The rapid-fire nature of the NFL Draft has made it difficult for me to write out my 3000-word essays, so I’m getting straight to the point here. Let’s find out who’s on my Round 2 wish list. 

Need the skinny on Jeff Okudah, plus some mindless ranting about tired sports writing tropes? Click here. 

Just as I suspected, there is a boatload of first-round talent still floating around out there. Pro Football Focus gave 27 players “true first-round grades” heading into the draft, and more than a few of them are still available for the Lions at No. 35. Hell, there’s a chance a couple may still be around at No. 67, the Lions’ third-round selection. Here are the top eight players remaining on PFF’s big board…

Many of those names would play nicely in Detroit, but let’s rearrange some of those names and add a new one after considering team need and the industry-wide Consensus Big Board, courtesy of The Athletic.

A.J. Epenesa: EDGE – Iowa

Consensus Big Board Rank = 23

Need: High – The Lions had an abysmal pass-rush last year, and it needs to change STAT. Epenesa’s pro comp is Trey Flowers. You can always use more of those guys, particularly when you don’t need to pay them $90 million dollars. This is a double-whammy best player available/need combo. He wasn’t supposed to be here, yet here he is. Make the call, Bob.

Josh Jones: LT – Houston

Consensus Big Board Rank = 29

Need: Med/High – This pick comes with one caveat: Can he be shifted to right tackle after playing on the left side at Houston? If so, he can bump new Lions RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai inside to right guard (versatility is his calling card) to form a nice OL foundation, and the Lions will officially have things shored up post-Glasgow/Wagner. Worst-case, you have your Taylor Decker replacement in 2021.

Denzel Mims: WR – Baylor

Consensus Big Board Rank: 33

Need: Low (2020) / High (2021) – The Lions are solid at WR in 2020 with the Golladay/Jones/Amendola trio. Beyond this season, not so much. This makes Mims, whose knock is that he has explosive tools but simply needs more polish, a great fit for the Lions. By the time they need him, he should be ready. This is the type of luxury pick I would have loved if the Lions had picked up an extra 2nd via trade. 

Trap picks: Any of the top running backs

Man, are there a lot of shiny new toys at running back still out there. Only one went off the board in round 1, and you can argue that the top-3 are still available. J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, and D’Andre Swift are household names, and all possess stud-like qualities. But with each passing year, running backs lose draft value since it is by far the easiest position to cobble together. The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl with 9 running backs named Williams, none of which you have ever heard of.

There are a few moves that would make me break out the pitchfork, and taking a RB in Round 2 is one of them. Don’t do it.

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