It seems mock drafters are starting to get a bit bolder with their predictions on who the Detroit Lions will select in the first round this year.
Throughout the offseason, there has been an expectation that the team would target an edge rusher in round one and mock drafts have widely reflected that.
Over the last week, there have been some outliers that have predicted the Lions to go in a very different direction.
First it was CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso predicting the Lions would select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III after the team had two receivers with 1000 receiving yards last season.
Now ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum has predicted the Lions will draft a player at a position where they already have two of the league's best.
In a new mock draft, Tannenbaum predicted the Lions would use the 28th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
There's no questioning the talent here.
As a freshman, he started for a loaded Georgia defense that led the team to a national title.
He earned All-American honors in each of the next two seasons.
Over his three seasons with the Bulldogs, Starks made 197 tackles, defended 17 passes, and intercepted six passes.
The issue here is where Starks would ever fit for the Lions.
The Lions are already loaded with talent at safety. This past season, Kerby Joseph was a First Team All-Pro and Brian Branch was a Pro Bowler.
The only way picking Starks would make sense would be if the Lions didn't think they'd be able to reach an extension with Joseph.
He is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and hasn't extended with the team yet.
Outside of that, there are just too many other strong options out there for the Lions to spend their first rounder on a player who could be stuck behind a pair of stars for most of his rookie contract.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM.