Detroit Lions 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft: Time for a new era?

Round 2, 38th Overall: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

The Detroit Lions stick to the defensive side of the ball in the second round of this mock, bringing TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney into the mix. Darius Slay is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL, but he has not exactly been happy with some of the decisions made by the team. Slay will hit free agency after the 2020 season and I could easily see him moving on at that point.

Even if the Lions can lock up Slay for the long-term, they still severely lack depth at the cornerback position. Gladney immediately gives them a quality running mate for Slay on the outside and could offer them some protection against losing Slay after 2020.

Gladney has solid speed, size and athleticism at the cornerback position, but he is not overly impressive in any of those areas. That being said, he is an extremely quick defender who changes directions well and has. a knack for coverage. Gladney has incredible instincts in coverage, showing high-level ability in both man and zone coverages. He also shows elite-level ball skills, consistently finding a way to make a play on the ball.

Simply put, Gladney is a rock-solid cover cornerback who can come up and play against the run and has big-play potential at the next level. He is a sticky defender whose skill-set should translate quickly to the NFL. Here, the Detroit Lions fill an important position of need with a very good football player.