Pride of Detroit
Watching NFL Draft projections in January can trigger your vertigo, as analysts scramble to adjust their projections from pre-season expectations to end-of-season results.
In the first two installments of this year’s Mock Draft Roundup series, we saw the majority of NFL Draft analysts projecting the Lions to land Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa. However, with Mauigoa getting a lot more attention during the College Football Playoffs—including playing in the National Championship last Monday—and NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic suggesting Mauigoa could be drafted among the top six picks in this year’s NFL Draft, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how other analysts are adjusting their expectations.
As a result, Mauigoa was only connected to the Lions once this week—as was Utah’s Spencer Fano, who Brugler also noted as a potential top-six pick—and instead, we’ve seen a heavy shift in projections (nine of the 24 we examined this week) for the Lions to snag the player many consider the third-best offensive tackle in this class: Alabama’s Kayden Proctor.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions (who hold the No. 17 overall pick) this week.
Francis Mauigoa, RT, Miami (6-foot-6, 325)
Source: Curt Popejoy (Draft Wire)
Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5, 300)
Source: Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life)
Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 360)
Source: Mark Schofield and James Dator (SB Nation), Gordon McGuinness (PFF), Reese Decker (Pro Football Network), Cody Williams (FanSided), Lou Scataliga (NFL Mocks), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz), Tim Bielk (Cleveland.com), Richie Bradshaw (Cardinals SI), Tankathon (Staff)
“Although Penei Sewell is a proven star, Taylor Decker is in his 30s and coming off his lowest-graded season since 2017. It’s time for the Lions to think about a long-term replacement at left tackle.
“The best options on the left side are Proctor and Utah’s Caleb Lomu. While both are strong prospects, Detroit opts for the 20-year-old Proctor here. He earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection in 2025.“ — McGuinness
Ioane Vega, LG, Penn State (6-foot-4, 335)
Source: Mel Kiper (ESPN), Charles McDonald (Yahoo.com), Jacob Infante (Pro Football Network), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone)
“The Lions aren’t far from getting back to being NFC contenders, but they’ll need to get a bit more talented on their offensive line to have a more consistent offense to close out seasons and games. Ioane has the size and athleticism that head coach Dan Campbell has grown to covet in his offensive linemen and fits Detroit’s bruising style of play.” — McDonald
Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 305)
Source: Jamie Eisner (Draft Network), Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today), C.J. Doon (Sun Sentinel), Brian Bosarge (Draft Countdown)
“The Detroit Lions could have a ton of shake-up on their offensive line this season. Taylor Decker and/or Graham Glasgow could retire this offseason, opening a clear hole that needs an immediate fix. If Decker doesn’t return in 2026, Caleb Lomu can...
