The draft has been the foundation of the Detroit Lions' rise over the last few years. But as they enter what's easy to see as the second phase of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell era, drafting well has taken on even greater importance to keep the pipeline of young talent full as early draftees graduate to notable second contracts.
The Lions' list of offseason needs is a weird mix of uncertain and clear-cut. Things that aren't entirely in their control will shape the strategy, but some needs have lingered too long with half-measures to fix them. Even though Holmes denies being in a Super Bowl window, that window continues to narrow with each year that ultimate goal goes unrealized.
In a certain sense, the Lions don't have to do anything outlandish in April''s draft. They can just sit with their current picks, and take the best player on their board. Trading up outside of Day 1 hasn't often worked out well for Holmes anyway.
Lions get what would be a massive steal in new 3-round mock
In the first round of a 3-round mock draft heading into the NFL Combine, Cody Williams of FanSided had the Lions planning for a future (immediate or not) without Taylor Decker by taking Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 17 overall.
The Lions don't have a third-round pick this year right now, due to trading up to take wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa last year. So their final pick of Williams' mock was their second-rounder; No. 50 overall. And the hypothetical board could not have fallen any better.
50. Detroit Lions-EDGE Zion Young (Missouri)
Young split his college career evenly between Michigan State and Missouri. His sack totals don't leap off the page, with a career-high of 6.5 last season, but he had 57 pressures last season (according to Pro Football Focus) along with 16.5 tackles for loss. He is a notable force in the run game, with room to grow as a pass rusher.
Missouri defensive end Zion Young stands out in an edge rusher class that's lacking consistent three-down players.
— Drew Collings (@DrewMCollings) February 16, 2026
+ Game-wrecker against the run
+ Hits like a truck
+ Extremely violent and active arm usage
+ Has the strength to throw off opposing lineman
+ Flashes potential to… pic.twitter.com/lQaMRpugiD
READ MORE: Signing underrated veteran offers Lions a major opportunity to improve defense
Missouri DE Zion Young (#9) is a forceful edge defender with an X-Men–built-in-a-lab physique, fully equipped to put offensive linemen on ice skates.
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) February 18, 2026
From Week 4 through the end of the regular season, Young posted an 18.3% pass rush win rate — 6th among SEC edge defenders and… pic.twitter.com/LlNXMaWQJQ
Young started his pre-draft process with an outstanding showing at the Senior Bowl, capped by being named MVP of the American team. That has pushed him into the first-round conversation heading toward the combine for some analysts, and it will be interesting to see how he looks in Indianapolis.
The Lions have a physical template they desire and prioritize in edge rushers. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, pending those combine measurements, Young might as well be the dictionary definition of that. If he's there at 50th overall, he'd be a no-brainer to pair with Aidan Hutchinson for years to come.