NFL mock draft roundup: Tua vanishes as Jeff Okudah takes over for Lions after free agency

Jeff Okudah, Cleveland.com

Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah (1) against Cincinatti, September 7, 2019. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Jeff Okudah was the most popular pick for the Detroit Lions even before the Darius Slay era came to a tumultuous end. The Lions added Desmond Trufant, Duron Harmon and Jayron Kearse, but losing a former All-Pro after allowing the most passing yards in the NFL justifiably has most analysts glaring at the secondary in Detroit.

Also worth noting is the absence of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from the majority of mock drafts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper was the last significant name standing after the combine and has now even flipped his pick to Okudah. Detroit added veteran backup Chase Daniel to a three-year deal and maintains David Blough under team control for a couple more seasons after he made five starts as a rookie.

With Slay out and the busiest moments of free agency in the rear-view mirror, let’s run through some mock drafts from around the country:

Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

Mocked by: ESPN’s Todd McShay, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, NFL Network’s Charley Casserly, WalterFootball (trade back to No. 6 with Los Angeles Chargers), NBC Sports Bay Area, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, NBC Sports Washington, Rotoworld, Pro Football Focus (trade back to No. 5 with Miami Dolphins), USA Today’s TouchdownWire and the Washington Post

Breakdown: Okudah is the top cornerback prospect in this draft, and the masses are mostly in agreement on his fit in Detroit. He would pair nicely behind Trufant in Year 1, but with a significant role waiting for him with Justin Coleman in the slot and Amani Oruwariye holding down a developmental spot for another year.

Okudah fits in Matt Patricia’s system, fills an obvious need and projects as a potential No. 1 shutdown corner at the next level. He found himself up in the press on 184 snaps last season and didn’t allow a single catch of more than 12 yards. Throw in the fact he allowed only six plays of more than 15 yards out of 400 coverage snaps, and it’s clear the Ohio State star is one of the best cornerback prospects to enter the draft in years.

Before taking a rough tumble at the scouting combine, Okudah ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and had people in amazement at his smooth hips despite coming in at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. He’s the real deal.

Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Mocked by: Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports, MLive’s Kyle Meinke, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports

Breakdown: Chase Young remains the dream scenario for most of Detroit’s fanbase, and that’s understandable. It’s also worth noting while Young landing with the Lions remains somewhat of a longshot, it’s still not out of the question.

Washington is likely to stick with Dwayne Haskins after adding Ron Rivera’s former backup Kyle Allen via trade, but the team could still make a move with one of the more quarterback-needy teams. Washington lacks depth, but the team has spent a considerable amount on its defensive line and pass rush in recent years.

Washington used a first-round pick on Montez Sweat last year, interior defender Da’Ron Payne the year before, defensive end Jonathan Allen in 2017, and a second-round pick on edge rusher Preston Smith back in 2015. With that said, sure Washington could use some more depth in other spots, but the team could also use a potentially generational pass-rusher in Young much like the rest of the NFL.

Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn

Mocked by: Pete Prisco of CBS Sports

Breakdown: The Lions have made some moves to address their defensive line, but Brown remains a real possibility. Nick Williams looks like he could possess some untapped ability as a pass rusher, while Danny Shelton looks like an ideal replacement for Snacks Harrison. That right there should be enough to rule out Brown, a likely top-10 pick, but perhaps the idea of clogging the middle of the line with the Auburn standout next to Shelton in some scenarios is too appealing to pass on.

Shelton and Williams were both brought in on two-year deals, so it’s worth pointing to the fact Brown is just 21 years old. That’s right. The 6-foot-5, 326-pound interior behemoth was born in 1998.

Brown said he met with the Lions while at the combine and had a good chat highlighted by his existing relationship with Detroit defensive line coach Bo Davis. The defensive line coach recruited Brown coming out of high school while coaching at Alabama, so the team has a good read on the prospect.

“He’s got rare, rare talent,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper previously said. "I circled him in just about every game I saw. It was Derrick Brown, Derrick Brown, Derrick Brown. I’m looking at the circles. He is a guy that definitely jumped off the page.”

Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

Mocked by: Drafttek, Tankathon, MLive’s Benjamin Raven, Sporting News

Breakdown: The additions of Duron Harmon and Jamie Collins fill potential roles for Simmons, but the thought that a rotational safety and linebacker fresh off one resurgent campaign could strike an elite, versatile prospect off the board isn’t connecting with everyone.

Simmons does a little bit of everything, and he does a little bit of everything better than most. He’s played more than 100 snaps in about every position on the field and wowed at the combine with his combination of size, speed, strength and fluidity. While his 6-foot-4, 238-pound build doesn’t scream safety, that 4.39-second 40-yard dash, 39-inch vertical jump and 132.0-inch broad jump scream that Simmons can play wherever the hell he wants.

He was one of only three players in all of college football to log at least 100 snaps on the defensive line, in the box, covering someone in the slot or back deep at free safety. Detroit’s defense was terrible last year, and Simmons could slide in nicely while lifting the weight off of the shoulders of players better suited for more one-dimensional roles. Whether that’s at linebacker, safety or both, Simmons should be one of the top prospects on the board after such a terrible defensive season.

“Simmons is too good to be limited to just one role within the defense,” PFF wrote of the do-it-all-defender. “Out of every single off-ball linebacker and safety this past season in college football, Simmons was the only player to produce 80.0-plus grades against the run, when rushing the passer, in tackling and when in coverage. Wherever he was at on the field, Simmons could rush the passer better than most.”


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