A detailed look at Mel Kiper’s latest selections for the Detroit Lions in his 3-round mock.

We’re just over a week away from the 2024 NFL Draft right here in Detroit. And while in previous years, we had a pretty good handle on what the Detroit Lions may do, this year it feels like the possibilities are endless.

Part of that is simply picking 29th overall, rather than having a top-10 pick, like they have had in each of the previous five years. But, additionally, the Lions have a pretty strong roster, meaning there aren’t that many pressing needs. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done an excellent job in free agency supplementing all the work he has done over the past three years in the raft

That said, there are always places a team can improve, and in ESPN’s latest three-round mock draft, analyst Mel Kiper Jr. seemed to directly address some of Detroit’s biggest places of need.

While Kiper technically paired with Field Yates on this dueling mock, Kiper took all of the odd-numbered picks, and the Lions have selections 29, 61, and 73.

Let’s take a look at each of the selections Kiper made for Detroit.

29. Missouri EDGE Darius Robinson

As soon as the local media met Darius Robinson at the NFL Combine, he instantly became a commonly paired player with the Lions. Not only is he a Detroit native, but every way he carries himself screams “Dan Campbell guy.”

“I got to my junior year and I knew if I didn’t get a scholarship, I was going to go to the Marines,” Robinson said of his journey. “It was either the Marines or get a football scholarship. I worked extremely hard, fell in love with the process and just took advantage of every opportunity I got.”

Robinson is also a pretty clean schematic fit for what the Lions do. As a big-framed defensive end (6-foot-5, 285 pounds), Robinson is a strong run defender who often played inside at the 4i position or even the three-tech. We’ve seen the Lions invest in players like him before, being John Cominsky or Josh Paschal. Does he become a bit redundant with both of those players still on the field? Maybe, but he’s got a higher ceiling than both, and Holmes has never shied away from adding a talented player to an already-crowded room (see: Brian Branch, Jack Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs).

“Robinson was unblockable at Senior Bowl practices in early February,” Kiper wrote. “He is a bit of a tweener, and he might be better as a 3-technique tackle. He could play some snaps at end in Detroit.”

61. Georgia S Javon Bullard

While safety isn’t a hugely pressing need, there are plenty of questions about the future of the position. Ifeatu Melifonwu is entering the final year of his contract, Kerby Joseph took a bit of a step back in Year 2, and Brian Branch could see more playing time there after a fantastic rookie season at the nickel position.

Bullard has some of the same versatility that the Lions think they have in Branch. At Georgia in 2022, Bullard played that same “star” position that Branch played at Alabama before moving to free safety last season.

Though his athletic traits may look underwhelming by RAS standards—particularly when it comes to his size—Bullard makes up for it with a tenacious attitude and a physical approach to his game. Like Branch, he’s also a very smart player who should grasp onto Aaron Glenn’s complicated defense quite quickly.

“I recently picked Bullard, my top-ranked safety, in our big superteams draft,” Kiper wrote. “He can do it all. The Lions landed Brian Branch in Round 2 last year, and they could build an elite duo with these two.”

73. Pitt WR Bub Means

A clear one-seed in our Detroit Lions Name Bracket Tournament, Means hasn’t been on many fans’ radar this draft process. By most draft analysts’ standards, this would be a pretty significant reach for Detroit. Dane Brugler gave Means a sixth-seventh-round grade, and Lance Zierlein also calls Means a Day 3 pick “with a shot to become an NFL backup.”

That said, receiver is certainly considered a need for Detroit, and there are a lot of things to like about Means’ NFL potential and fit with the Lions.

For one, he’s got an excellent athletic profile that fits what the Lions have been lacking: a big-bodied receiver with some more-than-adequate speed:

After bouncing around from school to school, he landed at Pittsburgh for the last two seasons, and saw solid production last year, catching 41 passes for 721 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. He’s got strong hands and could give Detroit the contested catch receiver they’re missing now that Josh Reynolds is gone.

But Means would have to be coached up pretty significantly in two critical areas of weakness: blocking and route-running. Both lack polish in Means’ game, and both are essential to what the Lions do. In my opinion, that makes this an unlikely pairing—particularly this early in the draft—but I will admit the physical tools are enticing.

“Means was one of my combine risers in February,” Kiper wrote. “He has big hands and long arms, and he ran a 4.43-second 40 in Indianapolis. He also was productive in college, leading the ACC with 18 contested catches in 2023.”