The Detroit Lions are finalizing their draft board and preparing for mock draft scenarios. They hold nine picks, including No. 17 in Round 1 and No. 50 in Round 2, as they strategize to address team needs.
Key points
Detroit Lions are finalizing their draft board
Team holds nine draft picks for 2027
Lions have No. 17 pick in Round 1 and No. 50 in Round 2
Lions president Rod Wood said the team brought in its medical staff this week to go over the injury history of prospects who could go high in the draft for what he jokingly referred to as āThe Dream Killer Meeting, because you fall in love with players and then you find out all these issues that you have to be aware of.ā
On Friday, the Lions were set to go through mock draft scenarios as they try to map out not just the pool of players that will be available to them with the 17th pick of the first round but who might slip to them later in the draft as well.
In similar fashion, this has become one of my favorite exercises of draft season, mocking out the Lionsā picks for the first two days and conjuring up different scenarios for how the Lions can best use their draft capital.
This year, the Lions have nine picks: No. 17 in Round 1, No. 50 in Round 2 and seven more picks on Day 3. I canāt see them making a big move up in the first round given the price, their lack of a third-round choice and the reluctance they and others are likely to have parting with premium picks in what looks like a strong 2027 draft.
I can see them landing a player they love at 17 ā I did two beat writer mock drafts this week and was pleasantly surprised by the choices available in both ā or moving down in Round 1, and I wouldnāt be surprised if Brad Holmes adds a third-round pick to his war chest to draft another rookie who could contribute this fall.
Here are three scenarios I see playing out for how the first three rounds could unfold next week:
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AUBURN, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 11: Monroe Freeling #57 of the Georgia Bulldogs blocks Chris Murray #3 of the Auburn Tigers during the third quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 11: Monroe Freeling #57 of the Georgia Bulldogs blocks Chris Murray #3 of the Auburn Tigers during the third quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Lionsā biggest needs are offensive tackle and defensive end and they address both in this scenario by staying put and letting the board come to them. Freeling is a bit raw as a prospect with just 17 college starts, but heās a fluid athlete with tremendous upside and the length to stick at tackle in the NFL. I project Freeling to go in the top-15, but he was on the board in both of the beat writer mocks I did ā Utahās Spencer Fano, one of the draftās top two tackles, also was on the board in one ā and heād be a fit for a Lions team thatās spent the entire offseason retooling its offensive front. If Freeling is gone, Clemsonās Blake Miller or Alabamaās Kadyn Proctor could be the offensive line pick at 17.
Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) celebrates his sack on Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) celebrates his sack on Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Jacas, meanwhile, led the Big Ten with 11 sacks last season and is a powerful run defender who served as a team captain at Illinois. He doesnāt project as a prolific NFL pass rusher, but he would give the Lions a competent edge to pair with Aidan Hutchinson for the next four years. The Lions still have two fourth-round picks to play with in this scenario, but those picks are deep enough they may not be able to package them and move back up into the third round.
The trade down
No. 23: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
No. 50: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
No. 68: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
In this scenario, the Lions move down six spots in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, add an extra third-round pick at No. 68 overall and give up their first pick in the fourth round (No. 118). The move allows them to address their most pressing needs in the trenches and add some insurance in the secondary in Johnson, a tough-nosed corner who returned two of his four interceptions last season for touchdowns.
Faulk has the type of big frame (6 feet 6, 276 pounds) the Lions like in their linemen. Heās a stout run defender who checks the character box and has plenty of upside at 21 years old. He only had two sacks last season, but heād contribute immediately as a bookend to Hutchinson who could slide inside on passing downs.
If the Lions donāt address their offensive tackle need in Round 1, they might be out of luck landing a first-year starter. Tiernan played both tackle spots at Northwestern and could be a solid sixth lineman as a rookie, though long-term future might be inside at guard. A Detroit Country Day product, Tiernan has a load of experience and imposing size as 6 feet 8 and 323 pounds.
If Holmes really is about taking the best player available, then McCoy or Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq could be the surprise pick if they make it to 17. McCoy missed all of last season with a torn ACL so itās possible he got bumped from the Lions list in The Dream Killer Meeting. If his knee checks out, though, heās a proven ballhawk who has a chance to be the best cornerback in the draft and heād fill a sneaky need for a Lions team that has questions about Terrion Arnoldās future.
Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Bryan Jackson (21) attempts to catch the ball against TCU Horned Frogs safety Bud Clark (21) in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Bryan Jackson (21) attempts to catch the ball against TCU Horned Frogs safety Bud Clark (21) in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
I donāt see a ton of trade-down options for the Lions at 50 based on the trade value chart, who picks behind them and the draft capital of those other teams, but the Jacksonville Jaguars could be one team looking to move up from their first pick of the draft at No. 56. The Jaguars give up their second of three third-rounders in this scenario and get the Lionsā first fourth-rounder in return.
The Lions use 56 to form an all-Michigan edge tandem with Moore and Hutchinson. Moore is a power rusher and team captain who had 10 sacks last season and could split time as a rookie with free-agent addition D.J. Wonnum. At No. 88, the Lions can address a need at tight end, safety or linebacker. I gave them Clark, an instinctive safety who had 15 interceptions in his final four college seasons and would be insurance for Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. The Lions donāt add an offensive lineman in the first three rounds in this scenario, but have plenty of picks on Day 3 to add more competition to that room.
