The 2024 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away and it’s time for the next installment in my Detroit Lions mock draft series. If you missed my initial Lions mock draft of the offseason, make sure you go back and check it out because I made a point of not selecting any of the players from the first installment.
Note: For this experiment, I used PFF’s Mock Draft simulator, and per usual, only allowed myself the option to trade once, with the qualifier that it must fall into the parameters of being realistic.
Let’s take a look at the results.
Pick No. 29: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Superpower: Man coverage
In my first mock draft, McKinstry was off the board when the Lions were on the clock, but in this installment, he was available and I seized the opportunity to upgrade the Lions’ cornerback room.
McKinstry won a starting role as a freshman under Alabama coach Nick Saban, which is worth taking note of when considering corner prospects. Saban demands a high level of football intelligence in order to earn a starting role in his secondary, something we have seen translate to the NFL. The most recent example of this is with Lions nickel defensive back Brian Branch, who McKinley started next to for two years.
While Alabama scaled back their man coverage defense this season, McKinstry performed very well when in a man coverage scheme, allowing only one reception every 36.7 snaps—one of the best ratios in this class. But McKinstry isn’t just a man-cover player, as Alabama’s increased usage of zone coverage afforded McKinstry valuable experience, which led to positive production and rounding out his overall game.
It’s also worth noting that the Lions met with McKinstry at the Combine, had him in for a top 30 visit, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes attended Alabama’s pro day.
Pick No. 61: Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State
Superpower: Power-based run blocker
Kansas State turned to Beebe for help in a variety of ways, including taking advantage of his positional flexibility and strength in the run game. He started most of his career at left guard (1847 snaps), but also saw playing time at left tackle (778 snaps), right tackle (476 snaps), and right guard (25 snaps). He never saw snaps at center in a game, but he was reportedly also cross-training there as well.
In the run game, he was the point of the spear that Kansas State used to operate its gap and zone-blocking schemes behind. At 6-foot-3 1⁄2 and 322 pounds, Beebe is a downhill bruiser who relies on this power to drive holes through defensive lines. There are some analysts who have Beebe further down their draft boards (including in PFF’s simulator), which likely stems from concerns around arm-length and pass protection consistency, but he’s only allowed one sack in the past three seasons and is the type of player who always finds a way to get his job done.
He compares very favorably to Lions right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Pick No. 73: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
Superpower: Downfield big-play threat
Walker has a nice combination of size (6-foot-1 1⁄2, 193 pounds) and athleticism (9.76 RAS), and could fill the Lions’ open void at the WR-X position, even though he has more of a WR-Z, vertically-based skill set.
Walker began his college career at Kent State where he earned All-MAC honors, then transferred to North Carolina in 2023, but a paperwork mistake by the school delayed his access to football until a month into the season. Once cleared, he quickly stepped into a starting role and became 2024 quarterback prospect Drake Maye’s most popular target.
At this time, Walker’s best skill is his ability to make plays downfield. With 4.36-second speed, he gets vertical in a hurry, stacks the coverage, and uses his physicality to give him proper positioning. He tracks the ball as well as any prospect in this class and is an aggressive, go-up-and-get-it receiver with the ball in the air. There are still technical nuances to his game…
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