In 2024 mock drafts, for whatever they're work, the Detroit Lions were mostly going toward one of their two biggest needs on the defensive side of the ball. They of course ultimately made a trade up for cornerback Terrion Arnold in the first round, and took a second corner (Ennis Rakestraw) in the second round.
Edge rusher is shaping up to be a significant need for the Lions again heading into the 2025 offseason and the 2025 draft, partly due to falling short in fully addressing the need last offseason. Some early mock drafts have them going that direction in the first round of the 2025 draft, and rightfully so, to find a long-term running mate for Aidan Hutchinson.
Picking as late as they will be in the first round will be a challenge for the Lions to get one of the top edge rushers in the 2025 draft class, but at a glance the group seems to be pretty deep.
Lions circle back to take player that made sense in 2024 in 2025 mocks
In recent 2025 mock drafts from Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News and Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports, the Lions land the same player at pick No. 32-Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau. Tuimoloau made sense for the Lions heading into last April's draft, but then he decided to stay in school for his final season in Columbus.
Easterling wrote about the fit Tuimoloau was and still is for the Lions.
"This was a perfect fit last year before Tuimoloau returned for another season with the Buckeyes, and it's still the case this time around. The Lions need a well-rounded edge player to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and Tuimoloau has the complete skill set and polish to be the ideal running mate."
Heading into the Buckeyes' postseason, Tuimoloau has six sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 38 total tackles and 30 quarterback pressures this season. He is Pro Football Focus' 46th-highest graded edge rusher, with the fifth-best run defense grade at the position (88.9).
Tuimoloau has the physical frame, all-around skill set and experience to be a great fit working with Hutchinson off the edge. Praise for his high motor also points to him being a "Dan Campbell kind of player", so the chance to draft Tuimoloau that didn't come to fruition last year could very well be seized upon come April.