With just a few days until the NFL draft, we still don't really know what the Detroit Lions are planning to do with their 17th overall pick. They've got some needs at tackle and pass rusher, in addition to their secondary. But, general manager told reporters in his pre-draft availability that the team still likes to take best player available despite those needs.
His reasoning?
“I think sometimes you can get in trouble by doing that just because you might start to reach for a certain player because you feel like you need that position, and 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. For me, it's hard to sleep at night when you do that.”
So, don't be shocked to see Holmes steer towards what he knows: imposing players with a ton of upside, despite some red flags popping up throughout the pre-draft process. Three players that fit this bill are Kadyn Proctor, Monroe Freeling, and Jermod McCoy. Let's grade each prospect's smoke meter, determining which player feels like a blazing favorite for pick no. 17.
Smoke meter for 3 prospects Brad Holmes can't shy away from
Kadyn Proctor
Smoke meter: Ford Field is on fire
FanSided Big Board ranking: 42
Proctor might be the one tackle in this year's draft that's actually been connected to the Lions in any way - and even that's not saying much. The teams' quiet approach is nothing new, so we have to read between the lines with any reports mentioning a potential top pick.
EssentiallySports' Tony Pauline first reported that the Lions were the last team Proctor could get past in this year's draft, painting a picture that Proctor will be so desired by teams picking ahead of the Lions that they may need to trade up to get him.
We also saw that NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared that the Lions are thinking "big" when it comes to the draft, which was to say that they're looking for a large, imposing player to add to their roster. That could mean a pass rusher, as well, but it more likely means a tackle. Proctor is one of very few tackles with size as a plus.
It also adds to the speculation that Proctor is one of very few prospects that the Lions have met with prior to the draft.
With Detroit's major need being a left, or right, tackle, Proctor would make a ton of sense here. However, the major concerns with Proctor include his size actually being a detriment to his ability to be a long-term tackle, and the fact that it's risky to have a rookie starting at LT and protecting your quarterback's blind side.
Monroe Freeling
Smoke meter: You can smell a bonfire, but can't figure out where it is
FanSided's Big Board ranking: 17
That feeling of curiousity you get when you smell a campfire or bonfire going on somewhere in your vicinity, leaving you craving a s'more or hot dog during the summer is exactly what the Lions' connection to Freeling feels like right now. Freeling hasn't had any meetings with the Lions, but the fit just makes sense, doesn't it?
Freeling, who just wrapped up a career at Georgia at right tackle, is another lineman who needs some sharpening before starting full-time. He's a huge tackle, and his athleticism definitely pops off the page, but he can improve in his run blocking. Another plus: he's a right tackle by trade, which could help Detroit along with their plan to shift Penei Sewell over to left tackle.
READ MORE: Will Anderson Jr.'s payday just made Aidan Hutchinson's extension look like a steal
Plenty of mock drafts have had Freeling landing with the Lions in recent weeks, and we'd wager that it's about a 40/40 split between him and Proctor in mock drafts this offseason, with the rest mocking Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu, or a pass rusher to Detroit. These two feel like locks to end up with the Lions, assuming they aren't tempted by an even more Holmes-y player.
Jermod McCoy
Smoke meter: A match just got lit
FanSided's Big Board ranking: 23
In the world's worst transition, we now present Lions fans with an even more Holmes-y player than Freeling and Proctor: Jermod McCoy out of Tennessee. McCoy suffered a torn ACL that led to him missing the entirety of the 2025 season with the Volunteers, which should've made his stock take a hit.
And...it didn't. McCoy is that talented of a cornerback that teams seem willing to spend a 1st round draft pick on him despite those injury concerns. Detroit Free Press's Lions reporter Dave Birkett recently reported that NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah posed a dilemma for the Lions if McCoy is still available at 17.
Jeremiah shared that, if he were to slide that far, the Lions would be hard-pressed not to consider swinging on him and addressing tackle another way.
Holmes has won on a handful of occasions by betting on players with high upside but serious injury concerns: Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson are the two strongest examples of this. McCoy also fills a need for Detroit, which is the need for a shutdown corner. It remains to be seen if Terrion Arnold, or even D.J. Reed, can be that for them.
You'd be hard pressed to find a mock draft that has McCoy falling all the way to Detroit, which is why the smoke isn't quite as large for him as it is for Freeling, or Proctor. Still, he's a name all fans should be locked in on for a surprising slide.
Add us as a preferred source on Google