As mock draft season works its way through January, we start to see new prospects make their way into first-round projections. This week, we’ve seen a few players projected to be selected near the top of the draft no longer being connected to the Detroit Lions, who hold the No. 17 overall pick. At the same time, we’re also seeing a few more new prospects make their way into the first round mix, with some being projected as high as the Lions’ selection.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions this week.
Offensive linemen
Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5, 300)
Source: Dalton Wasserman (PFF), Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life), Tarringo Basile-Vaughn (NFL Mocks), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz)
“Left tackle Taylor Decker could be either a cap casualty or a retirement candidate this offseason. Even if Decker returns for another year, the Lions would benefit from adding a talent like Utah’s Spencer Fano. An athletic offensive lineman capable of fitting into any scheme, Fano is also the only qualified FBS tackle to earn a top-10 PFF grade in each of the past two seasons.” — Wasserman
Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 360)
Source: Bucky Brooks (NFL.com), Jack Aaron (Pro Football Network), Ayrton Ostly (USA Today), Tony Pauline (Essentially Sports)
“The Lions’ O-line was hit hard by center Frank Ragnow’s sudden retirement last year, and now left tackle Taylor Decker is mulling his future, as well — which could make offensive tackle a top priority. Proctor needs to smooth out the rough parts of his game, but his potential to develop into a franchise-caliber tackle would make the gamble worth the risk at this point.” — Brooks
Ioane Vega, LG, Penn State (6-foot-4, 335)
Source: Cody Williams (Fansided), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone), Eric Woodle (NFL Trade Rumors), Nate Szarzynski (The Pacer)
“Vega Ioane was simply phenomenal over the last two years at Penn State. He is impressive physically, but he’s a player whose body of work simply speaks for itself — the type of player Detroit loves to draft.” — Williams
Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 305)
Source: Charles McDonald and Nate Tice (Yahoo.com), Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman (The Athletic), T.J. Randall (Pro Football Network), Bobby Bishop (Dynasty Nerds), Rob Paul (Sportsbook Review)
”While the center position might be the most important area for the Lions’ offense to improve this season, a Taylor Decker succession plan might not be too far behind. Lomu plays calm with light feet, and he has a good frame but could stand to add strength to take his game to the next level. I’m bullish on Lomu and think he could end up as a good starter on the blindside as he matures. A timeline behind Decker with Hank Fraley coaching him would be an ideal situation.” — Tice
Monroe Freeling, LT, Georgia (6-foot-7, 315)
Source: Blake Brockermeyer (CBS Sports)
“Long and athletic, Monroe Freeling is one of the few true pure left tackles in this draft. He shows good feet, versatility to play either tackle spot and solid run-blocking ability with a big frame and strong hand usage. He moves well in space and at the second level.” — Brockermeyer
Erik’s Thoughts:
I’m a bit surprised to see the Lions connected to Fano this week, especially considering most have recognized that Francis Mauigoa (Miami) is expected to come off the board ahead of the Lions’ pick, and Fano’s typically put in that same bucket. Last week, we saw Proctor assume the major of projections, but this week, we see Lomu and Vega pull even, which is closer to expectations, as all three appear to be selected in the same range of picks.
Freeling is a new name to our weekly mock draft roundup, and it shouldn’t be overly surprising, as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah listed him as the 24th-best prospect in his top 50 prospects rankings. Freeling’s been considered a riser with first-round potential, but when a heavy-hitter like Jeremiah ranks him so high, we should expect to see him in more mock drafts moving forward.
Edge rusher
Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn (6-foot-6, 275)
Source: Dylan Chappine (Wolf Sports)
“The Lions have long been searching for a consistent answer across from Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive front, and Faulk is their kind of player at six-foot-six, 288 pounds. I’d expect a strong draft for the organization after the early returns for 2025 were underwhelming compared to previous years under Brad Holmes.” — Chappine
Akheem Mesidor EDGE, Miami (6-foot-2 1/2, 273)
Source: Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com), Keith Sanchez (The Draft Network)
“The Detroit Lions defensively are too dependent on Aidan Hutchinson for sack production, which is a roster issue. In the past, GM Brad Holmes has always directly addressed roster issues in the draft and has done so with a high success rate. With this pick, I believe Holmes goes after Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, a power rusher who should be a great complementary piece to Hutchinson.” — Sanchez
T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson (6-foot-4, 263)
Source: Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News), Richard Janvrin (Fantasy Pros)
“The Lions need to have a physical thumper to better complement Aidan Hutchinson at end in their 4-3. Parker’s strength and power can feed well off Hutchinson’s quickness.” — Iyer
Erik’s Thoughts:
Like with offensive tackle, we’ve seen the top few prospects fall out of range for the Lions, while familiar names like Faulk and Parker remain. Mesidor’s stock has been rapidly rising throughout the college football playoffs, and stylistically, he’s a tremendous fit for the Lions, making him a legitimate potential option for the Lions in the first round—something I noted in my preview of the CFP National Championship Game. If the Lions do elect to grab an edge rusher in the first round, these three seem the most likely prospects, while players like Zion Young (Missouri) and Gabe Jacas (Illinois) are knocking on the door.
Linebacker
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State (6-foot-4, 238)
Source: Eddie Brown (San Diego Union-Tribune)
“Styles is a 6-foot-4, 243-pound freak of nature who has completely unlocked his game after transitioning from safety to linebacker. He’s a defensive centerpiece with the elite athleticism to cover running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. Most impressively, he went through the first 13 games of the 2024 season without a single missed takedown. His physical presence and discipline make him a ‘do-it-all’ weapon for the modern NFL.” — Brown
Erik’s Thoughts:
Through the first three mock draft roundups, not a single linebacker had been projected to the Lions, but that changed this week with the introduction of Styles. A complete modern-day linebacker, Styles has the speed to run sideline-to-sideline, the quickness to drop into coverage, and the power to be a force in the run game. But what makes Styles even more impressive is that he is also an elite blitzer, which is why he’s drawn comparisons to Fred Warner and a new-aged version of Anthony Barr—making him a plug-and-play starter at WILL and SAM in the Lions scheme.
Defensive backs
Avieon Terrell, CB Clemson (5-foot-11, 180)
Source: Curt Popejoy (Draft Wire), Tankathon (Staff), Justin Mark (Sports Gambling Podcast)
“The Lions need defensive back help and select Avieon Terrell out of Clemson. He’s a true corner but took a fifth of his snaps as a slot back as well. Terrell received an 83.5 overall PFF grade in 2025 and has continued to improve. He’s gotten a lot of meaningful snaps these past three years and should continue to improve. His versatility in the defensive backfield gives the Lions great value.” — Mark
Erik’s Thoughts:
The Lions are being connected to defensive backs less and less in recent mock drafts, as most analysts focus on the Lions spending capital in the trenches. Terrell was the only corner paired with the Lions this week, but there are several other options—Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Mansoor Delane (LSU), Colton Hood (Tennessee), and Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)—that could be considered at this spot, as there is little clarity with the corner hierarchy right now.
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