The Detroit Lions are trying their best to put their crushing home playoff loss behind them as they try to reestablish themselves as a championship contender, and the best way to do that is by leaning on Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes's expertise in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Campbell and the Lions not only need to make a few more big depth additions to a defense that was starting to run on fumes due to injuries at the end of the season, but adding another wide receivet to supplement what they already have wouldn't go amiss either.
The Lions could follow the plan laid out in this post-Combine 2025 NFL Draft. Not only would they address their big names and pick a few Combine standouts in the process, but they would do so while finding great value in a year where they are fairly lean on high-end capital.
Detroit Lions post-Combine 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 28: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
There are a minimum of six edge rushers (if you count Jalon Walker) that will be picked in the first round of this upcoming draft, and Ezeiruaku may have the best chance of making that group seven strong. Even though he will be a poor NFL run defender, Ezeiruaku is going to pile up the sacks with ease in the pros.
With great speed off the edge, impressive fluidity that belies his size, and some nice pass rush moves in his toolbox, everything points to Ezeiruaku emerging as a player who should immediately become a player Detroit can throw into their pass rush rotation.
Round 2, Pick 60: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
The Lions have two stylistically different receivers in underneath YAC demon Amon-Ra St. Brown and vertical speed demon Jameson Williams. What this receiving room needs is a physical outside presence with size, and the 6-4 Higgins can provide that along with some tremendous route-running.
Higgins may not have breakaway speed, but he is certainly faster than most receivers his size. The Lions have an offense that is capable of running on auto-pilot in most games, but having a new flavor that could help them be even more ruthlessly efficient in the red zone could make him a weapon who gets some rookie snaps.
Round 3, Pick 101: Zy Alexander, CB, LSU
The Lions have two young cornerbacks in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. that could be solid long-term pieces, but the Lions will need one more young standout who can help bake himself into the secondary should this team miss out on bringing in a veteran like Darius Slay.
Alexander is a perfect fit for any coach who prioritizes length in their cornerbacks, as he can make plays on the outside thanks to his tremendous ball skills. Injuries may be something Detroit worries about, especially after they lost Rakestraw to injuries last season.