5 players Lions should draft in the first round
1. DeVonta Smith
Smith was downright dominant for Alabama down the stretch of their national championship run in 2020. He lacks the ideal size to blossom into a superstar at the next level, but he’s got every other quality NFL talent evaluators look for in elite wide receiver prospects.
His uncanny ability to create separation early on his routes reminds fans of former Crimson Tide star Jerry Jeudy. Smith may not be an elite athlete, but he’s got more than enough speed to turn that separation into long touchdowns with the ball in his hands.
The only real concern about him as a prospect is whether or not his slight frame can take the pounding of a full 16-game season. He measures in at 6-foot-1, but he only weighs about 175 pounds and his frame doesn’t look as if it can carry more weight effectively.
Next. Detroit Lions 7-round mock draft. dark
That concern might be enough to push him behind Chase and Waddle on Detroit’s draft board. That decision could come back to haunt the Lions in the future. Smith’s college production is too profound to ignore. He may not be an athletic freak on the outside, but he projects to be really efficient in terms of gaining yards for the sort of passing attack Detroit wants to implement moving forward.