Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes told reporters one week ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft that the team still sees the merit in focusing on the best player available to them when they pick, as opposed to filling a need.
"You never want to feel that way when you select a player. You pass up a really good player that you liked even more but there is a question mark on your roster so you just go ahead and you get that player that you weren’t as excited about. I know for me, it’s hard to sleep at night when you do that."
That doesn't seem to be the consensus when looking around at recent Lions mock drafts. Between one mock draft done by NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia, to another conducted by LionsOnSI's Christian Booher, it's clear that almost anyone with any knowledge of the Lions' 2025 struggles sees their biggest need at 17th overall clear as day: tackle.
Lions mock draft roundup reveals Brad Holmes' BPA approach isn't beloved
NFL Spin Zone: Select T Blake Miller at 17th overall, EDGE Malachi Lawrence at 50th overall
Over on NFL Spin Zone, our very own Lou Scataglia has the Lions taking Blake Miller at 17th overall. He's an "iron man," as Scataglia describes, and would be a worthwhile swing for Detroit as they have to fill right tackle. He added, "Miller's durability would fit right in with the Lions, and this would seamlessly allow the team to feel comfortable kicking Penei Sewell over to left tackle permanently."
Miller finished up his college career with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 81.6, and a run-blocking grade of 72.4. He allowed just two sacks through 792 total snaps at right tackle. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein describes Miller as a Roger Rosengarten-type tackle with high upside. He's projected to be a plus starter, eventually.
Malachi Lawrence would be a bit of a swing at 50th overall, but he feels like a great on Day 2 regardless. Lawrence had seven sacks in addition to two forced fumbles and two passes defended in his final year with the UCF Knights. Zierlein has Lawrence projected as another plus starter, with an apt comparison to Josh Sweat to boot.
CBS Sports: Select T Monroe Freeling at 17th overall, EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton at 50th overall
CBS Sports' Mike Renner has the Lions also going tackle-edge in his latest mock draft, but with different names. Freeling's been mocked to the Lions a lot recently, however it seems like his stock has really soared since the combine. Renner wrote of Freeling:
"The Lions' need at tackle is desperate enough to take whoever falls at 17. Fortunately, it's one of the strongest positions in the class. Freeling improved significantly over last season and backed it up with a rare combine performance."
Dennis-Sutton, who wrapped up his final year at Penn State with 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three passes defended, feels very attainable at 50th overall for the Lions. He's a bit less valued in a decently deep pass rush class this year, and would probably be a little more of a project than Lawrence for Detroit.
READ MORE: 3 potential Lions prospects get a word of warning from PFF writer
LionsOnSI: Select T Caleb Lomu at 17th overall, LB Jacob Rodriguez at 50th overall, and trade back into 3rd round to take EDGE Derrick Moore at 90th overall
Booher has the Lions snagging a tackle and defender once again at 17th and 50th overall, but has an interesting mock trade between them and the Miami Dolphins. It lands Detroit back in the 3rd round, while also having them lose picks 118, 128, and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
After taking Caleb Lomu 17th and Jacob Rodriguez 50th, Booher has the Lions snagging Derrick Moore at 90th overall. The Michigan defender is a perfectly fine option for the Lions along their defensive line, and he would pair up with another former Wolverine, Aidan Hutchinson. On Moore, Booher wrote:
"Moore had 10 sacks last year at Michigan and showed an ability to handle a heavy workload both against the pass and against the run. He doesn't have a super defining trait, but does almost everything well at the position."
This would be a really solid draft on the defensive end of the ball, but the Lomu selection has some question marks. Namely, Lomu played left tackle with Utah, and it sure seems like the Lions are ready to swap Penei Sewell to the left side of the line rather than play a rookie there.
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