One ESPN insider believes there could be an early run on a position of need for the Detroit Lions.
The 2025 NFL Draft rumor mill continues to run into overdrive. It’s important to be careful with rumors this close to the draft, as it becomes more and more difficult to navigate fact from fiction. Oftentimes, late rumors are last-ditch efforts for teams to throw the rest of the league off their tracks. But sometimes NFL insiders wait until the final moments to drop some of their juicy secrets from around the league.
While everything surrounding the Detroit Lions has been shrouded in secrecy, one NFL Draft rumor from ESPN’s Dan Graziano could have a big impact on who they select in the first round.
“On the subject of (Mason) Graham, my current belief is that the early part of Round 1 could be very heavy on defensive linemen,” Graziano wrote. “There are a ton of good edge rushers and pass-rushing defensive tackles this year. And in a draft where teams don’t seem thrilled about the choices at quarterback, cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver, I wouldn’t be surprised if a bunch of teams default to pass rusher on Day 1.”
The Lions aren’t beholden to need when it comes to the draft. In fact, Lions general manager Brad Holmes is ardently against chasing needs in the draft. However, it’s also no secret that on Detroit’s stacked roster, defensive line sticks out as an area of potential improvement. When we polled Lions fans last week on which position Detroit will draft in the first round, 49 percent selected the defensive line.
The upside of a run at a particular position, though, is that a high prospect at a different position could fall. Remember, it was only last year that a huge run on offensive players in the first half of the draft (first 14 picks all on offense) allowed the Lions to trade up and grab one of the top cornerbacks in the entire class in Terrion Arnold. Perhaps a run on defensive linemen could allow a top receiver, offensive lineman, or defensive back to fall to Detroit—all areas in which the Lions could use some improvement.
So while a run on defensive linemen would likely stress out a high percentage of the Lions fanbase, Holmes likely wouldn’t bat an eye and move forward with a strong player at a different position.
