If every NFL roster was suddenly wiped clean, and a draft was held to redistribute the active players, what would the Detroit Lions' roster look like?
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter found out in his annual seven-round mock draft, with the sole goal for every team being "win now."
How this works is that every team currently on an NFL roster is available to be drafted, with the draft order determined by the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. There are no trades, and previous traded picks are returned to their original owners. Unlike the actual draft, it's a snake format, similar to fantasy drafts.
Reuter has the Las Vegas Raiders taking quarterback Josh Allen #1, with a run of QBs that continue until the Atlanta Falcons at pick #13, who take EDGE Myles Garrett.
Reuter has the Lions electing to not take a QB in the first round, instead reuniting with running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs is the first RB and first non-QB offensive player off the board, which would probably lead to a similar controversy as the Gibbs pick originally was in 2023.
The complete Lions' mock draft:
Round 1: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Round 2: EDGE Trey Hendrickson
Round 3: QB Tyler Shough
Round 4: OG Quinn Meinerz
Round 5: WR Alec Pierce
Round 6: LB Nick Bolton
Round 7: S Caleb Downs
The Lions finally get EDGE Trey Hendrickson in this mock draft, after over a year of trade and free agency speculation for the former Cincinnati Bengal. Granted, the big appeal of Hendrickson was to find an elite pass-rush partner for EDGE Aidan Hutchinson and not his replacement.
Tyler Shough is an intriguing choice for a QB, not just because he's the guy the real Lions will be going up against in Week 1. With where the Lions' picked in the first round, Reuter had 14 QBs already off the board, so the remaining options weren't thrilling. At 26-years-old, Shough was an older rookie with the New Orleans Saints, but turned in an impressive rookie campaign. Shough won the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year award, which was voted on by fans.
Lions followed that up in the fourth round with two-time First-Team All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz, who was a finalist for the inaugural Protector of the Year award. Lions get Shough some help with wide receiver Alec Pierce, who just cashed in on a big contract this offseason with the Indianapolis Colts.
Over on defense in the latter rounds, Reuter has the Lions picking up two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Nick Bolton along with rookie safety Caleb Downs. So not the most high-valued positions compared to the cornerback position, which might be more of a blessing given recent history. Also, nothing on the D-line outside of Hendrickson. But that would presumably come in a mock-free agency that would hypothetically follow.
Looking at this result, this isn't a better core than what the Lions already have. Meinerz would be an awesome get, and Downs would've been a dream pick in this year's draft. But there are downgrades at multiple positions and, above all else, you lose offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
Where did all the Lions players end up?
Gibbs may have been the Lions' first pick, but he wasn't the first Lion off the board. That honor goes to QB Jared Goff, who Reuter had going to the Kansas City Chiefs at #9, believing that head coach Andy Reid would take a "known commodity" to lead their offense. It's a standard QB-ranking spot for Goff, although him being one pick after Jordan Love may ruffle some feathers.
Hutchinson also landed in the first round, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at #21. Sewell kicks off the second round, going to the Seattle Seahawks at #33, with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown following shortly after at #39 to the Buffalo Bills.
READ MORE: 6 Lions crack CBS Sports' top-100 players list (and one star might be too low)
Similar to Sewell, LB Jack Campbell leads the way in a round by going to the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick of the third-round. Campbell recently made his debut in the NFL Top 100 list, so no surprise that it didn't take too long for the First-Team All-Pro to be picked in Reuter's mock draft.
Lions players become sparse after Campbell, with WR Jameson Williams going to the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of the fourth-round at #115. Williams had a breakout second half of last season, making this landing spot a good value. The Cardinals double-dipped with Lions by ending the fourth-round by taking tight end Sam LaPorta, which also marked the final Lion selected.
Thankfully, this mock draft is only a mock draft and goes a long way to making one feel good about the current Lions' roster as it stands now. The real Lions feel a bit more "win now" than this.
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