Christmas In April: 2025 NFL Draft Plan for the Detroit Lions

        We're officially back, Ladies and Gents! It's Draft Day. This has been an incredibly long offseason for the Honolulu Blue faithful, as we've seen a number of storylines unfold. Both of our team coordinators left, players like Carlton Davis III signed elsewhere, and other NFC opponents got stronger. However, I think people may have forgotten - we're the Detroit MF'n Lions, and that means something now. Our entire roster was decimated for most of the season, and we still managed to win the NFC North.

        Despite last season's success though, there's always work to be done. This season has already presented a new list of challenges. This list would include finding a starting Guard, to replace Kevin Zeitler. We also must add an additional edge rusher, regardless if there is a reunion between the Lions and Za'Darius Smith. Frank Ragnow is also getting older, which means he'll need to be replaced in the near future. The list goes on and on, and on, and on. 

Who, Why, When, Where, and What Needs Fixing? 

        To make things visually easier for everyone (myself included), I've decided to create three tiers of needs for the Lions- the Must Have's, the Semi-Important's, and Would Be Nice's. Hopefully the nomenclature of my choosing is straight-forward enough, but in case it isn't, here's a breakdown: 

Must Have's = This position is in dire need and must be addressed in the Draft.

• Guard = With Zeitler signing with the Titans, this leaves five available players to fill two positions: Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany, Kayode Awosika, Michael Niese, and Netane Muti. Glasgow showed a bit of regression last season and Mahogany only played 144 snaps. This team has built their identity on smash-mouth football, so it's only right they fortify their OLine with another stud. 
  
  
• Edge Rusher = After Hutchinson went down last season, this team's persona changed drastically. The Lions would eventually add Za'Darius Smith, who is now a free agent, but nobody ever provided a presence quite like Aidan did. Now, the Lions are looking to add an additional pass rusher alongside #97, who can battle with Marcus Davenport for the starting job. It also doesn't hurt to add depth in case something happens again, like it did last season in Dallas.

Semi-Important = This position is important, but we do have pieces already at this position.

• Center = Frank Ragnow isn't getting any younger and it's only smart for the Lions to add a player at this position if the opportunity presents itself. How great would it be to have our future center, learn from our current one?

• Linebacker = This is one of the few defensive positions that I actually feel relatively confident about going into the season. Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, and Malcom Rodriguez is a solid LB room. However, Jack Campbell may end up being one of the key players that the Lions aren't able to pay when he's due for an extension. Plus - depth, depth, depth - it's all about depth.

• Defensive Tackle = Truthfully, the trenches didn't play that poor last season, however it would be foolish to say that it was one of our bright spots. Alim McNeill was probably one of the better Lions players on defense last season, however the DT position is another one that needs depth. If DJ Reader can step up, this position may not be AS important next season for the Lions in the draft.

Would Be Nice = Not a make or break for the draft, but have the picks to add depth.

• Wide Receiver = It's no secret that Jameson Williams may or may not be traded this season. Unfortunately, the Lions are only able to pay most of their players, not all. One of the downsides of having a great roster. Can the Lions find his replacement in the draft? Or add another additional piece for this already-explosive offense?

• Tight End = Outside of Sam LaPorta, the Lions don't have a legit TE2. I love Brock Wright, but he's viewed as more of a run/pass blocker, rather than a play maker. It might be nice to add an additional weapon for Jared Goff that can rotate with LaPorta.

• Safety = Now that Kerby Jospeh is the highest paid Safety in the league, it may be worth it to add another traditional safety and have Brian Branch play a more permanent nickel position, rather than safety.

• Cornerback = Truthfully, I don't think we need any starters at this position. DJ Reed was a legit addition to this defense, as was Avonte Maddox. Plus, Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson are dawgs. If Ennis Rakestraw Jr. can stay healthy, I'd really only hope to add a CB6 or another nickel corner. Which could also be supplemented with a safety pick.

"Who Should I Keep An Eye On?"

        Now that we know what positions need to be filled, it's probably worth talking about what picks Brad Holmes has at his disposal. The Lions have the following picks for the 2025 NFL Draft:

• Round 1, Pick 28
• Round 2, Pick 60
• Round 3, Pick 102
• Round 4, Pick 130
• Round 6, Pick 196
• Round 7, Pick 228
• Round 7, Pick 244

        With each pick, a new opportunity presents itself for the Lions. I did my best to highlight some of the top players available for the Lions at each pick. It's worth noting that there may be higher ranked players at these spots, however I only chose to focus on players that would be the best fit for the team. For example, in the 3rd round - Cam Skattebo was the highest ranked player available, however with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, it's not a necessary hole that needs to be filled for the team. With all that being said, let's take a look at who we should keep an eye on over the next couple of days.

1st Round 28th pick

Grey Zabel G - NDSU
Tyler Booker G - Alabam
James Pearce Jr. EDGE - Tennessee

2nd Round 60th pick

Carson Schwesinger LB - UCLA
Omarr Norman-Lott DT - Tennessee
Tate Ratledge G - Georgia

3rd Round 102nd pick

Sai'vion Jones EDGE - LSU
Jamaree Caldwell DT - Oregon
Kyle Williams WR - Washington St.

4th Round 130th pick

Jonas Sanker S - Virgina
R.J. Mickens S - Clemson
Willie Lampkin G - UNC

6th Round 196th pick

Craig Woodson S - CAL
Andrew Armstrong WR - Arkansas
Dylan Fairchild G - Georgia

7th Round 228th pick

Malachi Moore S - Alabama
Jay Higgins LB - Iowa
Zah Frazier CB - UTSA

7th Round 244th pick

Joshua Gray G - Oregon St.
Jailin Walker LB - Indiana
Garrett Dellinger G - LSU

        Aside from the aforementioned players, I've got a few players in particular that I like - a lot. The first of which is probably my favorite edge rusher in the draft, Mike Green. An explosive defensive end, who reminds me a lot of a guy like Micah Parsons. His biggest knock relates to off-the-field issues, with two sexual assault allegations surfacing. One of which was in high school and one was the reason for his dismissal from the university of Virginia. It's important to note that neither case has been proven and he has not been charged for either allegation. 

        My other favorite prospect from this draft is Grey Zabel. A guard from North Dakota State university that had a great showing at the senior bowl. He went against the best of the best during that time and stood his ground on almost every 1-on-1 rep. It was an incredible showing and was a huge reason his draft stock rose as much as it did before the draft. This guy could also be a long-term solution for the Lions at the center position, as he is projected to start out as a guard, but eventually work towards being a center the longer he is in the league.

        The other three players that I have on my list are Carson Schwesinger, linebacker from UCLA, Jalen Milroe, QB from Alabama, and Andrew Armstrong, WR out of Arkansas. All three players currently project to be day two and three draft picks, but could provide some positional value for the Lions later on in the draft. If I were you, I'd be keeping an eye out for these guys on Friday and Saturday if the Lions are on the clock and they're still left on the board.

With the Twenty-Eighth Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, The Detroit Lions select...

        Once again, for the umpteenth time, I decided to do a mock draft on PFF.com, for fun. Granted, these never actually turn out to be very actually, but are fun nonetheless. With that being said, here's how it turned out for yours truly...

        With the twenty-eighth pick, in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select... Grey Zabel, Tackle (actually a Guard), North Dakota State university. Please disregard the B grade on this selection, this would be an absolute home run, slam dunk of a pick in my very honest (and unbiased) opinion. At 6 feet, 6 inches, weighing 312 pounds, this mountain of a man is our Guard/Center of the future. The perfect pairing for an already elite offensive line that will be missing Kevin Zeitler this season.

        Later on in the draft, I circled back to get Dylan Fairchild as an additional offensive line piece, to build up the guard position. Between Fairchild, Zabel, Mahogany, and Glasgow, two of those guys will be starters at Guard, with the other two being very high-level backups. 

        Omarr Norman-Lott and Oluwafemi Oladejo would be great additions to the defensive line, which needs the most help this offseason. Teddye Buchanan was added as an additional depth piece/special teams player. Brad Holmes loves his special teams dawgs, and Teddye looks to be the perfect fit on that side of the ball. 

        Lastly, two wide receivers were chosen - Pat Bryant out of Illinois and Andrew Armstrong (one of my favorite prospects) from Arkansas. Both receivers are tall, great at going up and getting the ball, and give the Lions the opportunity to find a legit WR3. Regardless if Tim Patrick ends up being the solution long-term, adding two players of this caliber only strengthens the competition at this position.