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The Detroit Lions received mixed draft grades, with most analysts giving them A- or B for their 2026 NFL Draft picks. Key selections included offensive tackle Blake Miller and edge rusher Derrick Moore, addressing critical team needs.
GM Brad Holmes was in the unique position of reloading for a contender instead of trying for a overhaul. Miller should take over at left tackle for Taylor Decker while Moore is the right Michigan man to put opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Abney was their later steal to ensure another solid haul.
The Detroit Lions received grades ranging from A- to B from various analysts for their 2026 NFL Draft performance.
The Lions selected offensive tackle Blake Miller and edge rusher Derrick Moore as their key picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Lions filled critical positions by selecting an offensive tackle, an edge defender, and a linebacker, among others, to strengthen their roster.
Blake Miller is expected to start at left tackle, while Derrick Moore will likely serve as a pass rusher, both crucial for improving the team's performance.

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Miller came out of Clemson as a solid, experienced tackle ā then showed above-average athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine, likely clinching his status as a top-25 pick. He meets Detroitās need for a tackle afterĀ Taylor Deckerās exit. The LionsĀ sent a fourth-round pick to the JetsĀ so they could pair bullish pass rusher Moore with fellow former WolverineĀ Aidan Hutchinson. Also included in the Lionsā draft grade is the trade of two third-round picks this year to select receiverĀ Isaac TeSlaaĀ in last yearās third round. Detroit needed a linebacker and Rolderās aggressive style will endear him to Lions fans. The Lions tradedĀ David MontgomeryĀ to the Texans for OLĀ Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick this year and a 2027 sixth-rounder. They used the fourth to move up for Moore and replaced Montgomery withĀ Isiah PachecoĀ in free agency. Law is a receiver in a running backās body and should get a look as a returner during training camp. Gill-Howard is undersized but stood out on Texas Techās star-studded defense before an ankle injury ended his season.
OT Blake Miller (17) fills a major need. Edge Derrick Moore (44) stays in Michigan and gives the Lions another pass rusher with energy. LB Jimmy Rolder (118) is another Michigan player staying close to home. CB Keith Abney II (157) and WR Kendrick Law (168) are solid value.
First-round OT Blake Miller and second-round DE Derrick Moore, a Michigan alum whom the Lion traded up to get, project as Week 1 starters at crucial positions of need. Moore may be a long-term wingman off the edge opposite fellow ex-Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson. This yearās third-rounder was invested in a 2025 trade that netted promising WR3 Isaac TeSlaa. In totality, it might be enough to get a team that will benefit from a last-place schedule in 2026 back to the postseason.
It will be interesting to see whether the Lions move Penei Sewell to left tackle to accommodate Miller, who primarily played right tackle at Clemson. Selecting Miller and possibly tinkering with the lineup needs to pay off for this team because this star-studded roster struggled last year without a stout offensive line. Later in the draft, Detroit continued its never-ending search for a No. 2 edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Playing second fiddle shouldnāt be an issue for Moore, a player with a high floor and low ceiling. Moore is ready to contribute now with 10 sacks last season at Michigan.
If mock draft season taught us anything about the Lions, it was that it would be a shock to see them take anything besides an offensive lineman in the first round. Blake Miller emerged as the guy at No. 17, and itās hard not to love the pick. Not only does Detroit fill a glaring need at one of the tackle spots, but it can now move forward with its plan to shift Penei Sewell from the right side to the left. Miller exclusively played right tackle at Clemson and can now hit the ground running at that same position in the NFL. Renner, however, does not love prioritizing fit over taking the best player available and gave the Lions a āCā as a result.
The Lions rebounded in the second round by trading up for Derrick Moore. There is now a real hometown feel on Detroitās defensive front with a pair of Michigan products in Moore and Aidan Hutchinson holding down the edge and Jimmy Rolder operating behind them at linebacker.
