2020 NFL Mock Draft: Three rounds with latest rumors and predictions
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Auburn. Derrick Brown. 3. Defensive Tackle. 50
The first real surprise of this 2020 NFL Mock Draft, as the Detroit Lions opt against Jeff Okudah, cannot trade the pick away and select Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown third overall.
GM Bob Quinn and the Lions would love to trade down from here, especially if Brown is the guy they like. But as Quinn recently expressed to the media, it takes two teams to make a trade. In this 2020 NFL Mock Draft scenario, the Lions stay at three and take a player that teams apparently have graded this high:
Today’s draft nugget: DT Derrick Brown has a real chance to destroy all the mocks and get into the Top 5. Teams seem to have him graded that highly. #NFLDraft https://t.co/EvosNPjt3e
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 21, 2020
Brown is an absolute force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the football. He has the anchor to eat double teams in the run game and displays very impressive movement and penetration ability.
While some teams view Brown as a dominant run stuffer who doesn’t bring much on passing down, Brown’s presence will be felt every single down, and he will only get better at the next level. Brown is a real people-mover and can push the pocket in on a quarterback. He might not log a ton of sacks, but he consistently pressures the quarterback.
It was tough to pass up on Okudah after the departure of Darius Slay, but the Lions’ current defensive line is unrecognizable to the casual NFL fan. At corner, Detroit brought in Desmond Trufant and still have Justin Coleman in the mix. More importantly, the cornerback position is much deeper in the draft, leaving the Lions some viable options down the road.
Detroit decides to go with a front-to-back approach to reshaping their defense under head coach Matt Patricia. With Brown stuffing the run and pushing the pocket, the secondary should be put in a position to succeed rather often.