2020 NFL Draft: 5 players Lions could take in Round 1

Matt Patricia needs to win in 2020 if he wants to keep his job. That’s why the Lions must make a wise choice with their first pick in the NFL Draft.

The Lions are in a much different situation than most teams that find themselves drafting in the top five of the first round. Detroit is under a mandate to win now. That means they can’t afford to miss with the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft.

It also may force the franchise to focus more on need than simply taking the best player available. That’s a recipe for disaster in the draft. Nonetheless, that’s the situation the Lions find themselves in. Their fans have every right to be nervous.

That reality makes identifying the group of players they may draft in Round 1 a little bit of a challenge. Nonetheless, it’s likely Detroit will select one of the following five players during the first night of the draft.

5. K’Lavon Chaisson

The Lions spent big money on edge rushers last season. Trey Flowers and Mike Daniels were supposed to give Patricia and his defensive coaching staff a ferocious pass rush to build on. Unfortunately, those free agent investments didn’t give Detroit the production they were looking for.

As a result, the Lions are still going to be in the market for edge rushing help in this year’s draft. The odds are against Detroit filling that need in Round 1, but if they do Chaisson could be a terrific fit.

The former LSU defensive end relies on his exceptional speed to win the race to the quarterback on a regular basis. That’s a sharp contrast to how Flowers and Daniels ply their trade. In other words, Chaisson would give the Lions something they currently lack along the defensive line.

Taking Chaisson at No. 3 would be front office malpractice. The Lions could, however, trade down a few spots and scoop him up plus some additional draft capital. Expect Detroit’s front office to field a lot of calls between now and the draft.