Lions' "reach" during NFL draft left one expert fairly surprised

After one week, Detroit Lions fans have to feel pretty good about this year's draft class.

You can't read an article about potential draft sleepers without seeing the name Keith Abney II. You also can't see an article without reading about Detroit potentially landing the best tackle in the first round. Was the draft itself boring for the Lions? Absolutely. And, that seems to have been the point for general manager Brad Holmes.

FanSided draft expert Mike Luciano found this approach from Holmes, who tends to be unafraid of trading up or down in order to land his favorite player, and not always the best fit for the team, surprising.

"Well, Brad Holmes always keeps us guessing, doesn't he? The Detroit Lions end up with a B- grade for their performance in the 2026 NFL draft. Kind of an odd way that Holmes saw this draft, because he took players at positions of need, even players I like, but he took a lot of them too early," said Luciano.

Draft expert left surprised by Holmes' draft for Lions

Luciano added in his overall draft grade analysis that, of course, Abney was the best value pick for Detroit by a mile.

"I'm surprised he got out of the second round, to be perfectly honest with you. I thought he was a top 60 guy. Aggressive, plays in a couple of different, has a few years of experience. The kind of guy where, if he's playing as a rookie, heavy snaps, you shouldn't be surprised at all."

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The worst pick in Luciano's eyes was Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore at 44th overall, but he noted that it has nothing to do with Moore's value as a player. Rather, it was the fact that Detroit might've reached for him by trading up in the 2nd round that makes it a negatively valued pick.

"Zion Young, I think, would've been a perfect fit for this defense, and he was there. Instead, they get a more local guy," said Luciano.

So, the Lions just received another "okay" grade for their class, and that lower grade has more to do with how they went about acquiring their players as opposed to those players' actual talent.

It's a fair assessment, considering they parted with an extra fourth-rounder in order to attain Moore. Of course, we'll get a better idea of just how well the Lions fared in the draft once preseason and the regular season both kick off.

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