General manager Brad Holmes and staff now have to put together the ingredients to carry the team to a Super Bowl championship after making it a contender.
In 2023, the Lions fared better than predicted and advanced to the NFC Championship game. They pushed the San Francisco 49ers to the limit, but in the end they were unsuccessful.
The Lions now have some things to work on moving forward. In the NFL Draft, Holmes has shown himself to be a superb talent scout, making several excellent selections that have sparked the team’s rebirth.
The Lions now have some things to work on moving forward. In the NFL Draft, Holmes has shown himself to be a superb talent scout, making several excellent selections that have sparked the team’s rebirth.
The Lions won’t have a top-10 pick for the first time under Holmes this year, so things will be different. They were supposed to pick sixth last year, but they traded back to pick number twelve and chose running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
On draft day, Detroit will select 29th overall. I used PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator to try to project the Lions’ lineup with each choice.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a cornerback from Missouri, was selected first, at number 29. He’s become more popular due to his physicality, and the Lions can use his style of play. Because of his length and fluid movement, he should be able to cover talented wide receivers in the NFL.
The Lions selected Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat with the 61st overall pick in the second round. In his four years as a collegiate player, the Longhorn recorded 17.0 sacks and made an impression at the Senior Bowl.
Detroit decides to go offensive with its two third-round selections after using its first two picks to target the defense. Christian Haynes, an offensive lineman from Connecticut who also performed well in the Senior Bowl, is the first player up.
Malachi Corley, a wide receiver from Western Kentucky, is the luxury selection made by the Lions with their other third-round pick.With nearly 3,000 receiving yards in college, the explosive wide receiver would increase competition in a strong wide receiver room.
With its lone fifth-round pick, Detroit selected edge rusher Brennan Jackson from Washington State after choosing not to select in the fourth round. Throughout the season, he recorded eight sacks and 40 pressures with the Cougars.
Josh Paschal and James Houston would compete with Jackson, at the very least, to work opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Josh Paschal and James Houston would compete with Jackson, at the very least, to work opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Running back Isaiah Davis of South Dakota State gets selected by Detroit in the sixth round. He’s a really explosive and exciting player. With Gibbs and Montgomery as a duo, the Lions wouldn’t need to ask for much from him right away.
But in the NFL, depth matters, and he would give Craig Reynolds some competition. It’s difficult to deny his explosiveness, and with further growth, the young athlete might be a fantastic addition to Ben Johnson’s attack as a change of pace.
Davis possesses qualities that lead one to think he could be useful on special teams as well.
The Lions selected Florida center Kingsley Eguakan with their final selection. This is an insurance policy, since Frank Ragnow, the center for Detroit’s All-Pro team, had multiple injuries this season.
