The Detroit Lions had an amazing season and made it to the NFC Championship game in 2023. After a couple of losses in the offseason there is one position that the Lions need to target early in the 2024 NFL draft.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have been one of the worst franchises in NFL history. Joining the NFL in 1930 the Lions have played 95 seasons in the National Football League. While having four NFL championships, the Lions have never been to a Super Bowl. Through all of this, the Detroit Lions had an incredible 2023 season. After major improvement over the past couple of seasons, the Lions made it to the NFC Championship game in 2023 and were just a couple of minutes away from making it to their first Super Bowl appearance.
One of the main contributors to the Lion’s success last season was their incredible draft class. Detroit’s top four picks were all starters during the 2023 season. Most of the Lion’s picks were considered to be reaches during the draft but that didn’t seem to matter to the Lions. They drafted Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round, both of whom were not projected to be selected until the second round.
Offseason
Losing the NFC Championship to the 49ers kicked off the Lions offseason. The Detroit Lions 2024 offseason has gone under the radar but has been pretty eventful. One move the Lions made was a trade for Buccaneers corner Carlton Davis. Detroit gave up a third-round pick to get a nice piece in their secondary.
One of the Detroit Lion’s weaknesses last season was their corners. With injuries and a lack of stars, the Detroit Lion’s corner room was one of the worst in the NFL. The Lions also lost one of their top corners Cam Sutton after he was arrested and subsequently cut by the team. This leaves the Lions with only three outside corners on the roster. In this case, it seems obvious that the Lions will target corners early in the draft.
Cooper DeJean
If Cooper DeJean fell to the Lions at pick 29, it would be very shocking. DeJean fits the Dan Campbell hard-nosed defense to a T. Cooper is a smart football player who always finds his way to the football. The only issue with DeJean to the Detroit Lions is he is projected to play more of a slot corner or safety in the NFL which the Lions already have in Brian Branch.
Nate Wiggins
Similar to DeJean, Wiggins could be a player that Dan Campbell would love on his defense. Wiggins was projected to be a top-20 pick before the combine but has slipped down boards just a little and could fall into the Detroit Lions’ lap at pick 29. The main reason Wiggins has fallen is because of his light weight. Even with all of this, Wiggins is an aggressive corner who would fit right into the Lion’s defense.
Kool-Aid Mckinstry
Another player that the Lions could snag in the first round is Kool-Aid Mckinstry. McKinstry played at Alabama for the Crimson Tide. He was projected to be a top-10 pick but after his 2023 season, he might fall out of the first round. The knock on McKinstry is his lack of focus and effort. Other than that, Mckinstry is a great coverage corner that the Detroit Lions need.
Once again, with injuries and only three corners on the roster, it seems highly likely that the Detroit Lions will target corners in the first round of the NFL draft.
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