The 2026 NFL Draft is almost here, and the Detroit Lions are currently equipped with the 17th-overall pick. Detroit has nine total selections over the course of the three-day event, but the majority of the attention will be on who the team takes in the first round.
Draft analysts have spent the pre-draft process trying to figure that question out for every team in the first round, and one prospect who has emerged as a popular option for the Lions is left tackle Kadyn Proctor. However, while Proctor would address a need for Detroit, one draft expert thinks it would be a mistake if Detroit drafted the tackle at 17.
Draft analyst Mike Luciano, in FanSided’s 2026 Big Board, ranked the top 50 prospects in the draft, and Proctor was listed at No. 42. That means Detroit selecting the tackle at 17 would be a monstrous reach.
Lions’ offensive line prospect Kadyn Proctor ranked 42nd-overall player by FanSided
Luciano highlighted the hype that Proctor entered college with, but argued that the film the tackle put together over three years at Alabama didn’t meet expectations. Still, the analyst acknowledged that the lineman has talent, size, and athleticism that makes Proctor an intriguing option, but argues that teams need the right infrastructure to get the best out of him.
"Proctor's tape is not what you want to see from a 5-star recruit with first-round hype due to his whiffs against speedier edge rushers. Proctor is a lottery ticket that only should be purchased by teams with good offensive line coaches. If he hits, Proctor's mammoth size and ability to wash defenders out of plays make him someone who could challenge for All-Pro teams at his peak."Mike Luciano (FanSided)
The Lions are definitely a stable franchise that can develop talent, but the question is if it’s worth gambling on Kadyn Proctor at 17. Whether or not Detroit considers it a gamble all depends on if the team agrees with Luciano’s assessment. If the team selects Proctor that early, the answer is probably not.
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If the Lions do agree, and the rest of the NFL does as well, then Proctor could slide to day two of the draft. That would give Detroit another opportunity to select him, as the franchise also has the 50th-overall selection. Based on Proctor’s ranking at No. 42, that would be a more appropriate landing range according to Luciano.
Proctor has been one of the most polarizing prospects throughout the pre-draft process, so there’s no telling where he will go on draft night. Some analysts have predicted that it could be as early as the top 10, while others have said he could go at the end of the first. We’ll see if the Lions have any say in that.
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