The Detroit Lions selected Oregon offensive lineman Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

With the NFL Draft starting Thursday night, there’s a player coming out of that may be familiar to Michiganders.

The 2021 NFL draft begins Thursday, and beyond the first couple of picks, nobody is sure what to expect.

7 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? But ESPN’s Mel Kiper has been publishing mock draft predictions for *checks notes* more than 30 years, and he’s suggesting the Lions could trade down. In Kiper’s latest mock draft, the Lions trade the No. And then the Lions take Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Here’s what Kiper says:With the Lions moving down in my mock trade with the 49ers, that takes them out of the quarterback race but gives them extra draft capital.

Interim head coach Darrell Bevell of the Detroit Lions stands on the sideline during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 13, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Lions are slowly climbing the 2021 NFL Draft order with recent losses -- but how high can they climb? The team has not yet hired replacements for former general manager Bob Quinn and former head coach Matt Patricia. Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp has signaled the need to an experienced head coach and GM combo. Related: 4 candidates for next Detroit Lions head coach