Mock 7 4.0, my fourth and final mock draft, comes with options in projecting who the Detroit Lions will take with the seventh pick in Thursday night's first round.
In his pre-draft press conference, general manager Brad Holmes referred to a "cluster" of players he would be comfortable with at No. 7.
That's a good thing for the Lions, and it adds to their options -- whether it's who they draft or if they decide to trade down from No. 7.
Following is my Mock 7 4.0. Unlike previous drafts, no trades are allowed, but there are references to teams that could be willing to deal. That includes the Lions.
The picks are what I expect the teams to do, even though I might disagree with them.
As always, feel free to disagree. And keep one thing in mind: The draft doesn't end after the first round. There are six more rounds -- two Friday and four Saturday.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
Pick: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson.
Bottom line: Lawrence is the one player in this draft whose position was never in doubt. The Jaguars could have mailed their draft card to Commissioner Roger Goodell on Jan. 1.
2. New York Jets (2-14)
Pick: QB Zach Wilson, Brigham Young.
Bottom line: One big year -- against lesser competition -- convinced the Jets to draft Wilson and trade away 2018 first-round pick Sam Darnold.
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (trade with Dolphins, who traded previously with Texans)
Pick: QB Mac Jones, Alabama.
Bottom line: Most analysts rate Justin Fields of Ohio State and Trey Lance of North Dakota State higher than Jones. But the 49ers are built to contend now. Head coach Kyle Shanahan thinks Jones fits his offense and is better prepared to win now. I'd take Fields.
4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
Pick: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida.
Bottom line: This is a pivotal pick in the first round. The Falcons are in position to trade down with quarterbacks off the board. A quarterback also could be in play here -- either taken by the Falcons for development, or by a team that trades up with the Falcons.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)
Pick: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon.
Bottom line: QB Joe Burrow was sacked 32 times before going out with a season-ending knee injury in Game 10 of his rookie season. Sewell would give him protection, and WR Ja'Marr Chase of LSU -- Burrow's college teammate in 2019 -- would give him a playmaker.
The smart pick is Sewell. He affects the quarterback on every play. A wide receiver doesn't.
6. Miami Dolphins (10-6, trade with Eagles)
Pick: WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU.
Bottom line: The Dolphins probably wanted Pitts, but they could be better off with Chase. He's the best receiver in the draft.
7. Detroit Lions (5-11)
Pick: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern -- with options to consider, as follows:
Trading: Holmes said in his pre-draft presser that he's willing to trade, up or down, adding that he has already had discussions.
Trading down is the more likely option than trading up by a wide margin. The Lions are in a building process, and additional draft picks -- which the Lions would get from trading down -- are key building blocks in that process.
The only issue in trading down is how far Holmes is willing to go.
Draft a quarterback: Not what I would do. The Lions didn't go 14-33-1 the last three seasons by accident or bad luck. There will be quarterbacks available in future drafts if Jared Goff doesn't pan out. Building the foundation is the priority in 2021.
Draft for defense: It's not a bad option -- if it's done after the Lions trade down and acquire extra picks. Linebacker Micah Parsons of Penn State would be a good candidate after the 10th pick. Cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II of Alabama, Jaycee Horn of South Carolina and Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech would be candidates for the Lions after the top 10.
Wide receivers: Wait until Day 2. There is plenty of talent at that position to go around.
Bottom line: I like Slater for the Lions if Sewell is off the board. Either one of those offensive tackles will elevate a good offensive line.
I also like trading down. If the Lions do that, there will be good players available.
One of them might be Slater.
