Dueling mock drafts from Kiper, Jeremiah have Lions adding receiver, corner

After filling most, if not all, of the team's significant roster holes via free agency, the Detroit Lions are in position to pursue general manager Brad Holmes' goal of selecting the best players available to him, regardless of position, in next month's NFL draft.

On Tuesday, with the first and largest wave of free agency wrapped up, two top draft pundits released updated first-round projections that have the Lions addressing opposite sides of the ball.

ESPN's Mel Kiper slotted the Lions a wide receiver not often seen in mock drafts to this point: South Carolina's Xavier Legette.

"Legette is rising in my rankings after he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and tested well in the other drills at the combine," Kiper wrote. "While I will quibble with South Carolina for listing him at 6-foot-3 when he's actually 6-foot-1, I won't hold that against him. He had a fantastic 2023 season, with 1,255 receiving yards while averaging 17.7 yards per catch. He dominated cornerbacks on crossing routes, lining up in the slot and outside. This is a way to keep improving the Detroit offense."

Legette seemingly came out of nowhere last season after catching just 42 passes in his first four seasons at the school. At his media session at the combine, he exhibited some of the gritty characteristics the Lions love on their roster, saying his passion for special teams is what sets him apart from the other receivers in this class. He also emphasized the importance of blocking, a must-have trait to play the position in Detroit.

"I take pride in my blocking," Legette said. "That's just as important as me getting the ball."

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who didn't have Legette in his most recent ranking of the top 50 prospects in this class, had the Lions snagging Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry with their No. 29 selection.

"This was a tough call for me between McKinstry and Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson. The Lions end up going with the talented outside cornerback to pair with his Alabama teammate, slot corner Brian Branch," Jeremiah wrote.

An investment in a third cornerback would mirror Detroit's offseason approach a year ago, when they added Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley through free agency and nickel Brian Branch via the draft. This offseason, the Lions have continued to pour resources into the position, trading for Carlton Davis and signing Amik Robertson.

McKinstry didn't participate in the combine after the medical evaluations at the event revealed a Jones fracture in his foot. At Alabama the past three seasons, the 5-foot-11, 199-pounder held opposing quarterbacks to a paltry NFL passer rating of 66.0 when he was targeted in coverage.

He finished his college career with 23 pass defenses and two interceptions, earning first-team All-SEC honors the past two seasons, while being named a first-team All-American in 2023.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers