The Lions entered this draft with fewer holes than usual. Which draft pick will contribute the most in their rookie year?
The Detroit Lions entered the 2025 NFL Draft with fewer holes in their roster than we have seen in any recent memory. There was no guarantee that whoever they selected in round one, let alone two, three, and beyond, would be a starter, let alone a star. That’s a far cry from the years where any draft pick within the first two days was expected to hit the ground running. It begs an important question: which rookie will have the most impact in year one?
Question of the day: Which Lions rookie will have the most impact in 2025?
For me the answer is immediately narrowed down to three players: Tyleik Williams, Tate Ratledge, and Miles Frazier.
Williams enters his rookie year with rather lofty expectations by nature of the Lions depth chart. Alim McNeill suffered a torn ACL in December and will not likely be healthy, let alone back to full performance, anytime near the start of the 2025 season. DJ Reader disappointed in his first year with the Lions on the defensive line. Beyond that, the Lions might get contributions from Roy Lopez or Mekhi Wingo, but that’s a big question mark for now. Williams will have to slot in as the Alim McNeill replacement from day one, whether he’s ready or not.
Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier are sort of in the opposite bucket: they don’t have to start from day one, but they certainly have a chance to step up and claim a spot in training camp. Graham Glasgow struggled mightily down the home stretch of 2024 at left guard, and Kevin Zeitler left in free agency leaving a hole on the right side. It truly feels like anyone’s game between Glasgow, sophomore Christian Mahogany, Ratledge, and Frazier for the starting spots. Both Ratledge and Frazier are four-year SEC starters and Frazier brings tons of positional versatility, so they both have plenty of reason to be seeing the field in their rookie years.
My answer: Ultimately, the rookie guards will have plenty of opportunity, but Tyleik Williams doesn’t have much of a choice—he’ll have to step into big shoes from day one. As a result, he’s going to learn with trial by fire. I expect him to be a significant contributor in 2025, and the most among his draft class.
Which rookie do you think will have the most impact in 2025? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.