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.
The Lions could go in a number of directions here, including cornerback or linebacker, but with almost an entire receiving corps set to hit free agency, Chase could serve as a splashy WR1 for their new QB.
GM Brad Holmes and Co. display their trust in Jared Goff -- who is being sent to Detroit in the deal the Lions and Rams agreed to over the weekend -- by adding an explosive pass catcher to the lineup.
By acquiring Goff -- a middling quarterback in the NFL -- it's hard to say the Lions are in a full rebuild. They're just really close to one. Because of that, it's no guarantee they won't take a quarterback at No. 7. But with a cache of first-round picks in the next two years, they can wait a year on a quarterback.
If that's the case, the Lions should be in the mode of acquiring superstar players. Parsons is on the same level as recent top 10 linebackers Roquan Smith and Devin White. He's a foundation piece for a team that desperately needs them.
The Lions just completed a blockbuster trade, sending longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for a pair of future first-round picks, a 2021 third-rounder, and Jared Goff. The move gives Detroit the chance to hit the reset button and build a new foundation from the ground up. Bolstering the offensive line with Slater, a day-one starter at either tackle or guard, is a nice way to get things started as the team seeks to establish a new identity.
They're not parting with Stafford to turn the keys over to Chase Daniel or David Blough. Fields is a multi-dimensional threat who was at his best with six TD passes against Clemson in the college playoff semifinals. However that performance was bracketed by several checkered ones, including his final one against Alabama. Still, Fields' estimable potential suggests the Lions might even have to move up a few spots to get him.
Things change quickly in the NFL. Before the news that the Lions were going to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason, I would have said that they should keep Stafford and try to help him with a wide receiver in this draft. Alabama's Jaylen Waddle would have fit here. But instead it appears that new general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell will go all-in on a rebuild, and so Fields could be the face of it. He had an up-and-down season, but we saw the flashes of his talent, particularly in his six-touchdown performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Fields has superstar potential, but he'll need help around him. Detroit will need to figure out what it's doing with free-agent wideouts Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. and make sure Fields has a chance to succeed in Year 1. (Update: Stafford is being traded to the Rams, with Jared Goff coming back to Detroit, but this deal shouldn't change the Lions' thinking in this draft. Goff is not likely to be the long-term answer.)
Detroit is expected to be in the QB market following the news that the team plans to begin trade discussions for Matthew Stafford. It would be a gift for Fields to fall to the Lions with the seventh pick, but the board works their way in this scenario.
The Lions have a choice to make with quarterback Matthew Stafford: Trade him for picks to kick-start a rebuild, or build a better team around him during his prime. Detroit has a new coach and general manager, so it's hard to predict what it will do. Parsons would fill a major need for a defense that finished last in Football Outsiders' DVOA.
