The Detroit Lions need to take a tackle for their future. Whether that's on the left or right side of the line, it's obvious they need to find a talent who injects youth onto the O-line alongside Tate Ratledge, Cade Mays, and Penei Sewell.
The upcoming draft class is not exactly chock-full of Day 1 starting talent amongst tackles. The top talents in the tackle group might be gone by the time the Lions pick at 17. This could change up their entire draft strategy, especially if general manager Brad Holmes isn't keen on trading up to ensure the team lands one of their targets.
And, according to the latest ESPN intel, it sounds like Detroit is a little more concerned with adding a pass rusher than about adding a lineman in the draft. So, we're going to do a mock draft that takes that information into consideration, landing the Lions a top pass rushing talent to kick off the process.
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The Lions get Mesidor, the 25-year old pass rusher out of Miami, at 17th overall in this mock draft. His age is a concern headed into the draft, as well as his injury history, but Detroit needs a pocket disruptor. Mesidor can be just that. His age also aligns well with the Lions' timeline of contention, and he'd be close in age to star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The former Hurricane finished up his last season with a collegiate career-high 12.5 sacks, in addition to four forced fumbles and 63 total tackles. His 55 total pressures were good for 10th in college football in 2025, and he had a 92.5 overall grade from PFF - 3rd amongst edge defenders last year. He'd be a gem of a pick for the Lions.
Shockingly, Iheanachor was still available in the mock draft simulator we utilized for this exercise, so he had to get snatched up at 50th overall. With the Lions still in need of a tackle to invest in, they take the rising Arizona State athlete. A former basketball player turned college tackle, Iheanachor has a ton of athleticism that can be molded into consistent tackle play under the right circumstances.
He saw his stock rise in recent weeks, and he's within Dane Brugler's top-10 tackles available on his big board, The Beast. But, as Brugler notes, he probably needs another year to develop into a full-time starter. That works for Detroit, who seem ready to start Larry Borom on the right side of the line, anyway.
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Brad Holmes cannot resist taking a defensive tackle with upside, and that's why we took McClellan with the Lions' first mock 4th-round pick. If the Lions are looking to replace D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez in their lineup, McClellan would be a worthy rotational lineman to insert onto the roster. While Tyleik Williams projects to improve in 2026, they have some holes next to him left behind thanks to free agency.
McClellan can improve as a run-defender, but he's got the strength and size that you'd want to invest in if you're Kelvin Sheppard.
Detroit could use some insurance behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Isiah Pacheco was handed a prove-it deal by the team in free agency, and he could certainly be the teams' answer to losing David Montgomery via trade. But, if he can't produce, then someone like Allen could step in as a backup right away. Allen finished up his final year with the Nittany Lions with 1,303 rushing yards and 6.2 yards per carry.
Described as "a big, powerful runner who makes it difficult on defenders to get him on the ground" by Brugler, and compared to Tyler Allgeier by NFL draft expert Lance Zierlein, it's clear that Allen is destined to become a pest at backup RB in the NFL.