2021 NFL Draft: Bears land top pick in preseason 2021 NFL mock draft
By Kyle Edmond
2021 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick 12 (Detroit Lions, 6-10)
Defensive Tackle. 50. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Pittsburgh. Jaylen Twyman. 12. player
Despite Matt Patricia filling the Detroit defense with former New England Patriots, the defensive tackle position is still one of need for the Lions. With Danny Shelton and Nicholas Williams slated to start, this will be a point of interest for Detroit to address.
Jaylen Twyman had a dominant sophomore campaign at Pitt and would bring a much-needed threat on the line to Detroit that is on the younger side and hasn’t played in New England.
During the 2019 season, Twyman posted an impressive 10.5 sacks on the year while also registering 12.5 tackles for loss. These numbers are a big jump from his freshman year when he had just half of a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
The lack of sample size could push Twyman down boards, but his upside could be enough to still get top consideration in a year that any production will be amplified. The Lions have a history of taking defensive tackles in the first round and Twyman has the ceiling to play just as well as, if not better than, those before him.
Depending on how the draft unfolds, the Lions could also be in the market for a new quarterback if one falls to them. They were rumored to be considering a quarterback this past draft and those rumors are likely to resurface.