Here's what position Vegas thinks the Lions will draft
Nolan BianchiEven if the Detroit Lions aren’t drafting for need in this month’s NFL Draft, FanDuel and BetMGM still think they’ll walk out of the first day with a cornerback.
Both sportsbooks have cornerback (+135) as the most likely position of the first Lions player drafted, followed by defensive line/edge (+290, FanDuel), offensive line (+290, FanDuel) and wide receiver (+420).
The release of cornerback Cam Sutton reopened a spot at cornerback that the Lions thought they filled by trading for Carlton Davis III and signing Amik Robertson in free agency, although Lions general manager Brad Holmes was ultimately surprised that they were able to acquire both Davis and Robertson to begin with, so perhaps the team doesn’t see it as big of a need as the draft industry at large.
The Lions taking a cornerback played out in a recent “market-implied” mock draft done by Pro Football Focus, which used betting markets to assign each team a player in the first round. PFF’s mock had the Lions taking Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa — who’s slowly crept up into the first round on a ton of consensus boards over the last month — at pick No. 29.
In that scenario, Tampa was the sixth cornerback taken behind Alabama’s Terrion Arnold (Raiders, No. 13), Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell (Colts, 15), Clemson’s Nate Wiggins (Jaguars, 17), Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry (Eagles, 22) and Cooper DeJean (Buccaneers, 26).
Though the books think Detroit is most likely to take a cornerback or a defensive lineman — two glaring positions of need — there’s an argument to be made the projection is more about the vaunted offensive draft class. DraftKings has the over-under of offensive players taken in the first round at 20.5 and the over-under of cornerbacks taken at 5.5.
Tampa (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) was targeted in coverage just 49 times last season, allowing 25 receptions for 240 yards and an opponent passer rating of 54.8. He intercepted two passes and recorded six pass breakups.
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