INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Matt Patricia
The first two picks of the 2020 NFL Draft are easy to predict. Things start to get crazy when the Detroit Lions go on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick.
NFL fans looking for drama in this year’s draft aren’t going to have to wait very long. The Lions have the ability to throw the entire first round into chaos with the No. 3 overall selection.
The Bengals will select Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick unless something seismic happens within the next week. There are whispers about the Redskins’ interest in a number of prospects at No. 2, but they’ll be selecting Chase Young unless a massive trade offer comes their way.
That’s when things get interesting on draft night. The Lions have a number of different directions they could go at No. 3. Things for the franchise are complicated by the belief that head coach Matt Patricia needs to win in 2020 to save his job. The presence of a veteran quarterback in the form of Matthew Stafford also give Detroit the appearance of a team that’s interested in winning now.
The rest of the roster looks like a team squarely headed towards a rebuild. The right long-term move for the franchise would be to flip the No. 3 pick for additional draft picks. It’s unclear whether or not Patricia will be adamantly opposed to passing on an immediate contributor with the team’s current pick.
If the Lions stay put it seems logical to assume they’ll take Jeff Okudah and move on. The departure of Darius Slay this offseason leaves a seismic hole in the team’s secondary. Okudah is widely considered to be a plug and play starter when Week 1 arrives. He won’t be Slay’s equal as a rookie, but he’s got the long-term potential to be a No. 1 corner in Detroit for the next decade.
The ugly truth for the Lions is that they weren’t that good with Slay in the fold last year. As such, drafting Okudah at No. 3 is unlikely to make them any better in 2020. Even if he has a great rookie season and plays as well as Slay did in 2019, this team is still on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
That’s why the front office must step in and extract the maximum value they can for the No. 3 pick. Fortunately for the franchise, it’s a pick that should attract a ton of interest from teams looking to move up and draft the quarterback of their choice. Conventional wisdom suggests Tua Tagovailoa would be that target, but Justin Herbert’s late charge up the board might put him in the frame for consideration as the draft approaches.
The Lions shouldn’t care which quarterback is tempting teams to move up in Round 1. It’s their job to start a subtle bidding war for the No. 3 pick. Staying put and drafting a quality prospect like Okudah wouldn’t be a disaster, but it would be a missed opportunity. The clock is ticking for the Lions to do all they can with their most valuable draft asset.