The Detroit Lions have battled multiple injuries this season, but they still have the best record in the NFC at 13-2.
Their focus is still clearly on winning a Super Bowl this season, and the team and the fan base are far from thinking about who they should target in the upcoming NFL Draft.
But the newest A to Z Sports mock draft has them targeting a position that. has become a clear need as they battle through injuries.
Lions select Marshall edge rusher Mike Green in new mock draft
"The Lions traded for Za'Darius Smith, but they need a long-term partner for Aidan Hutchinson in their pass rush room. At this point of the first round, teams are going to be looking for traits in their pass rush room.
If you haven't had a chance to watch Mike Green, do so immediately. He's explosive off the snap and surprisingly more physical against the run than you would expect given his size."
- New A to Z Sports mock draft
Mike Green is going to get labeled as a one-year wonder in terms of college production, but what a monster year it turned out to be. He finished the season with 17.0 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, leading not just his conference, the MAC, but the entire FBS.
His production this past season, if done at a P4 program, would have him as a shoo-in to be drafted in the first round, but for him, it came at Marshall. So, the entire draft cycle will be about whether a team will take the shot on a small school product to see if his game will translate to the pro level. The Lions have shown they are willing to take a shot on small school prospects in the past, with them even using a fourth-round pick on Giovanni Manu, who played his college ball at the University of British Columbia.
The Lions need to find a better partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson for when he returns from injury. So, the fact that Green would be able to come in and not have to worry about being the top dog on the Lions defensive line would take some of the pressure off his plate, which comes with being a first-round pick, would be perfect for him. He would focus more on trying to bring the success he found at Marshall this season to the NFL and prove he is, in fact, not a one-year wonder.
