ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has released his newest mock draft, and in this edition, the Lions address their secondary deficiencies.
With the 29th overall pick, the Lions selected Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa.
“Here’s a corner who might be going a little under the radar,” Kiper said. “Tampa can contribute to a team from day one. He had roughly 900 coverage snaps for the Cyclones and saw every route. After allowing four touchdown passes as the closest defender in coverage in 2021, he allowed only three in the following two seasons. He made a significant improvement in 2023. Although Tampa had only three interceptions in college, I believe he can be more productive in the NFL.
Last season, Detroit’s secondary difficulties were obvious, as the squad frequently exploited flaws when given the opportunity.
Jerry Jacobs was injured at the end of the season, so Aaron Glenn tried to work things out with Cam Sutton and Kindle Vildor instead.
On a weekly basis, teams figured out how to exploit Detroit’s secondary, forcing Glenn to scramble to adjust to the roster’s skill.
While general manager Brad Holmes has stated in prior interviews that he prefers to satisfy team needs through free agency, a young cornerback might be added, albeit later in the draft.
Kiper sees Tampa as a player capable of starting right away in Glenn’s defense.
“As I mentioned in my January mock draft, Detroit underperformed in the secondary last season, ranking 30th in passing yards allowed to receivers (3,081). This is where you may get an instant start.”
