The NFL Draft is just days away, and analysts are publishing their final mock drafts of the 2026 offseason. As we do every week in the offseason, we\u2019ll round up this week\u2019s projection\u2014we explored 72 different mock drafts from the past seven days\u2014and organize the predictions by prospect, as well as provide some Detroit Lions-related commentary.<\/p>\n
As has become customary once we get this close to the NFL Draft, publications try to shake things up with their mock drafts. This week, we\u2019ve seen a lot of AI-influenced simulations where analysts simply let the mock draft machine make the picks, we\u2019ve seen alternate-universe situations like \u201cwhat if the Raiders didn\u2019t pick Fernando Mendoza?<\/a>\u201d mock drafts, and even worse, there are writers\u2019 admittedly and purposefully \u201crage baiting\u201d their audience<\/a>. Per usual, I excluded the jump-the-shark<\/a> mock drafts to avoid unnecessarily influencing this exercise and provide readers with more realistic outcomes. (i.e., I waded through the trash so you don\u2019t have to).<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions this week.<\/p>\n Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5 1\/2, 311) \u201cThe Lions weren\u2019t afraid to select Penei Sewell five years ago in spite of questions about his length, so Fano\u2019s measurables should not dissuade them from giving him a shot at right tackle, with Sewell then moving to the left side following the departure of Taylor Decker.\u201d \u2014 Reuter<\/p>\n Vega Ioane, LG, Penn State (6-foot-4, 320) \u201cThe Lions need to focus on their offensive line rebuild and getting the big, powerful and mean Ioane from the Nittany Lions would be ideal to maintain their run blocking strength inside.\u201d \u2014 Iyer<\/p>\n Blake Miller, RT, Clemson (6-foot-7, 317) \u201cProctor is the tackle most commonly mocked to Detroit, and while his traits might be more enticing, Miller\u2019s tape is far more consistent. Miller is 6 feet, 6 3\/4 inches and 317 pounds with 34 1\/4\u2013inch arms, and he ran a 5.04-second 40, posted a 32-inch vertical (72nd percentile among the last three OT classes), and put up 32 bench reps (the best among offensive linemen at the last three combines).\u201d \u2014 McShay<\/p>\n Monroe Freeling, LT, Georgia (6-foot-7 1\/2, 315) \u201cThough he\u2019s inexperienced in areas, Freeling is an ascending player with above-average size and athletic traits. The Lions have short-term options opposite Penei Sewell, but Freeling has the talent to earn his way onto the field at some point during his rookie season\u201d. \u2014 Brugler<\/p>\n Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 352) \u201cWith Dan Campbell swinging open the door to Penei Sewell moving to left tackle, the Lions have ample flexibility to patch their hole at offensive tackle. By adding Proctor, however, Detroit could keep Sewell at the spot at which he\u2019s become an All-Pro performer. The 6-7, 352-pound blocker\u2019s penchant for displacing people in the run game should endear him to Campbell right away.\u201d \u2014 Middlehurst-Schwartz<\/p>\n Max Iheanachor, RT, Utah (6-foot-6, 321) \u201cProctor is the buzzy name\u2026 but I think Iheanachor is better\u2026 Max Iheanachor is a top 15 player for me. I think his talent is through the roof. And I think when you look at the fact that h\u2019s only been playing football for four years\u2026 I just think the athleticism is there, the frame is there, the strength, the body density, the ability to anchor against power\u2026 if you can get this guy with more football under his belt and the right offensive line coach you can fix (his flaws). You can play him at right tackle, then you\u2019re obviosuly going to move Penei Sewell to left.\u201d \u2014 Sikkema<\/p>\n Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 313) \u201cLomu offers significant upside for the Lions as a redshirt sophomore who still has room to grow.\u201d \u2014 Hunt<\/p>\n Despite our close proximity to the draft, we continue to see a wide range of offensive line prospects heavily connected to the Lions. This week, 70 of the 72 mock drafts we looked at connected Detroit to an offensive lineman, and they were distributed in the following manner:<\/p>\n Fano: 7 projectionsIoane: 3Miller: 10Freeling: 24Proctor: 20Iheanachor: 3Lomu: 3<\/p>\n The majority of the projections landed on the rising star Freeling, but there was still a heavy amount of people leaning toward Proctor, likely due to NFL Network\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah suggesting the Alabama tackle wouldn\u2019t fall past the Lions\u2019 pick<\/a>. Miller\u2019s stock continues to rise, while Iheanachor and Lomu are getting minimal attention.