Detroit Lions Mock Draft Roundup 8.0

Throughout the year and leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, we will update our Detroit Lions Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Detroit Lions from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

For a more inclusive lists of mock drafts for the Detroit Lions, check out our 2021 Detroit Lions Mock Draft Database.

The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Lions:

EDSFootball - Hanson (4/1)

7. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Ideally, Broncos GM George Paton (or a GM of another team) will call the Lions in hopes of getting in front of the Panthers for Trey Lance. Based on the NFL draft value trade chart, the difference between the No. 7 and No. 9 pick is 150 points (or comparable to a third-rounder).

Not the biggest receiver, Waddle is one of the most explosive athletes in the draft and extremely dynamic in the open field. With Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs off to the NFL, Waddle started the year with four 100-yard games before breaking his ankle. In fact, Waddle (557 receiving yards) outproduced (the eventual Heisman Trophy winner) DeVonta Smith (483) through the first four games of the season.

ESPN - McShay (4/1)

8. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

There is one of the top four pass-catchers left here and a glaring void in the Detroit wide receiver room after Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. signed elsewhere. (Sorry, Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman aren't going to cut it as No. 1 options in a division that includes Davante Adams, Allen Robinson II, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.) Waddle is an elusive burner, giving new QB Jared Goff someone to look for early and often each week.

Baltimore Sun - Doon (3/31)

7. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The departure of Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. in free agency leaves a gaping hole at receiver. If new quarterback Jared Goff has any hope of succeeding, he'll need another weapon on the outside. Thanks to the shake-up at the top of the draft, the best receiver falls to the Lions, helping kick-start a new era under coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes.

EDSFootball - Donahue (3/29)

7. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

I thought Detroit at No. 7 may have been a logical target for a team to move up for a QB, but with San Francisco moving all the way up to No. 3, that might have changed the calculus a bit unless someone wants to jump up to take Mac Jones. So instead, they can not only fill a glaring need at WR with Waddle but also add someone who exemplifies the toughness that head coach Dan Campbell preached about in his introductory press conference.

San Diego Union Tribune (3/29)

7. Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

In most drafts, Sewell would be the consensus No. 1 overall pick and he'd pair nicely with Taylor Decker, giving the Lions bookend tackles. The 2019 Outland Trophy winner -- he opted out last season due to the threat of COVID-19 -- isn't flawless, but his ceiling is as high as they come (he'll only be 21 in October).

L.A. Times - Farmer (3/29)

7. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are gone. If the Lions truly believe in Jared Goff, they need to provide him with some targets.

New York Post - Serby (3/27)

7. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Kenny Golladay is a Giant. Marvin Jones is a Jaguar. Jared Goff needs more than Breshad Perriman, so why not an electric difference-maker to balance RB D'Andre Swift?

The Ringer - Kelly (3/26)

7. Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

The Lions took steps to surround Jared Goff with veteran talent in free agency, signing running back Jamaal Williams and receivers Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams. But the team still needs to bolster its offensive line, and Slater is an excellent option in the draft. The Northwestern standout could start at right tackle or either guard spot in the short term before becoming a long-term stalwart at left tackle.

Newsday - Klopsis (3/26)

7. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The Lions' current projected starters at wide receiver: Breshad Perriman, Tyrell Williams, Quintez Cephus. Williams missed all of 2020 with a torn labrum in his shoulder, and Perriman and Cephus combined for 50 catches, 854 yards and five touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase opted out of the 2020 season, but he won the Biletnikoff Award and set SEC receiving records in 2019 thanks to his great hands and mixture of speed, shiftiness and physicality.

Previous update: Detroit Lions Mock Draft Roundup 7.0

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