With the 2025 NFL regular season well in the rearview mirror and the Super Bowl the final remaining game until August, analysts are beginning to shift their focus toward the NFL Draft. On Monday, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft of the 2026 season, and as we saw with The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s mock draft last week, some of his projections will change perspectives on prospects throughout the draft community.
Like Brugler, Jeremiah had the draft’s top two offensive tackles—Utah’s Spencer Fano and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa—selected in the top six picks and the top two edge rushers—Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami’s Reuben Bain—off the board in the top 10 picks.
With the Lions on the clock at pick No. 17, trading up for one of the top tackles seems like a difficult task, while grabbing OT3 might be considered a reach, as Jeremiah doesn’t have another tackle coming off the board until pick No. 24. With Detroit being in tough spot for value with an offensive lineman, Jeremiah instead turns his focus to edge rusher, which most perceive as the Lions’ next biggest need.
So far this offseason, when the Lions have been presented with this scenario in mock drafts, most analysts have paired Detroit with Auburn edge Keldric Faulk. Jeremiah breaks that trend in his mock draft and has the Lions passing on Faulk (he goes three picks later) and instead projects the Lions to select…
Here’s Jeremiah’s explanation for his projection:
“Mesidor would thrive opposite Aidan Hutchinson, going from one dynamic pass-rush duo (with Bain at Miami) to another.“
While Jeremiah’s explanation is brief, he’s also not wrong. Mesidor stylistically fits what the Lions look for in an edge player opposite Hutchinson. Strong, quick, and positionally versatile, Mesidor’s stock has been rising all season, and especially in the college football playoffs. In my preview of the CFP National Championship Game, I noted that Mesidor has been overlooked so far, and that I believed would be in conversation for the Lions in the first round:
“Mesidor starts on the opposite edge from Bain, offers a similar skill set, a bit less production, but even more positional range. He’s often left out of the first round conversation because he will turn 25 just ahead of the NFL Draft, but he’s such a good stylistic fit for the Lions that they could consider him in the first round.”
While the Mesidor pick may surprise people considering the lack of attention he’s gotten in draft circles, the fact that both Jeremiah and Brugler have projected him to be a first-round pick should hopefully change perspectives. The talent is there, and the best analysts in the business believe he’s worth the pick, so adjust your draft boards accordingly.
Here are a few other prospects I would have considered for the Lions in this mock draft (and where Jeremiah projected them):
- Faulk (pick No. 20)
- Kayden Proctor, OT, Alabama (24)
- Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (28)
- Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (31)
See More:
