College football season is back! With the kickoff of the college season comes a bevy of mock drafts to give an idea of which players to watch entering the CFB slate.
Over at Draft Wire, editor Luke Easterling released his latest two-round mock draft projections. The haul for the Lions presents some interesting names to keep an eye on throughout the fall.
Picking No. 9 overall — based on current Super Bowl odds — the Lions land Florida QB Anthony Richardson.
Here’s what Easterling wrote about Richardson, who gets a stern test against Utah in the Gators’ opener on September 3rd,
The Lions punted on the 2022 quarterback class, likely hoping to land a better prospect at the top of next year’s draft. Richardson flashed sky-high potential at times last season, and if he stays healthy, a breakout campaign this year could launch him into this range.
Richardson isn’t the Lions’ only first-rounder. With the pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Jared Goff/Matthew Stafford trade, Detroit snatches up Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph. He’s a playmaker who transferred from Northwestern and is poised to make himself a lot more renown in 2022,
This pick should be spent on the best available defensive back, and in this scenario, the value comes on the back end. A transfer from Northwestern, Joseph is a versatile playmaker with impressive instincts and ball skills, allowing him to make an immediate impact against both the run and pass.
In the second round, No. 40 overall, comes Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes. He’s proven he can make the sizzle plays; Forbes has three career pick-sixes. He’s also solid against the run–ask LSU. Forbes has to add a little more bulk and consistency to his game but his ceiling is instant NFL impact starter.
