Lion's Blog: 2019 Draft Board Analysis

With the 2019 NFL Draft approaching I want to take some time to go through what I believe is the Detroit Lion's draft board. This exercise will be more than just me putting my own values and thoughts but will also feature me trying to get into the Mind of Matt Patricia and the new Patriot way that the Lions have adopted to come to a likely ranking of draft prospects that the team can take with the number 8 pick this year.

Biggest Needs
Just to recap what I wrote earlier the Lions have 5 Needs that can and should be address in this year's draft and they are as follows...

1. Defensive Tackle
2. Linebacker 
3. Tight End
4. Outside Corner
5. Right Guard 

Starter Needs vs. Depth Needs
This ordering does not mean that the team will take these positions in this order in the draft as there is a difference between starting needs and depth needs that will be considered as well. It bears mentioning that starting needs rank as more important than depth needs but in cases where a position lacks enough depth to field a team (such as one that rotates like the defensive line) it can rise to being a bigger need than a that of a starter.

1. Defensive Tackle, Depth
2. Linebacker, Depth
3. Tight End, Starter/ Depth
4. Outside Corner Starter, Starter
5. Right Guard, Starter 

As you can see, the first starter based need on the list is the tight end. This could also be a depth pick if done in the later rounds as the team does have a likely starter with Jessie James. The other to starting needs of outside corner and right guard are both starter needs but do have decent depth. The Tight end spot needs depth and a upgrade at starter and as such ranks higher than this chart shows.
 
 
Lions likely draft Board for first number 8 pick

Setting aside the unlikely event that a Quinnen Williams or a Josh Allen falls to number 8, the likely draft board for the Detroit Lions in the first round goes as follows.

1. T.J. Hockenson, TE
2. Devin White, LB
3. Greedy Williams, CB
4. Jonah Williams, T
5. Trading down

At this point I expect the Lions to use some of their plentiful available cap space to snag a DT in free agency (most likely to bring back Ricky Jean Francois but Suh is not totally out of the question either) and they will likely use a day 2 pick on a hybrid DT/DE as well. I really do not expect the Lions to use a first round pick on the Defensive line this year especially as there is bound to be some first round quality talent that falls to the second the way Robinson fell to the Lions in 2016. The need at corner is bigger than at right guard due to less depth and therefore less competition for the spot opposite of Slay. Trading down would likely only happen if all of the above options were off the board.

Most Likely Pick
I have been aboard the T.J. Hockenson train for so long that I forgot where my stop is. Needless to say I am still on that train. I expect Devin White to be off the board at 8 and even if not, the idea of getting the next Gronkowski (and keeping him away from the Green Bay Packers) to an offense that really needs another credible weapon to be truly effective is too much to pass up
Bottom line, I expect the Detroit Lions to Draft T.J. Hockenson, Tight End from Iowa with the number 8 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. We do not have long to find out how wrong (or right) I am.