2025 NFL Draft: Why the Detroit Lions should pick Derrick Harmon

Here’s why the Detroit Lions should draft Derrick Harmon with the 28th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The start of 2025 NFL Draft is just one week away and for a second year in a row, there’s only one certainty for the Detroit Lions: uncertainty. In a draft where there’s little consensus beyond the top-15 or so picks, it’s hard to get a sense of which prospects might be available once the Lions are on the clock. That great unknown sets us up for today’s discussion about a player Detroit would be better for should he trickle his way down the board.

Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon could provide Detroit’s defensive line with help both now and in the future, and he should be the pick at 28 to bolster their defensive front.

Why the Detroit Lions should draft Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

Previously:

• Why the Lions should draft Kenneth Grant

Character fit

Harmon grew up in Michigan, raised by his single mother, Tiffany Saine, on Seven Mile Rd. in the heart of Detroit.

“I lived with moms, and me and moms was hurting,” Harmon told The Oregonian in October of 2024. “She really broke her back trying to get me to every camp, every visit I could get to. Any time somebody invited me to a camp, she tried her best to get me out there. I never took that for granted. I still thank her to this day for what she did.”

Saine went through several brain surgeries prior to having a stroke during Harmon’s freshman year at Michigan State (2022), a medical incident that left her paralyzed on her left side and unable to walk. While her journey to recovery was set to be a long one, Harmon kept traveling back and forth from East Lansing to offer care and support for the woman who had sacrificed so much for him.

“It was hard during the season because you’re meeting all day, you’re locked in, you’ve still got classes,” Harmon said. “But every week I tried to get back home.”

Harmon entered the transfer portal after Mel Tucker was fired from Michigan State in 2023, but initially withdrew himself to remain closer to his mother before ultimately deciding to re-enter the portal four months later and continue his football career for Dan Lanning at Oregon. Still, Harmon cites his mother as what drives him and provides his “why” for his football career. The Lions have become an organization that prides itself on accountability, and the maturity and commitment from Harmon to balance football, academics, and his mother’s recovery speaks to that quality.

Style fit

With the addition of defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, the Lions are getting a football mind that challenges his players to outsmart their opponents. Here’s something from former Bucs defensive tackle Khalil Davis on what differentiates Rodgers from other defensive line coaches:

“I think what separates him is he wants all of his defensive linemen to be smarter than just the average d-lineman. It’s a challenge every day, but he really—whenever you think you’re good, he reminds you that you can go a little more and you can learn a little more. I think that’s really what separates him, and kinda shocked me. Because to see how smart Vita Vea and (Ndamukong) Suh and Will (Gholston) were and really knowing the entire defense. He challenges us every day.”

Beyond the priority placed on football IQ, Rodgers brings a similar emphasis to that of his predecessor, Terrell Williams, when it comes to his players using violent hands to not allow offensive linemen to dictate the play.

Harmon is a prospect that should fit in just fine in both respects. His ability to line up in a variety of spots along the defensive line shows an understanding of his responsibilities at each spot, and it’s a testament to his football smarts. Pairing Harmon with a defensive line technician like Rodgers could tap into even more of that potential. And those violent hands are something Harmon displays often on tape, consistently showing swipe and rip moves to keep himself clean from offensive linemen on his way to the backfield.

But despite leading FBS interior defenders in pressures (49) and pass-rush win rate (18.8%) last year, Harmon isn’t a one-trick pony. His versatility makes him a fit for both gap-shooting defenses, which emphasize backfield disruption, as well as two-gap systems, where maintaining position as a block collector and controlling the offensive lineman are critical to give linebackers the opportunity to fit the run. His combination of size (6-foot-4, 313 pounds), speed (4.95 40 time), length (over 34-inch long arms), and strength would make him a fit in nearly any defense, but the balance to his game makes him a great fit in Detroit.

Scheme fit

Harmon’s previously mentioned ability to line up at multiple spots along the defensive line is something the Lions covet, and it would surely help him see the field early on, especially so with Alim McNeill’s ACL injury set to keep him sidelined for the beginning parts of 2025.

Harmon’s alignment on the line at Oregon ranged anywhere from the 2i (as shown in the clip below) to the 4-technique (he’s seen above lined up in the 4i and causing havoc). Because of his athleticism, there’s some creative room to sprinkle him in as a 5-technique outside the tackle, but that would be in small, situational doses.

To get the full breadth of his versatility, which really feels similar to current Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, the clip below gives you a sense of just how moveable of a piece he is along the defensive front.

Weaknesses

Harmon arrived at Michigan State weighing 350 pounds before eventually trimming down to 313 pounds this past year at Oregon, so staying on top of his diet and managing his weight—which some point out to still not be totally where it should be—will be important for him to continue using his athleticism to his advantage. The Lions ranked t-25th in the nutritionist/dietician category on the NFLPA’s 2025 Team Report Card with a ‘B’ grade.

The other area in which Harmon could really stand to improve is his finishing ability in the backfield. Missed tackles were a problem for Harmon in his collegiate career: he finished with 10 total in 2024 alone, a 27% missed tackle rate that was the 19th-highest figure among interior defenders. Cleaning up some of his technique and approach will go a long way toward him unlocking his full potential.

Overall

As the Lions prepare for the unpredictability of the 2025 NFL Draft, Harmon represents the kind of prospect that can bring both immediate impact and long-term value to their defense. His unique blend of size, athleticism, versatility, and football IQ fits seamlessly with what Detroit has been building and hopes to continue to build under Kacy Rodgers.

Harmon’s personal story reflects the type of accountability this franchise continues to prioritize, but he’s more than just a local connection; Harmon’s a player whose drive and skillset align with Detroit’s identity on and off the field. If he’s available at pick No. 28, the Lions shouldn’t hesitate, and if they need to move up a few picks ala the situation with Terrion Arnold last year, it would be a justifiable move based on his production and potential.