We’re less than a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft and while many beat writers are honing in on who their teams may select, draft analysts are starting to get a bit squirrelly.
This is the time of the year when things typically begin to narrow down, but of the 37 mock drafts we explored, 16 prospects were repeated from last week and an additional three players who haven’t been mocked to the Lions all season were projected to Detroit. That’s not even including the mock drafts we excluded because analysts wrote articles after fever dreams or because they used AI to do the work for them (no, I’m not joking).
Let’s take a look at the latest players we’re seeing mocked to the Detroit Lions.
Offensive skill players
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Source: Eddie Brown (San Diego Union-Tribune)
“McMillan’s a big (6-4, 219), highly-productive playmaker with Mr. Fantastic arms and excellent hands. I see him as a more athletic, but less polished version of Drake London, and he could go much higher than this. McMillan’s contested catch skills would pair nicely with Amon-Ra St. Brown’s RAC abilities.” — Brown
Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Source: Matt Bitonti (Football Guys)
“There’s no real reason why Luther Burden is falling down the board other than various team needs. He’s a really good player. Perhaps he goes 12 or 20, but that feels more like a best-case scenario for his draft stock. In Detroit, he can form a super trio with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.” — Bitonti
Erik’s Thoughts:
This is the first time McMillian has shown up in the Roundup as his stock has been slipping amongst some draft analysts’ rankings, but I’m not sure I’m buying the fall. If he were to drop to the Lions, he’d be a terrific option at WR-X and would give the Lions security at wide receiver moving forward. Burden appears to be the more likely of the two to be available at pick No. 28, and while he’s not a clean fit at WR-X, if the Lions elect to alter their offensive approach, he’d be a lot of fun.
Offensive line
Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
Source: Kyle Crabbs (33rd Team), Hayden Winks (Underdog Fantasy), Kyle Stackpole (CBS Sports)
“Detroit likes big-bodied maulers on the front. Tyler Booker is a big-bodied mauler and plays a position of need for Detroit. This one is as straightforward as it gets.” — Crabbs
Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Source: Eric Edholm (NFL.com), Matt Miller (ESPN), Josh Liskiewitz (PFF), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone)
“Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes will preach fit over need until they’re Honolulu Blue in the face. But with Zabel, they might check both boxes with one pick. After watching Zabel at the Senior Bowl, dispatching one defender after another, I thought, This guy just looks like a pro. Detroit has a gaping hole at right guard, and Zabel can fill it.” — Edholm
Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
Source: Bucky Brooks (NFL.com), Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)
“Brad Holmes’ master plan revolves around the trenches. Jackson is a Day 1 starter with the nasty attitude and physical game to fit in perfectly with the Lions’ dominant offensive line.” — Brooks
Erik’s Thoughts:
If you’re looking for the Lions to draft an interior offensive lineman in the first round, this is the trio to watch. All three make sense for the Lions in their own ways.
Defensive tackle
Kenneth Grant, NT, Michigan
Source: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today)
“Re-signing Levi Onwuzurike to a one-year deal provides a little more clarity for the Lions’ interior, which had a murky outlook as Alim McNeill continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in December. But Detroit could solidify the spot much more by adding Grant, a 6-4, 331-pound magnet for double teams.” — Middlehurst-Schwartz
Derrick Harmon, 3T, Oregon
Source: Jeff Risdon (Draft Wire), Matt Johnson (Sportsnaut)
“The big Ducks lineman fills right into the middle of a Lions defense that needs reinforcements inside. Few players played their way up draft boards more than Harmon did in 2024.” — Risdon
Darius Alexander, DL, Toledo
Source: Eli Danson (Fantasy Points)
“Despite not being an immediate need, the Lions dealt with so many injuries in 2024 that they could use another versatile piece on the defensive line. Alexander is a freak of nature who could slot into anywhere on the front and join Detroit’s ferocious front four.” – JT Ruhnke via Danson
Erik’s Thoughts:
We’ve discussed Grant and Harmon plenty in this series but this is the first trip to the Roundup for Alexander. Most players who get first-round consideration vary in rankings between draft analysts, but Alexander’s stock has some extreme differences. For example, Danson was using Brett Whitefield’s draft big board for guidance, where Alexander is ranked No. 29. PFF isn’t far off from Whitefield, ranking Alexander at No. 32, but NFL.com projects him as the equivalent of a fifth-round pick. There’s a lot to like about Alexander’s game, and if you can get past his age, there are some intriguing possibilities in how he can be deployed at the next level.
Edge rusher
Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Source: Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports), Seth Quinn (Newsweek)
“Williams never quite developed into a top 10-pick type at Georgia. The size, length, and athleticism are there for him to rake playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson.” — Trapasso
Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Source: Daniel Harms (The Draft Network)
“There are off-field concerns surrounding Mike Green that could cause him to fall on draft night. If a team has done their due diligence and comes away confident in the player and their process, they’ll be getting an immediate impact pass rusher. The Lions have been searching for a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson, and Green would be a great fit on the opposite side.” — Harms
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Source: Josh Edwards (CBS Sports), Tyler Dragon (USA Today), Geoff Schwartz (Fox Sports)
“Shemar Stewart has incredible athletic potential for a human being of his size but the production has just not been there to this point in his career. He goes to Detroit where he does not have to be the team’s most productive pass rusher immediately since it already has Aidan Hutchinson.” — Edwards
Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Source: Owain Jones (Pro Football Network), Mike Randle (FTN Fantasy), Pat Fitzmaurice (Fantasy Pros), Zack Pearson (247 Sports)
“The thought process for the Detroit Lions in mock drafts hasn’t changed. They need a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson. Donovan Ezeiruaku produced elite numbers in 2024, recording 16.5 sacks and 21 TFLs.
