One of the most reverential NFL draft analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN released his latest single-round mock draft. It’s a projection that adds instant playmakers on both sides of the ball for the Detroit Lions.
Kiper attacks the desperate need for impact talent on defense by using the No. 2 overall pick for Detroit on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. After mentioning the potential for Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Kiper concludes Hamilton is the safer, smarter choice,
Hamilton is a playmaking safety in a 6-foot-4 frame who would immediately raise the ceiling of a defense that has struggled for years. He can play in the box, out of the slot and as a center fielder. Normally I’d say this is too high for a safety, but Hamilton is a unique and special defender.
The No. 32 pick addresses the question at quarterback. With Kenny Pickett (at 18) and Malik Willis (20) off the board, Kiper rolls with Ole Miss QB Matt Corral,
He throws a ball with some zip and is extremely tough, though he doesn’t have a huge frame (6-foot-2, 212 pounds). The biggest question revolves around the offense he ran in college; his coaches didn’t ask him to make many reads. There will be an adjustment in the NFL.
For the Lions, I just don’t see Jared Goff as the future. This allows them to get a potential quarterback of the future on a team-friendly five-year contract.
Kiper’s projections match those made in our last Lions Wire mock offseason.
