Pride of Detroit
The College Football National Championship is upon us, as the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Miami Hurricanes on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. As expected, both teams have plenty of talent that should intrigue NFL teams, and there are several players who should be on the Detroit Lions’ radar in this upcoming NFL Draft.
In this prospect overview, we’ll highlight a plethora of players who could be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft or priority free agents, while keeping in mind that there are still some underclassmen who have until January 23 to make their decision to jump to the NFL or return to school.
Note: Bolded prospects should be on the Lions’ radar.
Bain and Mauigoa could both be off the board before the Lions are even on the clock and are in contention to be the first drafted players at their respective positions. Both represent tremendous schematic fits on the Lions roster, and both should be near or at the very top of general manager Brad Holmes’ draft board.
Bain’s frame won’t match every team’s desires in a first-round edge rusher, but his production and future growth could be enough to override those parameters. For the Lions, he’d be a plug-and-play option opposite Aidan Hutchinson, due to his ability to stop the run and create havoc as a pass rusher.
Mauigoa is one of the most talented and consistent offensive tackle prospects in this draft class and has the positional range to kick inside to guard as a rookie—making him a desirable prospect regardless of whether or not Taylor Decker decides to retire.
Mesidor starts on the opposite edge from Bain, offers a similar skill set, a bit less production, but even more positional range. He’s often left out of the first round conversation because he will turn 25 just ahead of the NFL Draft, but he’s such a good stylistic fit for the Lions that they could consider him in the first round. Mesidor is already committed to attending the Senior Bowl, but with practices expected to start in about a week, it’s not clear whether he’ll participate or simply attend to use the event as an opportunity to start building relationships with NFL teams.
Scott is a nickel-only corner with the upside to play safety, the instincts to make impact plays, and the physicality to make opponents remember him. Aggressive, hits like a linebacker, closes with conviction, and is a more than capable blitzer, Scott is an exciting prospect to watch with top-50 potential.
Beck is likely going to be too rich for the Lions unless they shift their approach to their quarterback room and then trade...
