Exploring the Lions potential options on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
With their 28th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft , the Detroit Lions filled a major need by selecting Ohio State defensive lineman Tyleik Williams .
With defensive tackle now crossed off of their wishlist, The Lions still have a few more positions of need to address on the second day of the Draft. With plenty of prospects still available, here’s how the next two rounds could go for Detroit:
Round 2, Pick 60: OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ratledge is a monstrous interior offensive lineman, looming at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds, who many analysts think could be a day-one starter in the NFL. While the Lions do not have a need for a starting guard just yet, drafting for the future seems like the best option with their second-round pick.
Left guard Graham Glasgow is entering the final year of his contract with Detroit. While he had a strong start to the 2024 season, his quality of play declined significantly near the end of the year. At right guard, the Lions are currently projected to run with Christian Mahogany, who only has one career start under his belt but played well in limited snaps.
Episode 7 of my 2025 NFL Draft film room series w/RG Tate Ratledge is up.
Ratledge and I broke down 40 clips of his last season showing what makes him a top OG prospect, including this teach tape base block showing one of his top traits: play strength ️https://t.co/iC5ItJdRjs pic.twitter.com/aeL50cgU3I
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) March 14, 2025
Ratledge could come in and compete with either player for a starting job in training camp or wait out the season until his number is called. Either way, Detroit has the opportunity to draft an elite athlete at guard. That athleticism would allow him to fit nicely with Detroit’s zone and gap run schemes on offense, as Ratledge can pull with ease and has no problem climbing to the second level to make contact in the run game.
He was also a captain at Georgia and was praised for his work ethic as well as his ability to lead the locker room. Overall, this is a Dan Campbell guy through and through.
Round 3, Pick 102: EDGE David Walker, Central Arkansas
Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
A small-school pass rusher may not be the most exciting pick that the Lions could make here, but David Walker’s athletic profile fits what the team is looking for in a defensive end perfectly.
Walker is an undersized edge rusher but makes up for his small frame with elite speed, strength, and explosiveness. His stats alone over his three years at Central Arkansas tell you all you need to know about what kind of player he is: 108 tackles, 63 TFL, 30 sacks, six forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups. He previously attended Southern Arkansas, where he recorded 52 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, and eight sacks.
Central Arkansas edge David Walker has some of the most dominant football tape I’ve ever seen. Just playing on sandbox mode out there (I do not endorse the purple field) pic.twitter.com/ftGNyiWSxa
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) November 11, 2024
Not only is he strong against the pass, but he is a stout run defender as well. He sets the edge well and pursues runners without taking bad angles too often. His best trait is his football IQ. He reads opposing offensive linemen well to diagnose plays and makes decisions quickly and decisively. His biggest drawback is that all of his football experience is at the D-II and FCS levels. With time to develop behind Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, he would have time to adjust to a higher caliber of play while serving as a rotational pass rusher and potentially in the SAM linebacker role.
Walker was the defensive captain for Central Arkansas last season and also won the Buck Buchanan Award, essentially being named the FCS’s defensive MVP.