The Detroit Lions may have walked out of day two of the 2020 NFL Draft with potentially three new starters, and while some of those picks were very well received by the national media, others did not fare as well.
D’Andre Swift grades
Starting with the Lions first selection, Georgia running back D’Andre Swift, Yahoo! Sports was a big fan of the selection, giving it an “A-“:
The Lions wanted to add juice to the offense, and Swift is exactly that. Can he stay healthy? My only concern. Swift isn’t built to be a workhorse but can be a great complement to Kerryon Johnson and a 15-touch-per-game weapon right away.
Sports Illustrated also gave the pick an “A-.” SI believes that Swift can “do wonders” for the Lions offense:
Try, try again. That’s what the Lions have been doing at running back ever since Barry Sanders’s unexpected retirement 21 years ago. Swift was a highly refined zone runner at Georgia and will operate mainly out of those designs in coordinator Darrell Bevell’s offense. He has the lateral agility to create his own space, and his potential explosiveness as a receiver could do wonders for a Lions offense that must regain some aerial balance after becoming heavily skewed toward vertical throws in 2019. With sustaining third-year back Kerryon Johnson aboard, expect Swift to fill an Alvin Kamara type role.
USA Today Draft Wire wasn’t quite as bullish on the Swift pick, but the “B+” grade still looks good on the report card:
A bit of a surprise here, but it’s hard to complain about the value the Lions are getting here. The Lions spent a second-round pick two years ago on Kerryon Johnson, but durability has been an issue.
Swift is a first-round talent with a complete skill set who can make big plays on all three downs. He’s a physical runner with fantastic quickness and vision, with the explosiveness to hit paydirt on every touch.
There were bigger needs elsewhere on both sides of the ball in Detroit, but Swift gives them an immediate upgrade in the backfield, and he’s a bargain outside the first round.
On the more negative side of the equation, Pro Football Focus was not nearly as happy – even though Swift was the site’s top-rated running back:
And there goes our string of picks we love to start out Day 2. We all know 35th overall is way too early in PFF’s eyes for a running back — there’s just not enough value there. While the value is incredibly poor, the Lions did get PFF’s RB1 and one who can get the job done in the receiving game, which we like in running backs. Swift can route routes from any alignment and has sure-fire hands with only three drops on 76 career catchable targets. Still, this doesn’t remotely justify the pick this early.
Bleacher Report also was not thrilled with the pick, giving it a poor “C” grade:
Swift is a prototypical NFL running back. He’s a tough downhill runner with devastating one-cut ability, the power to finish runs and the receiving chops to be useful on passing downs. Having shared touches with the likes of Chubb and Elijah Holyfield, he also isn’t as worn down as other collegiate workhorses.
Swift has Todd Gurley-esque potential. That makes him an incredible value in the second round. The Lions will get his best years at a relatively low salary and worry about wear and tear (or let his next employer worry about it) later. And the Lions have a need at running back after last season’s injury rash. With that said, the Lions have needs at much harder-to-fill positions like edge-rusher, making this a questionable selection.
Moving on to the Lions first of two third-round selections, Notre Dame pass-rushing linebacker Julian Okwara, Pro Football Focus, which did not love the Swift selection, was all in on the Lions pick of Okwara, calling the pick “highway robbery” and touting that the Lions got a first-round talent in the third round:
Getting a first-round talent in the third round is always a great thing, and that’s exactly what happened with the Lions and Julian Okwara. Matt Patricia has to love Okwara’s explosiveness off the line, overall athleticism and long arms. Before he got hurt in Week 11, Okwara was having one of the best seasons by an edge rusher by owning an elite 90.4 pass-rush grade. This is highway robbery for the Lions.
Sports Illustrated loved the pick as well, giving the Lions an “A+”:
Julian is a different style of defensive lineman than his older brother Romeo, whom he’ll now be teammates with in Detroit. While Romeo is a long and somewhat thick-bodied moderate NFL-caliber athlete who is highly dependent on his mechanics, Julian is more of a dynamic edge defender, with the length, burst and flexibility to turn the corner and reach the quarterback. Guys with those attributes are not usually available in Round 3. The Lions desperately needed to buttress their pass rush; you’ll likely see Julian Okwara in a passing down sub-package specialist role in 2020.
On the other end of the spectrum, Yahoo! Sports was not as sold on that selection, giving it a “B-” grade:
We have an Okwara reunion in Detroit! Older brother Romeo is already with the Lions, and younger brother Julian likely wouldn’t be on the board this late had he not suffered a broken leg last season. He has some pass-rush tools and outstanding athletic traits but must become a better run defender and be a little more accountable.
And Bleacher Report disliked the pick, handing out a poor “C-” grade:
Okwara is a pure stand-up edge-rusher who can win with quickness and explodes into the ball-carrier. He lacks a plan when blockers latch on, though he does keep moving through contact, so he could grow into a useful run defender if he adds bulk, strength and experience. He’s alert when responding to option meshes, and he’s quick enough to drop into zone coverage now and then without embarrassing his defensive coordinator.
Okwara will probably max out as a situational edge-rusher, but he has the right mix of traits and hustle to stick on a roster and contribute. An all-Okwara pass rush sounds like fun, and the Lions need edge-rushers, but this pick is a reach that demonstrates a disturbing lack of imagination on the Lions’ part.
Closing out with the Lions final selection of day two, Ohio State offensive guard Jonah Jackson, the pick was again a big hit with Pro Football Focus:
Jonah Jackson was a PFF favorite all draft season, and the Lions got him more than 30 spots later than we had him at on our draft board. Jackson’s pass sets are the best in the entire draft class. He gets on interior defenders lighting-quick and did it regardless of alignment. Jackson has lined up all across the interior for Ohio State and Rutgers the last few years and had incredible production — his grade on true pass sets since 2017 is well above the 90th percentile. This was a great pick by Detroit.
Sports Illustrated liked the Jackson pick as well, giving it an “A-“:
The Lions invested in their long-stagnant run game early on Friday, drafting Georgia’s DeAndre Swift. Then, they did it again, taking Jackson, who has a chance to start immediately at right guard ahead of middling veterans Oday Aboushi and Kenny Wiggins (who can be a high quality backup). It’s always great when one draft pick can boost another.
Even Bleacher Report liked this pick, handing out an “A-” grade as well:
Anyway, Jackson is an agile, quick-footed blocker who excels at getting position on his defender, whether when zone-blocking, combo-blocking or peeling off a double-team to take on a late blitzer. He’s a bit narrow and lean for an interior lineman, and he lacks the raw power to do Quenton Nelson-type stuff. Jackson may always need support against Aaron Donald types, but he’s a natural fit for a modern NFL offense, and he should quickly develop into a capable starter. This is a strong pick for a Lions team that clearly wants to get more rugged in the trenches.
Yahoo! Sports was most bearish on the selection, giving the Lions a “C-“:
Jackson was outside our top 100 and felt like a Day 3 pick to us, but this isn’t a massive reach for a strong, sturdy interior blocker who could work his way into a starting spot. The Rutgers transfer was able to showcase his run-blocking skill last season for the Buckeyes, and he’s a high-character worker who fits the Matt Patricia typecast.
