Which of the Lions’ five final draft pick will have the biggest rookie impact in 2025?
The Detroit Lions are at a point in their roster development where they no longer expect anyone other than their first—and maybe second—picks in the NFL Draft to come in and be immediate starters. Detroit came into the 2025 NFL Draft with really only one or two starting spots available on the roster, and every other draft pick was likely made with a rotational or long-term role in mind.
First-round pick Tyleik Williams could very well be a Week 1 starter while the Lions wait for Alim McNeill to heal from his torn ACL. At the very least, he’ll be in the heavy rotation from the get-go. Second-round pick Tate Ratledge is far from guaranteed a role in his rookie year, but you better believe the Lions drafted him because they think he could—and likely will—win one of the two starting guard jobs that are up for grabs.
But beyond that, it’s hard to see any of the Lions’ other five draft picks slip in and immediately start. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions pick in Round 3 or later will have the biggest rookie impact?
My answer: Let’s go through them one by one:
Third-round pick WR Isaac TeSlaa
The expectation is that TeSlaa will learn to develop as an outside receiver—most likely as the team’s future WR-X. That puts him firmly behind Tim Patrick to enter training camp. And while there’s always a chance he thrives there immediately, TeSlaa played so much in the slot at college that I believe the Lions will take it slow with him. He may get some subpackage play or see his playing time grow as the season rolls on, but I see him mostly on special teams during his rookie year as Detroit essentially redshirts him for developmental purposes.
Fifth-round pick OL Miles Frazier
I am not counting out Frazier winning one of the starting guard spots. He’s probably entering training camp behind Ratledge, Graham Glasgow, and Christian Mahogany, but the Lions will give the job to whoever wins it, and Frazier was projected by many to be a Day 2 draft pick who will be an eventual starter. The Lions clearly saw the upside, having traded up for Frazier on Day 3. Still, I think it’s more likely he spends his rookie season as a reserve who gets in on special teams.
Sixth-round pick EDGE Ahmed Hassanein
Already a fan favorite, it’s easy to get a little ahead of ourselves on Hassanein. Having just learned the game of football in high school, his game is still incredibly raw. But it’s hard to ignore the grit, determination, and smarts that the kid has. All of that will work in his favor when new defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers gets his hands on him. Assuming he makes the team, Hassanein will immediately be a special teamer and will probably be fourth or fifth on the defensive end depth chart. But as a rotational player, that already puts him ahead of the other two on this list.
Seventh-round pick S Dan Jackson
Lions general manager Brad Holmes said it himself: Jackson will be a four-core special teamer right out of the gate .
“He’s going to be able to contribute four-core (special teams) immediately,” Holmes told Dan Miller. “But he’s going to be a guy that—the more you look at him, the more you find out about him. You think, ‘Well, he’s not the biggest. He’s not the most explosive guy,’ but the more you dig into him you find out why he’s back there making all the calls, running the show for Kirby Smart’s defense.”
While he’ll obviously still need to earn that role, that would be pretty significant for a seventh-round pick. The bigger question here is where he will fall in the safety depth chart. Detroit doesn’t have much depth beyond their two starters. Could Jackson earn his way to the primary backup job by the end of camp? Seems unlikely, but it’s not out of the question.
Seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett
The Lions like Lovett’s potential on special teams, and with experience at the position, he could very well earn a starting gunner spot on punt coverage—a critical role. However, Lovett is pretty firmly WR6 at best, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Patrick, TeSlaa, and Kalif Raymond solidly ahead of him.
Overall, I think it’s probably a toss-up between Hassanein and Jackson. TeSlaa and Frazier have the biggest upside as potential future starters, but with the way the roster is currently filled, they just may not have significant roles outside of special teams in their first year. Jackson has the potential to log more special teams snaps than anyone on the team, while Hassanein could double up with some special teams snaps and a rotational defensive role.
Who do you think will have the biggest rookie impact? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.