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Detroit has a number of legitimate options to weigh here:

1. Trey Lance as Matthew Stafford's long-term replacement
2. Jaylen Waddle to address a potential free-agency void created by Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and/or Danny Amendola
3. Their choice of CB (Patrick Surtain or Caleb Farley) to pair opposite Jeff Okudah

Given all of those options, Parsons, the top available prospect on my big board, is a rare athlete. Given that we don't know what the new regime will prefer, going BPA at this point is reasonable.

Before opting out of the 2020 college season, there was a moment where the 244-pound linebacker was listed as Penn State's top kick returner. Even if perhaps by mistake, that highlights the type of athlete that the first-team All-American (2019) is. Parsons uses his athleticism, length and instincts to impact the game against the run, in coverage and as a blitzer.

Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all unrestricted free agents. I don't suspect Waddle's broken ankle will impact his draft stock much (coach Nick Saban has yet to rule him out of playing in the College Football Playoff). He was off to an incredible start -- 25 receptions, 557 yards and four touchdowns in four games -- after showing promise as a sophomore.

If you are going to break the mold in the top 10 of the NFL draft, you'd better do it for a complete game-changer.

DeVonta Smith is that type of player.

Smith is undersized for the wide receiver position by many standards, as he is listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, and as you can tell from the above picture, he is what some might consider “slender” for the NFL. But Smith makes up for that with game-breaking ability as a receiver. Last year he was playing in the shadow of Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy -- as well as current teammate Jayden Waddle -- but this year was his breakout campaign as he caught 17 touchdown passes, and 98 passes total, in the regular season alone. With the Lions facing decisions on Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, Smith is a nice find in the first round.

Even if the Lions re-sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Kenny Golladay (27), Marvin Jones (31) and/or Danny Amendola (35), the team still needs more talent at wide receiver. Smith should finish the year with the highest single-season receiving grade in the PFF College era (2014-20) and currently ranks 12th overall on PFF's 2021 NFL Draft Board.

Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all in the final year of their deals. And while the Lions will almost certainly keep Golladay, who has been injured for much of this season, adding Chase makes too much sense not to happen.

If we were to ask defensive coordinators not who the best receiver is in the NFL, but who scares them most, I bet Tyreek Hill would receive the most votes. That is why Waddle goes off the board first. That is the type of impact he can have on a game, and the rationale for this selection in the 2-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft.

He is a legitimate three-level threat who has improved his route running, and if he continues on that trajectory, he could be disgustingly good. Watching Matthew Stafford (maaaaaaybe) and Waddle connecting 70 yards downfield will be an outstanding thing to see.

With a new head coach and GM combo in Detroit, nothing is tying them to Matthew Stafford. This isn't giving up on Stafford by any means, though, just like the Packers drafting Jordan Love wasn't giving up on Aaron Rodgers. It's simply admitting Stafford is a mid-tier quarterback and that Lance has the tools that could develop into more than that.

It's hard to predict what the Lions will do without knowing who the general manager and head coach will be, but Matthew Stafford is 32 years old, and the team could get out of his contract after next season with a limited cap hit. Drafting his replacement would make perfect sense.