Pride of Detroit
Taking a closer look at the prospects from the 2025 NFL Draft that have been projected to the Detroit Lions over the past week.
As a reminder, the Detroit Lions hold pick No. 28 and with that slotting comes a lack of consistency in mock drafts. For example, of the 17 mock drafts we examined this week, 12 different players were mocked to the Lions over five different position groups.
As expected, defense dominated this week's projections, with just one mock draft pairing the Lions with an offensive player. And while the other 16 mocks produced 11 different players, seven of those players were edge rushers—the only real pattern amongst the early offseason mock drafts.
Let’s take a look.
Source: Kyle Crabbs (33rd Team)
“The Lions boast a strong reputation for their offensive line but are facing the outlook of potential change at both spots. Kevin Zeitler is an expiring contract and was the better of the team’s two starting guards — Graham Glasgow signed a 3-year deal last offseason and struggled in 2024. Amid all of the changes in Detroit with coaching upheaval, staying true to the DNA of the team will help ease the transition — and that makes a mauling guard like Tyler Booker a perfect fit.” — Crabbs
Erik’s Thoughts:
Early projections had Booker slotted as a late first round-second round pick, but NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah listed him as the No. 14 overall player on his latest top 50 board and then slotted him to the Bears with the No. 10 overall pick in his mock draft. He would go on to Twitter to later explain that “guys at Alabama tell me he’s the Will Anderson of offense- leadership, work ethic and competitiveness.”
While his stock should rise after Jeremiah’s report (he tends to influence other rankers), guards don’t tend to get drafted high unless they’re true game-changers, and even the best can slide into the 20s of the first round. So there’s certainly a chance the Lions could find themselves in striking range.
Source: Blake Brockermeyer (CBS Sports)
“Derrick Harmon is a disruptive interior force who fills a position of need for the Lions. With 40 hurries, five sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2024, Harmon’s quickness and burst make him a valuable addition to Detroit’s defense. His ability to knock back the line of scrimmage and penetrate gaps fits the Lions’ aggressive defensive philosophy.” — Brockermeyer
Source: Chris Dodson (Pro Football Network)
“Tyleik Williams has the potential to be a disruptive force in the middle, with his high motor and ability to penetrate. The Lions could have used that against Jayden Daniels in the NFC Divisional Round.” — Dodson
Erik’s Thoughts:
With Alim McNeill coming off injury, DJ Reader in a contract year, and Levi Onwuzurike a pending free agent, Detroit could find themselves in need of...
