Wherever the Detroit Lions pick in the 2020 NFL draft, whether it's at No. 3 or a few picks later in a trade down, general manager Bob Quinn said the objective is the same.
"The idea is to get an impactful player," Quinn said in his pre-draft video conference Friday. "And I think we have enough guys in that range that we think we can do that."
The Lions have been linked to three defensive players in particular with their first-round pick: Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons.
Each would fill a different need, and no matter who the Lions take, it will start a chain reaction that will set the stage for their picks in later rounds.
The Lions currently have nine picks overall, including four of the first 85 selections. In this annual exercise, I take my best guess at how what the Lions do in the first round will impact their choices in Rounds 2 and 3.
This year, I have scenario for each of the Lions' most likely targets, Okudah, Brown and Simmons, with one of those incorporating a trade down with the Miami Dolphins since Quinn is openly shopping the No. 3 pick and the quarterback-needy Dolphins remain the team most likely to come up.
Because there appear to be so few suitors, my mock trade has the Lions getting Miami's first second-round pick, No. 39, to move down two spots. According to the Rich Hill trade value chart, the Dolphins are paying only a small premium in compensation.
