Lions fans are selecting James Pearce at No. 28 in simulations more than any other player
Lions fans are selecting James Pearce at No. 28 in simulations more than any other player Despite Pearce being widely regarded as a poor cultural fit for Detroit, Lions fans continue to make him the top 1st-round selection in PFSN simulator
Most of the recent media mock drafts have sent an EDGE in some fashion to the Detroit Lions at No. 28. The thought makes sense as the Lions are looking for more depth and more pieces to a rotation behind Aidan Hutchinson. Fans are making the same connection.
According to data from the Mock Draft Simulator from Pro Football and Sports Network, over 47 percent of users from April 15-21 have selected an edge rusher for the Lions in the first round. The next-closest position was offensive guard at 16.7%, followed by defensive tackle at 14.5%. Safety and linebacker rounded out the top five.
As far as individual players go, the data provides a bit of a surprise. The most-popular player pick from users identifying as Lions drafters last week was Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr., at 17.9%. That's an interesting choice because the prevailing thought seems to be Pearce wouldn't be a fit in Detroit based on his character. Pearce may fall out of the first round altogether.
Overall, three of the top five popular picks are on the edge. 15% of users have taken Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton and 7.3% went with Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College. Also among the top five were North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel (10.9%) and Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen (5.6%).
From PFSN and their simulator results:
Ezeiruaku has been a name that's seemingly popped up very often across media mock drafts. He was second in the nation with 16.5 sacks, behind only Mike Green of Marshall, who may go in the first 15 picks. For the most part, users are on the same page in terms of positions and players as the media. But Pearce being the most-picked player is an interesting takeaway.
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