Photo Credit: NFL.com

2016 NFL Draft: 7-Round Detroit Lions Mock Draft

Posted onAuthorGarrett Fishaw

Oh, the Detroit Lions. If only you could have hired John Harbaugh to go along with Bob Quinn, a somewhat similar excitement could have been buzzing around the team like when Jim Harbaugh accepted the Michigan job.

Oh well, on to the next best thing in Lions fans’ lives, the NFL Draft.

I already released my one and only full 2016 1st round mock draft earlier today and am here now to release my entire 7-round Detroit Lions 2016 mock draft. And buckle up, because GM Fish made some bold moves.

A couple of the bold moves includes trading back in the 1st round to get more picks as I don’t believe the talent level is much different from 16 to 30. Also, I didn’t take an offensive tackle until the 3rd round and I took a high risk/high reward guy at that. On top of that, I traded up for a player I think could be the steal of the draft.

As for my overall feelings on my mock draft, I saw what Denver did with an elite defense and went that route instead of rebuilding the offense. Marvin Jones is a really nice free agent addition and as long as one of the many tackles on the team can protect Stafford more than they did in 2015, this team could be back on the right track.

So, check out my one and only 7 round Detroit Lions 2016 mock draft. Feel free to rip it apart because, let’s be honest, these are never right.

Enjoy:

Trades

  • 16th overall (1st) to CIN for 24th overall (1st), 87th overall (3rd), 122nd overall (4th) and a 2017 5th round pick
  • 191st overall (6th) and 202nd overall (6th) to LA for 177th overall (6th)

Draft

1st Round, 24th Overall (trade with CIN): Vernon Butler, DT, LaTech

  • The pick that will set social media on fire amongst Detroit fans. A’Shawn Robinson and Andrew Billings are available, hell, even Will Fuller’s right there. But the Lions go with the player they’ve clearly done the most homework on (4 separate visits) and that’s Butler. He reminds me a lot of Muhammed Wilkerson.
2nd Round, 46th Overall: Su’a Cravens, S/LB, USC

  • Lions need playmakers on defense and Cravens has that “it” factor that could end up making him a star in the league for years to come. Add in him having the size and athleticism to play two of the positions the staff needs to fill on defense and he could/should be an instant impact addition. He’s basically the Jabrill Peppers of the 2016 NFL Draft.
3rd Round, 87th Overall (from CIN): Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor

  • Taking a corner before an offensive lineman may seem crazy but there’s more depth at OT than CB (IMO) and Howard has the chance to be a really good NFL player. Though he may gamble a bit, his size and physicality is something that should pair with Darius Slay nicely.
3rd Round, 95th Overall: Jerald Hawkins, OT, LSU

  • Finally, an offensive tackle. Hawkins is a guy I think has a huge upside and would be a nice pick in the middle rounds. At LSU, he was a solid tackle that wasn’t talked about much because of the talent around him but he has all of the natural qualities you’d want in a tackle and, with some good coaching, could become a really nice left or right tackle at the next level.
4th Round, 111th Overall: Charone Peake, WR, Clemson

  • Peake is a name to watch closely in this draft. I doubt the Lions take a receiver very high thanks to the Marvin Jones signing plus the depth of the draft but this is a guy that I believe would be a perfect fit. He’s a big, physical, fast receiver that reminds me a bit of a young Anquan Boldin. He could be the perfect fit alongside Golden Tate and Jones in the Lions offense.
4th Round, 122nd Overall (from CIN): Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU

  • Kaufusi would be the 3rd BYU defensive standout to go to the Lions in the last 3 years and is  good friends with Ziggy Ansah. Though he’s not as heralded as a player or prospect that Ansah or Van Noy were coming into the draft, he does has the measurables to be a really nice rotational defensive end in the Detroit defense early on.
5th Round, 151st Overall: Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford

  • The Lions have been missing a backup quarterback since Drew Stanton left and Hogan could be the perfect fit. Though he may not have the prettiest release in the world, he’s smart with the ball and athletic enough to make plays with his feet.
5th Round, 169th Overall: Blake Martinez, LB, Stanford 

  • With Tahir Whitehead expected to slide over to the MIKE and Stephen Tulloch expected to be traded/released, the middle backer spot is a need. And Martinez could be a really nice pick right here. He was a leader of the Stanford defense and could be a nice pro in the right system.
6th Round, 177th Overall (from LA): Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia

  • Marshall was a top high school recruit and made up the best running back duo in the country with Todd Gurley. That was until he busted his knee. With the injury behind him and his speed back to where it was (4.31 at the Combine), he could be the steal of the draft this late for a team in need of a boost in the running game, like Detroit.
6th Round, 210th Overall: Tajae Sharpe, WR, UMass

  • Sharpe is the receiver that jumped off the screen the most to me during the combine. His size, fluidness and catching ability really standout and reminds me a bit of AJ Green. If he were to play at Michigan or another top FBS school, he’d be going much higher in this draft.
7th Round, 236th Overall: Darryl Worley, CB, West Virginia 

  • Worley visited with Detroit twice during the evaluations and looks like he could be a really nice late round pick. Though he’s been burned by Corey Coleman in the past, his size and ball skills are intriguing enough to definitely draft him if he falls to the 7th.

What do you think of my one and only 2016 1st round NFL mock draft? What about my 7 round mock draft for the Detroit Lions? Let me know in the comment section below and feel free to add your draft pick projections!

Photo Credit: NFL.com

Garrett Fishaw
Latest posts by Garrett Fishaw (see all)