“The Boston College pass rusher has an incredible bend to turn the edge, and his deep bag of pass rush moves will cause enormous problems for offensive tackles lined up across from the former No. 2 overall selection.” — Jones
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Source: Scott Smith (Buccaneers.com), Lou Scataglia (NFL Spin Zone)
“The Lions really need a bookend for Aidan Hutchinson, but a run on edge rushers has thinned out the board and this might be a bit of a reach for the Lions. In fact, they could possibly trade back seven or eight picks into the second round and choose from the likes of Scourton, Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer and Arkansas’s Landon Jackson. In this case, I have them staying put in the first round to get that optional fifth year on the rookie contract and going with Scourton, who has good size and strength and can beat you with a bull rush or a wicked spin move.” — Smith
James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee
Source: Charles Davis (NFL.com), Ben Standig (The Athletic), Ian Valentino (33rd Team), Thor Nystrom (Fantasy Life), James Simpson (Sky Sports)
“The Lions worked hard to manufacture edge pressure after Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the season in 2024. Pearce was an athletic marvel at the NFL Scouting Combine and will be aimed directly at QBs from Day 1 in Detroit.” — Davis
Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
Source: Reese Decker (Pro Football Network)
“Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have made it clear—they draft players they believe in, regardless of public perception. Critics mocked their 2023 draft selections, calling picks like Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Jack Campbell reaches. Now, each has become a cornerstone of Detroit’s resurgence.
“Jackson hasn’t received much first-round hype, but he has aced the offseason circuit. He was dominant at the Senior Bowl, tested exceptionally well at the NFL Combine, and has presented well in meetings so far. All of that to go with his impressive film.
“At 6’7″ and 280 pounds, Jackson possesses one of the most physically imposing frames in the 2025 draft class. He recorded 6.5 sacks in 2024, and, despite his length, is highly explosive, showcasing outstanding get-off speed and the ability to bend with power. A high-effort player with relentless pursuit, Jackson has seen his draft stock rise and could creep into the first-round conversation. Jackson looks like a Detroit Lion. Pairing Jackson with Aidan Hutchinson would give Detroit a formidable pass-rushing duo that would quickly rank among the league’s best.” — Decker
Erik’s Thoughts:
It’s surprising to me that Pearce is not only still getting mocked to the Lions, but he was the most mocked player to Detroit this week. I understand we’re coming off a week where ESPN’s Mel Kiper just mocked Pearce to Detroit, and there are a lot of copycats in this field, but Pearce struggles to stop the run and there are character concerns off-the-field—two big no-nos for Detroit. Yes, the Lions need to add an impact pass rusher, but I’d consider any of the five prospects I listed ahead of him—and maybe even the one I have listed after him.
Linebacker
Jihaad Campbell, WILL/SAM, Alabama
Source: Andrew Erickson (Fantasy Pros)
Erik’s Thoughts:
Erickson didn’t give any reasoning for this pairing, but it’s a common projection that we have seen for most of this offseason.
Defensive backs
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Source: Mike Tannenbaum (ESPN)
“This would be a classic Detroit pick: a productive player with versatility from a big school. The Lions do have Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph patrolling the third level at safety, so Starks could sink down over the slot for now; he occasionally played there at Georgia. And after all the injuries we saw in Detroit last season, giving the defense more options wouldn’t be the worst move. Starks had six interceptions and 15 pass breakups over three college seasons.” — Tannenbaum
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Source: Mario Enriquez (Pro Football Network)
“The Detroit Lions’ front seven is one of the best in the league when healthy, but the secondary still needs work, even though it took a step forward last season. Carlton Davis III’s departure to the Patriots only magnifies that need.
“Barron has the traits of a lockdown corner in the NFL. There are questions about his size and physicality, but neither should keep him from being a first-round pick. He was a turnover machine in 2024, recording five interceptions while excelling in coverage.” — Enriquez
Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
Source: Ayrton Ostly (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
“Detroit lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and cornerback Carlton Davis this offseason. Free agent signing DJ Reed is a solid replacement for Davis but Thomas could be a long-term investment at the position opposite Terrion Arnold. Thomas’ size and physicality should play well against NFC North offenses but he’ll need to improve his discipline and technique.” — Ostly
Erik’s Thoughts:
While spending a first-round pick on a defensive back may feel like a luxury, these three prospects could be the players in this class to tempt the Lions into doing so. Starks is an immediate upgrade to the secondary, can start at both safety spots, and would challenge for the nickel job from Day 1 of camp. Barron would also be strong competition for the nickel, while also providing insurance on the outside, potentially even challenging for a starting role. Thomas is arguably one of the cleanest fits with Detroit’s defense in this draft class, but he’s an outside-only option and would need to level up his game to challenge for a starting role.
