New Lions 4-round mock draft sees Brad Holmes roar back to 2023 form

The stars from the Detroit Lions' epic 2023 NFL Draft class are all eligible for contract extensions, which brings about its own uncertainty about the team's future. However, the roster assembled by GM Brad Holmes also has a lot of glaring holes and thin depth entering the 2026 draft.

Holmes nailed his four top-45 picks from '23 in Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch. Unfortunately, the latter two have sustained serious injuries, and the past two drafts haven't been anywhere near as strong.

So let's see if Holmes can get back on track amid criticism about his free agency activity in this four-round mock scenario that features a trade down to kick things off.

Lions redeem underwhelming free agency with strong 4-round mock draft haul

*TRADE* Round 1, Pick 28th — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

• Texans receive: 17th overall pick
• Lions receive: 28th & 69th overall picks; 2027 3rd-round pick

Taylor Decker's retirement creates an obvious void at left tackle that can't be filled by 2024 fourth-rounder Giovanni Manu. It's possible that Penei Sewell could kick over to the left side, and the Lions opt to draft a right tackle instead.

In this case, Sewell stays at right tackle, Holmes picks up a couple extra Day 2 picks in a deal with Houston — the teams did business not long ago in the David Montgomery trade — and Detroit snags Alabama behemoth Kadyn Proctor. The 6'7", 352-pounder's flashes of dominance and physical attributes lead to him bulldozing defenders in the run game quite often, and he's quite nimble for a man of his size.

It may not look pretty early, but Proctor would have an ideal mentor in Sewell to help bring him along. Another intriguing possible outcome: Proctor kicks inside to guard, Sewell moves to left tackle, and the Lions skate by with Larry Borom at right tackle for the 2026 campaign. Could be fun!

Round 2, Pick 50 — Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati

Jack Campbell will eventually get his big payday, but with Alex Anzalone leaving for Tampa Bay in free agency, the cupboard is otherwise pretty bare in Detroit's linebacker corps.

That's where Jake Golday comes in as a plug-and-play starter. The Lions should absolutely add another defensive end on the open market, but Golday should be able to help on the edge too. His snap splits at Cincinnati in 2025 were as follows, per PFF: 314 at linebacker, 248 in the slot, and 117 outside the tackle.

No matter where he lined up, Golday succeeded to the tune of 105 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks in his final collegiate season. His athletic profile and versatile skill set seem to hint at a very promising NFL future.

Round 3, Pick 69 — Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas

Again, we're back to the '23 class. Jahmyr Gibbs will get paid at some point. Although Detroit did sign ex-Chief Isiah Pacheco recently, he's only on a one-year deal and has averaged less than four yards per carry since the start of 2024.

Enter: Mike Washington Jr., the 6'1, 223-pound explosive bruiser and Combine superstar who played on an outmatched, two-win Arkansas team last season, yet still produced 1,070 rushing yards on 6.4 yards a pop.

Washington also had 28 receptions for 226 yards out of the backfield this past year. He's another home run threat like Gibbs who'd be a highly capable RB2 in place of David Montgomery.

Round 4, Pick 118 — Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss

Alim McNeill has missed 14 regular-season games the last three years. Levi Onwuzurike has seldom managed to stay healthy. Other than 2025 first-round pick Tyliek Williams, the Lions don't have many bodies to count on at defensive tackle.

This is where Zxavian Harris could really help Detroit. He's 6'8", 330 pounds and has tons of untapped potential. Speaking of alignment versatility with Golday, Harris could be a similar chess piece in the trenches. He had 44 snaps in the A gap, 371 in the B gap, 106 over the tackle, and 49 on the edge in 2025.

Additionally, Harris showed marked improvement as a pass rusher with 21 QB pressures, and his missed tackle rate dropped from 20% the prior year to just 8%. The arrow is definitely pointing up.

Round 4, Pick 128 — Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin

One of my favorite prospects in the entire draft, Charles Demmings has that dawg in him. He'd fit right in with the grit Dan Campbell preaches in the Motor City.

Demmings allowed a 39.8 passer rating last season and missed only one tackle. He's at his best in pure man coverage, which the Lions love to run. Incumbent starter Terrion Arnold has failed to live up to his first-round billing, and Detroit could really use some depth on the boundary behind Arnold and D.J. Reed.

At the very least, Demmings could be a special teams ace in 2026 with starter upside going forward.