When we've spoken about "iron men" from this year's draft class, we've often been referring to Detroit Lions rookie tackle Blake Miller. He never missed a game while with the Clemson Tigers, and that health - in addition to his skills at right tackle - made him a no-brainer selection for a Lions team desperate to remain healthy throughout the season.
But, we haven't seen as much hype for another iron man added to the roster as a UDFA - Melvin Priestly out of Illinois. The lineman has never missed a game in his college career, only going down here and there with minor bang-ups while with Illinois and Grambling State.
While he projects as more of a guard than a tackle, he's played both positions, and he could be a very underrated addition for Detroit headed into training camp. This is especially the case as they want as much reliable guard depth as possible to revitalize their offense and running game.
Priestly deserves some hype ahead of training camp
Priestly finished up 2025 as a top guard in the Big 10 conference, posting a 71.5 pass blocking grade and a 65.9 overall grade from PFF. He did allow 14 quarterback pressures, per 247Sports, but again, he should have a bit of an easier lift as a pass protector if he's swung inside.
This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting camp battles in recent memory for the Lions, with there being no real answer at left guard for the team. Christian Mahogany is going to get a fair shake at getting his job back, but he didn't look the same for Detroit after suffering a lower leg injury during the season and then attempting a comeback.
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Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch, and Priestly are all primed to battle each other in training camp for that starting spot, with right guard feeling a little more set with Tate Ratledge in tow. Even then, Ratledge hasn't firmly proven to the Lions' best option at that spot.
There are plenty of ways for Priestly to make this roster, then, if the team is being serious about keeping their entire guard room open for competition. The tackle room feels fairly spoken for for the Lions, with Miller being deemed "pro-ready" by multiple draft analysts, and with Penei Sewell donig the team a huge favor by swinging to the left side of the line to make room for Miller.
All this said, it's clear that Priestly has his work cut out for him. But, if his stats from 2025 are any indication, Detroit might've found yet another diamond in the UDFA rough.
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