With all the dust of the 2025 NFL season settled, the Detroit Lions now know where they'll be picking. And it took until the final game of the regular season to find out.
Thanks to a missed AFC North-clinching field goal attempt by Baltimore Ravens' kicker Tyler Loop, the Lions will have the #17 draft pick in this year's draft. With the loss, the Ravens (8-9) have a worse record than the Lions (9-8). Had the Ravens won, the Steelers would've also been 9-8, but their victory over the Lions a few weeks ago would've given the Lions the better draft slot.
Entering Sunday, the Lions had a chance to finish as high as the #11 pick in the draft, but required a lot to go their way. That includes a loss to the Chicago Bears, which they avoided in a last-second 19-16 victory.
The #17 pick will be the third-highest original draft slot in the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era. They selected 7th in their first draft in 2021, and then 2nd in their second in 2022. The Lions surged afterward, beginning their streak of four consecutive winning seasons. In the previous three drafts, their original draft slots were 18th, 29th, and 28th.
The Lions currently own their 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks with a possible conditional 7th rounder. The Lions also own a 6th and 7th round pick from the Cleveland Browns and a 6th round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Lions could also get compensatory picks, which will be determined prior to the draft.
The last time the Lions picked at #17
The last time the Lions selected at #17 was offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus in 2008, heading into their infamous 0-16 season. Had the Lions picked #16, it would be their first time picking at that slot since 2016, when they selected OT Taylor Decker.
With the Lions in need of offensive line help, and possibly a new OT, picking at #17 could be seen as an omen. Cherilus played nine seasons in the NFL, with his final season coincidentally being Decker's rookie season. Cherilus played five seasons with the Lions, starting 71 of them, before playing two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cherlius never made a Pro Bowl in his NFL career, unlike Decker.
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The Lions have picked at #17 four other times prior to Cherilus. In 1936 and 1937, the Lions selected back Chuck Cheshire and tackle Charley Hamrick. In 1973, they selected defensive end Ernie Price and in 1996, they selected linebacker Reggie Brown. Like Cherilus, none of these players were selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro in their careers.
Holmes will have a lot to consider at #17 in this upcoming draft. The Lions have numerous holes on defense, but he could repeat history from 18 years earlier and shore up the young OL. Time will tell as the 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23 to 25, 2026, fittingly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- the city that decided the Lions' draft fate.