This was a classic meat-and-potatoes draft for the Lions. GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell rightly targeted the offensive line in the first round, adding a tough and durable right tackle in Blake Miller. With 54 career starts under his belt, Millerās extremely battle-tested and the type of hard-nosed player youād expect Detroit to gravitate to. He should start right away on the right side as Penei Sewell moves to the left tackle spot. In the second round, the Lions added a tough and tenacious power rusher in Derrick Moore. Moore would rather go through offensive tackles than try to get around them, and more often than not he seems to succeed with this plan. He might need to expand his repertoire in the pros, but he offers upside to develop into a starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson. I liked the Keith Abney pick in the fifth round, too: A former competitive inline roller skating champion, heās an instinctive and savvy defender with a knack for getting his hands on the football. Itās another rough-and-tumble draft class for Detroit.
Taylor DeckerĀ requestingĀ his release threw a small wrench into the Lionsā offseason. It was already a critical offseason after Detroit missed the playoffs in 2025, but there was suddenly a huge hole at left tackle, adding to the overall protection issues. The Lions were 31st in pass block win rate last season at 55.5%. As the team sorted through fixes, coach Dan CampbellĀ floatedĀ the idea ofĀ Penei SewellĀ sliding over from the right side, but that would still leave one of the tackle spots wide open and would be taking Sewell away from his more natural, dominant position.
It seems Detroit is sticking to that, using the first-round pick onĀ Blake Miller, a 54-game starter at right tackle in college. Itās tough to beat Miller, no matter the pass-rush move. His pressure allowed rate improved every single season, from 4.0% as a rookie to 1.8% last season. Thatās key for the Lions;Ā Jared GoffĀ has real problems when heās seeing constant pressure. And Miller should becomeĀ Jahmyr Gibbsā new best friend in the run game ā he can get downfield to spring breakaway runs for his backs.
The other big area of need was the No. 2 edge rusher hole oppositeĀ Aidan Hutchinson. This might sound familiar ā along with most analysts, I wanted the Lions to address this last year, too. They didnāt take an edge rusher until Round 6 withĀ Ahmed Hassanein. Detroit got 11 sacks out ofĀ Al-Quadin MuhammadĀ in a wild 30-year-old breakout season, but he signed with Tampa Bay; the Lions really only signedĀ DJ WonnumĀ to replace him.
Will a second-round pick inĀ Derrick MooreĀ get the job done? I might have gone with Zion Young, who went one pick later, but I think thereās upside for an eventual all-Michigan edge combo of Hutchinson and Moore (who had 10 sacks last season).
Jimmy RolderĀ (another Michigan player) andĀ Keith Abney IIĀ were solid additions on defense, too. Rolder is versatile and has some burst as a blitzer. But where he really stands out is his ability to diagnose. Heās a smart football player. Abney is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, but he gets his hands on the ball. Abney had 20 pass breakups and five picks over the past two years. He should be a good backup.
**Hereās why:**Blake MillerĀ was the solidifying force for Clemsonās offensive line and held it down on the right side for over 40 starts in college. While Iām not the biggest fan of bumpingĀ Penei SewellĀ over to the left after how heās established himself as a premier right tackle, Millerās combination of size, athleticism and consistency has the Lionsā right tackle spot in good hands for years to come and the Lions got him in the appropriate part of the draft.
The Lions desperately needed edge help on top of a starting tackle, and they filled that need with Derrick Moore. His all-around game complementsĀ Aidan Hutchinsonās pass rush-first game very well. Kendrick Law is a twitchy and bendy athlete who can create explosives with the ball in his hands. He can be a replacement for wide receiver/folk hero Kalif Raymond.
**Most interesting pick:**Ā Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State
A feisty defender, Iām not shocked that Abney ended up a Lion. Heās a physical player and a willing tackler whom I like playing best from the slot because he lacks the consistent ability to turn and stay in coverage, although he could stick on the outside in a more zone-heavy scheme (the Lions run a lot of man coverage, however). Abney gives the Lions several defenders who can play from there but also opens up keepingĀ Brian BranchĀ as a backend safety. Abney was a player I was comfortable taking at the end of round 3 because of his physicality and smarts, so this felt more than proper in the middle of Day 3.
Click the link for breakdowns on each individual pick. They did not offer overall thoughts on the class.