-tenured signal caller, the choice to take two future seems to be the best option. Jared Goff is a quality NFL quarterback. Whether he is Detroit's long-term solution will work itself out. Lions new head coach Dan Campbell indicated the Detroit Lions intend to be physical, meaning a run heavy offense. Therefore, Goff has proven he can have success with a strong running game given he was the Rams starting QB in the Super Bowl (edited) Despite an immediate potential opportunity to have the 7th and 8th selection in the first round in selecting Carolina as their trading partner, that option seems to have increased risk in this year’s draft that other seasons may not have presented. Other issues to consider with Panthers Deal: (edited) · Both picks become FAs in same year · Lions need and BPA likely align with only WR, with QB, CB and TE not necessarily viable based on youngsters on roster unless clear upgrade. · Many Top 12 kids opted out, didn't play full season or have perceived warts. · Value in top 10 is at QB and WR, with WR likely filled at #7 and QB a maybe. · Edge, LB and WR are Lions biggest needs, with only WR now viable at 7 (Parsons opt out and the Sexual Assault issue) · Scouting issues abound with this class due to COVID · No Combine, tape study is imperative, and Lions scouting department is not fully staffed and will need to not only be integrated wth holdovers, but all get on same page with direction that Coaching Staff has for needs of team once they set the systems for Offense and Defense. Not something you want to rush through just because you need to identify two players to take in top 10. · Salary Cap constraints would mean another Top 10 pick would cause another veteran cut. · Easier to use low 1st rounder as trade collateral than high 1st rounder to provide ultimate flexibility. This Article was written by Dan Keener with input from Brent and Mike