Detroit Lions 7-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Senior Bowl edition

The Detroit Lions may have blown a lead in the NFC Championship Game, but their 2023 season was still a resounding success. In order to get back to the playoffs and contend for the Super Bowl, the team will need to have a strong draft class. Here is a seven-round mock draft as the front office prepares to scout the Senior Bowl.

The first order of business is to determine the team needs. The Lions have plenty of cap space but do have some key impending free agents -- EDGE Romeo Okwara, G Hal Vaitai, S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, G Graham Glasgow, G Jonah Jackson, and CB Kindle Vildor all played significant roles last season, and could need to be replaced. Additionally, the Lions' pass defense was one of the weaker units in the league, so that will need to be improved.

We'll go into this draft identifying needs as CB, G, OT depth, EDGE, DT, and WR. NFLMockDaftDatabase's simulator will be used, and there will be no trades.

Round 1, Pick 29 - Kalen King, CB, Penn State

Secondary help is perhaps the biggest need for Detroit, so that's why King is the pick here. He stands 5-11 189 pounds, and athletic testing will be important for his stock. If he tests well, he could hold onto his first-round stock from the preseason. If not, he'll be a Day 2 pick. He had 18 passes defended in 2022, but that number plummeted to just 2 in 2023.

King was expected to take the next step in his development and cement his status as a high draft pick as a junior, but that isn't what happened, which is why he's on the board in the late first. Still, with his instincts, King could come in and challenge for a starting CB spot in a relatively weak secondary.