As the NFL Draft approaches, you generally see a lot of flattering articles, comments, etc., regarding the prospects and where they’d fit in at the NFL level.
Of course, you can get the alternative, too. You know how it goes, right?
For months leading up to the combine and beyond, the media and experts alike are busy building up prospects only to begin tearing them down, and looking to poke holes in their game, whether it is intel from organizations that might simply manipulate their opinion, and hope said prospect falls a few spots in the draft to where they can select them.
In turn, 2026 appears to see one of the strongest overall draft classes in a long time. The top 10-15 prospects appear to be impact players from day one. But, as previously mentioned, there is still room to poke some holes in their game, now, just a couple of weeks out from the draft.
As Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently pointed out, every prospect still carries risk. In an article they recently published, Daire Carragher highlights at least one weakness for each of the top ten prospects. In this article, we’re going to explore what Daire highlights as a weakness or concern for three potential Detroit Lions draftees.
Many don’t expect to see an opportunity for the Detroit Lions to draft a player mentioned in the top ten, but as you know, wild things occur on draft day. Sometimes prospects begin to free-fall, and even if a player falls slightly out of the top ten, I wouldn’t rule out a Brad Holmes trade.
He’s proven to be quite aggressive on draft day if he and his team have identified a player they’d like to target and have no issues trading up a few spots from No. 17 to secure the pick.
Detroit Lions draft focus: Where the top prospects raise questions
The first player is Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami. The ultra-talented edge rusher led all of college football with 83 pressures last season. He’s an explosive end, but according to Daire:
"Bain’s lack of arm length is well-documented. We haven’t seen an NFL edge defender succeed in the PFF era with arms shorter than 31 inches, like Bain. However, the team that drafts Bain is taking a chance on a body type that has never delivered in the modern NFL. Among the top 10 picks in the class, his biggest weakness is the most prevalent."
According to PFF, the electric Hurricanes' edge earned a 92.5 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 3rd among 852 qualified edge defenders. His PFF pass-rush grade of 91.8 ranked 12th among 852 qualified edge defenders. His run-defense grade of 87.5 ranked 9th at the position.
Next up is David Bailey out of Texas Tech. Bailey, 22, is primed by many to be the second overall selection in this draft behind quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Texas Tech product earned a remarkable 92.4 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 5th among 852 qualified edge defenders.
His PFF pass-rush grade of 93.3 ranked 2nd among 852 qualified edge defenders, and his run-defense grade of 76.4 ranked 164th at the position. He also totaled 13 sacks and 73 total pressures.
READ MORE: Lions linked to aging defender as free agency quiets down
Here’s what Daire had to say about his concerns regarding the talented Bailey:
"When looking through his play from this past season, you’ll find that the more snaps Bailey needed to play, the less effective he became. Granted, this holds true for almost every pass rusher — they are most effective when fresh — but the difference was particularly stark in Bailey’s case. Across his 14 games, Bailey rushed the passer more than 27 times in seven contests and fewer than 27 times in the other seven."
Per the Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
"NFL scouts say they want “more consistent energy levels” from Bailey behind the scenes. These factors all tie together, raising concerns about whether his overall effort levels are worthy of top-five status."
Last but not least, offensive tackle, Francis Mauigoa. Mauigoa is the consensus top offensive tackle in the draft, and with Taylor Decker no longer with the Detroit Lions, it is clear that he is a player Brad Holmes and co. are interested in and would like to pair opposite Penei Sewell.
Despite the extremely low chance, he will be available whenever the Lions find themselves on the clock; never say never. Like Bain, Mauigoa enters the NFL Draft from the Miami Hurricanes.
The 20-year-old produced an overall grade of 83.6 for his work last season, which includes a stout 87.0 pass blocking mark (seventh best in college football) to pair with an above-average but not elite-level 79.4 run blocking grade, which ranked 23rd in the nation. Mauigoa yielded two sacks and ten total pressures last season.
Here are the areas of concern according to PFF:
"One of the smaller areas Mauigoa’s future offensive line coach will look to clean up is his tendency to overset both pre-snap and while kick-sliding into his stance. Whether Mauigoa is compensating for his lack of arm length or is just extremely comfortable dealing with college edge rushers in open space, this has sometimes left him susceptible to rushers attacking his inside shoulder."
"Nine of the 14 pressures Mauigoa surrendered during his final year with Miami came when he was beaten on the inside. This is an issue that could exacerbate against NFL-caliber power rushers. However, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a very minor issue for an otherwise rock-solid prospect."
In closing, the 2026 draft class is loaded with talent, but as always, each player comes with their own set of risks. For the Detroit Lions, the calculus will be balancing elite upside with positional needs and the ever-present shade of draft-day unpredictability.