Taking a closer look at the prospects from the 2025 NFL Draft that have been projected to the Detroit Lions over the past week.
With less than two weeks until the 2025 NFL Draft , analysts are finally narrowing the options for the Detroit Lions . Of the 40 mock drafts we examined for this week’s mock Draft Roundup, every projection was for an offensive or defensive lineman.
While all eyes are in the trenches, which trench player the Lions will target is still a complete unknown. We saw 12 of the mock drafts point to five different offensive linemen, and another four projected defensive tackles, while the remaining 24 mock drafts explored six edge rushers—with the leading projection falling on one edge rusher garnering eight projections alone.
Let’s take a look at those latest players and explore the likelihood of them being on the Lions’ radar.
Offensive line
Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
Source: Mike Band (NFL.com ), Reese Decker (Pro Football Network ), Pat Fitzmaurice (Fantasy Pros ), Connor Allen (4 for 4 )
“Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have made it clear that dominating in the trenches is the Lions’ guiding principle, and they reinforce that by drafting Booker. A naturally powerful guard who excelled on Alabama’s left side, Booker will slide to right guard to fill Kevin Zeitler’s vacancy — keeping Detroit’s O-line among the league’s elite. His blend of size, strength and technique aligns with Campbell’s gritty, physical brand of football.” — Band
Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas
Source: Nick Baumgardner (The Athletic )
“The Lions’ biggest need is edge, and it also wouldn’t shock me should Brad Holmes try to get younger at receiver — Jameson Williams’ long-term future on the roster is anything but certain. But Detroit also has uncertainty at guard. Banks, a college tackle, should translate well to a guard spot in the NFL and could potentially be a long-term answer opposite Sewell.” — Baumgardner
Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State
Source: Hayden Winks (Underdog Fantasy ), Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports )
“He’s the only potential 1st-rounder with an official visit that we know about, and it makes sense. The NDSU left tackle projects as a guard (or maybe center) in the pros, and the Lions have an open spot there for the first time in a bit. It’s been a priority position for this regime.” — Winks
Josh Conerly, OT/G, Oregon
Source: Josh Edwards (CBS Sports )
“Detroit has been associated with edge rushers often in the first round but offensive tackle is hardly ever mentioned. Taylor Decker will turn 32 in August and the Lions would save nearly $12 million toward the salary cap next offseason. The opportunity for Josh Conerly to sit and learn behind Decker for a year is appealing.” — Edwards
Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
Source: Nate Tice and Charles McDonald (Yahoo Sports ), Connor Rogers (NBC Sports ), Pete Prisco (CBS Sports ), Alyssa Barbieri (Touchdown Wire )
“Christian Mahogany, a 2024 draft pick, looks like he will be the future starter at right guard for the Lions, but I still think the Lions are going to keep adding talent to the tip of the spear of their franchise. Jackson played admirably as a tackle after Josh Simmons was injured, but his best path as a professional is staying inside at guard. While the Lions might prefer a lineman with true inside-outside versatility for a possible Taylor Decker successor, Jackson has the size, power and athleticism to be a needle-mover at the position and will keep the cupboard full for offensive line coach Hank Fraley.” — Tice
Erik’s Thoughts:
Booker, Zabel, and Jackson have been staples in the Roundup all offseason, so no surprise they saw 10 of the 12 projections from this group. But I’m also coming around on the idea of the Lions focusing on Banks—as I wrote earlier this week —due to his positional flexibility. The same projection can be applied to Conerly, as he also has the potential to play guard or tackle early in his career.
Defensive tackle
Kenneth Grant, NT, Michigan
Source: Joe DeLeone (Pro Football Network )
“What better way to help Aidan Hutchinson than to select another Michigan man? Grant has the upside of not only being a menace against the run but also diverting attention as a pass rusher to free up Hutchinson.” — DeLeone
Derrick Harmon, 3T, Oregon
Source: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today ), Jeff Risdon (Draft Wire )
“Defensive tackle might not seem like the foremost area of concern for the Lions, but Alim McNeill and Mekhi Wingo’s recoveries from torn anterior cruciate ligaments suffered late last season only further highlight the need for depth along a line that was undone by injuries. Comfortable attacking from almost anywhere, Harmon would surely be a welcome addition to a defense that looks desperate to set the tone up front.” — Middlehurst-Schwartz
Darius Alexander, DL, Toledo
Source: Brian Bosarge (Draft Countdown )
Erik’s Thoughts:
Grant and Harmon are my top two realistic candidates if the Lions were targeting a defensive tackle in this class, and the news that Harmon was visiting Allen Park this week is likely to drive up projections in the next round of mock drafts. Alexander would be fun in Detroit, and with Levi Onwuzurike-like positional range, he’ll surely be on their draft board—I’m just not sure that’ll be at pick No. 28 overall.
Edge rusher
Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Source: Andrew Harbaugh (Vikings Wire ), David Dorey (The Huddle ), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone )
“Aidan Hutchinson needs a partner on the defensive line, even if the team seems content with leaving him to be the alpha. Adding Mykel Williams, who is a project, would be easier for both parties to find success. For Hutchinson, it allows for teams to stress over a new face, while for Williams, it gives him a situation with less stress to perform right away.” — Harbaugh
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Source: Nick Wright (Fox Sports ), Glenn Erby (Eagles Wire ), Alfredo Brown (Football Guys )
“In his three seasons at Texas A&M , Stewart recorded 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He also added four passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and two forced fumbles. Stewart brings good size, length, and frame for the position, but needs to be more consistent.” — Erby
Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Source: Rhett Lewis (NFL.com ), Luke Easterling (Anthon Sports )
“Finding another legitimate edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson is still on the checklist for the Lions, and nobody in major college football got to the quarterback more than Green in 2024 (SEE: FBS-best 17 sacks).” — Lewis
Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Source: Keith Sanchez (Draft Network ), Mel Kiper (ESPN ), Rob Rang (Fox Sports ), Jeff Ratcliffe (FTN Fantasy ), Marcus Mosher (33rd Team ), Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports ), Andrew Erickson (Fantasy Pros ), Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life )
“The Lions’ pass rush has been reliant on Aidan Hutchinson, but for the Lions’ defense to take the next step, they need another high-end pass rusher. Donovan Ezeiruaku is one of the most naturally gifted pass rushers in the draft and should be a great complement to Hutchinson.” — Sanchez
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Source: Jeff Risdon (via Pro Football Network ), Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports ), Ayrton Ostly (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel )
“The Lions still need a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson on the outside of their defensive line. We didn’t get to see Scourton work out pre-draft, but he’s a complete, three-down edge rusher.” — Trapasso
James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee
Source: Todd McShay (McShay Report ), Ian Valentino (33rd Team ), Mason Cameron (PFF ), Brentley Weissman (Pro Football Network ), Mike Fanelli (Fantasy Pros )
“The Lions were aided by the in-season acquisition of Za’Darius Smith (four sacks in eight games), and now Aidan Hutchinson is returning. But Detroit needs another “closer” opposite Hutchinson, and Pearce would be a steal this late in the first. The “football character” issues with Pearce are real and they’re bad. However, Detroit has the type of culture and veteran leadership to get the best version of him, and the best version of Pearce is a top-10 talent in this draft class—and a potential double-digit sack guy in the NFL.” — McShay
Erik’s Thoughts:
Not a ton of changes with this group over the past few weeks. Williams and Stewart look like ideal scheme fits whose lack of production could drop them down draft boards. Green and Ezeiruaku are incredibly talented, and while they may not be entirely clean scheme fits, they’re close enough and maintain a ton of skills the Lions desire in their edge rushers.
On my personal Lions-based draft board, I have dropped Scourton and Pearce down a tier below the above four players. I still believe Scourton is a clean option to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson but I’m a bit worried about his developmental ceiling. The Pearce projection to the Lions continues to be one I don’t believe will happen. He has a lot of upside as a pass rusher, but the character whispers and lack of production against the run continue to be red flags I’m not sure the Lions will gamble on.