The Detroit Lions face a pivotal 2026 NFL Draft, where GM Brad Holmes aims to secure future talent and bolster the team's competitiveness. Key strategies include acquiring future draft picks and focusing on offensive linemen or defensive playmakers.
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Holmesâ seat isnât heating up, and it definitely wonât be if the Lions bounce back in 2026 with a third NFC North title in four seasons. Even if the Lions make the playoffs, itâs hard to see how that wouldnât be enough to earn some job assurance. And for that reason, acquiring future draft capital is a worthwhile venture to consider with the No. 17 pick. If Holmes can net a future second or third-round pick in a deal, while sweetening either 118 or 128 into a third-round pick, thatâs valuable ammo for a GM who likes to be aggressive. If a future pick turns into another prospect, great. If that pick is used as a means to outbid a competing team at next yearâs trade deadline for a piece the 2026 team could use to be title contenders, great. In one way or another, having more draft picks offers Holmes more opportunities to be the wheeling and dealing son of a gun he *loves* to be. Bottom line, he should have a good enough football team to be competitive and return to postseason play in 2026, so he shouldnât treat this draft like he *needs* to walk out with a certain number of future starters, but he should try and get a certain number of contributorsâeven if theyâre players to be named later.
The Lions plan to acquire future draft picks and focus on selecting offensive linemen or defensive playmakers to enhance their competitiveness.
Potential offensive linemen include Spencer Fano, Olaivavega Ioane, Monroe Freeling, and Blake Miller, all of whom could fill immediate needs.
A successful draft could solidify the Lions' roster, increasing their chances of contending for a third NFC North title in four seasons.
If offensive linemen are not available, the Lions could consider defensive players like Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles to strengthen their secondary.
Yordan Alvarez defies norms with his stellar performance against left-handed pitchers in 2026.
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It should really be an offensive lineman, right? This football team is loaded to the gills with offensive dynamos, but if they donât have the means to protect Jared Goff or control the line of scrimmage in the run game, it feels premature to expect this Lions defense to suddenly become the driving force on a playoff team. Based on everything watched and read over the last three months, going into Thursday night, one of these following offensive linemen should be available where the Lions are currently selecting in the first round: Spencer Fano, Olaivavega Ioane, Monroe Freeling, or Blake Miller. If any one of those players is there at 17, they should be the pick. All of them either immediately fill a need at either offensive tackle, or they cost-effectively solidify the interior of Detroitâs offensive front. In the case of the latter, while Larry Borom may not be a long-term solution at right tackle, upgrading the center spot in free agency with Cade Mays and putting Penei Sewell and Ioane on his left lets Jared Goff play more confidently. He could trust to take an extra beat before uncorking a ball to Jameson Williams as he clears across the field on a drag, or Amon-Ra St. Brown find the soft spot on a dig route. And again, Drew Petzing getting this offense back to being a more consistent unit is the quickest way for Detroit to become a contender again.
Take a defensive playmaker. It doesnât matter if they play opposite of Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive line. It doesnât matter if itâs a player in the secondary. Positional value is not a condition Holmes concerns himself with anyway, so if itâs a linebacker, so be it! Youâre kidding yourself if you think Detroit should be above taking a player like Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles just because the need might not be immediate, or because they play safety or linebacker. Holmes is on a seemingly never-ending quest to fix Detroitâs secondary, and the cornerback position has players, but who feels like they can be counted on to be a fixture beyond 2026? Last year, if those impactful plays from the defensive backfield that seemed far and fewer in between, your hunch is right. Detroitâs secondary accounted for just 10 TFLs and 10 INTs in 2025 compared to 17 TFLs and 15 INTs in 2024. Dillon Thieneman, Chris Johnson, Colton Hood, any of those players who racked up the pass breakups, TFLs, forced fumbles, or interceptions would be a welcome addition to a defense that took a step back in that regard last season.
Alright, go ahead and deal 118 or 128 in the fourth round, but try not to dip into that future draft capitalâyeah, that goes against the mock draft from the other day, but people change their minds. Weâre hearing the rumors about the Lions poking around to see who might be interested in moving back and what it could cost to move up, but weâre also hearing that teams are looking to leap Detroit and get their first pick ahead of the Lionsâ needs. Figuring that Holmesâ job is a lot safer than some would think it is because the Lions missed the playoffs a year ago with a 9-8 season, there shouldnât be an urgency to be reckless and throw caution to the wind, but if thereâs a player Detroitâs identified as a difference maker for their team as early at this upcoming season, Holmes should make it happenâwithin reason. Moving up just a few spots in this draftâs first round shouldnât cost more than one of those fourth-round picks (118 or 128), but if it does, Holmes should alternatively consider dealing 17 and moving back to add some opportunity for him to be aggressive later in the weekend, or bridge that gap between pick No. 50 and 118 on Day 3.