<\/p>\n With 70 mock drafts to sift through, it\u2019s important to keep in mind what\u2019s really worth noting this week: Where are the veteran\/connected mock drafters placing their pick projections?<\/p>\n Of the established analysts from publications like The Athletic, NFL.com, and ESPN, you\u2019ll notice that most of their picks landed on Freeling and Miller, though it\u2019s worth noting that Iheanachor also has some heavy hitters backing him.<\/p>\n Reading the tea leaves here suggests that the two prospects Lions fans should keep their attention on are Freeling and Miller, while noting that Iheanachor could be a sleeper pick.<\/p>\n Akheem Mesidor EDGE, Miami (6-foot-3, 259) \u201cThe Lions did indeed have their eyes on Freeling and could just shift to Kadyn Proctor or Caleb Lomu, but instead I have them pivoting to another obvious need: an edge rush running mate for Aidan Hutchinson. Al-Quadin Muhammad emerged as that guy last year but he\u2019s now in Tampa. The one knock on Mesidor is his age, as he recently turned 25, but the Lions are in win-now mode and want an instant impact player. Mesidor has a well-developed pass-rush toolkit and he plays hard on every down.\u201d \u2014 Smith<\/p>\n The only non-offensive lineman to get projections this week was Mesidor, who has consistently been featured on the Roundup all offseason. Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk falls off the Roundup list for the first time in a long while, but I think that lines up with the suggestions that the NFL likes him more than the draft analysts do.<\/p>\n Mesidor could certainly be the wildcard on Day 1 of the NFL Draft for the Lions. If there is a bit of a run on offensive linemen, or if they simply have the Miami edge rusher ranked higher, they could easily opt to grab him, as he is a terrific fit for what the Lions desire in their players.<\/p>\n However, most analysts are expecting the Lions to select an edge rusher in Round 2, and we saw evidence of this in this week\u2019s mock drafts that expanded beyond the initial round.<\/p>\n Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois (6-foot-4, 260) Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF 96-foot-4 1\/2, 253) Jaishawn Barham, EDGE\/SAM, Michigan (6-foot-3 1\/2, 251) Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan (6-foot-4, 255) D\u2019Angelo Ponds, CB\/NB, Indiana (5-foot-9, 182) Of the 11 mock drafts that featured more than one round, nine of them paired the Lions with an edge rusher, with Jacas and Moore each receiving multiple projections. Both Jacas and Moore would be solid fits for the Lions\u2019 scheme and culture, and with this many connections happening 50 picks into these mock drafts, it\u2019s worth taking note.<\/p>\n
Source: Chad Reuter (NFL.com<\/a>), James Dator (SB Nation<\/a>), Bradley Locker (PFF<\/a>), Vincent Bonsignore (NY Post<\/a>), Paul Gillemette (Draft Countdown<\/a>), Jason Abbey (DAZN<\/a>), Andrew Phelps (Lindy\u2019s Sports<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News<\/a>), Tim Bielik (Cleveland.com<\/a>), Alec Medford (105.3 The Fan – Cowboys<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Erik Schlitt (SB Nation<\/a>), Todd McShay (McShay Report<\/a>), Steve Muench (McShay Report<\/a>), Gennardo Filice (NFL.com<\/a>), Adam Rank (NFL.com<\/a>), James Meche (ESPN<\/a>), Tom Fornelli (CBS Sports<\/a>), Rob Rang (Fox Sports<\/a>), Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report<\/a>), Alex Butler (UPI<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Dane Brugler (7-round mock via The Athletic<\/a>, and via Mina Kimes\u2019 War Room podcast<\/a>), Mel Kiper (ESPN<\/a>), Mike Renner (CBS Sports<\/a>), Brett Whitefield (Fantasy Points<\/a>), Mike Band (NFL.com<\/a>), Luke Easterling (Athlon Sports<\/a>), Craig Ellenport (Athlon Sports<\/a>), Ayrton Ostly (USA Today<\/a>), Tyler Forness (AtoZ Sports<\/a>), Cameron Willey (Stadium Rant<\/a>), Justin Bales (FF Today<\/a>), Dan Zaksheske (Outkick<\/a>), The Draft Zone (Staff<\/a>), Rob Paul (Sportsbook Review<\/a>), Andrew Cooper (Fantasy Alarm<\/a>), Ryan Noonan (4for4<\/a>), John Green (Buffalo FAMbase<\/a>), Jordan Foote (PrizePicks<\/a>), Pete Martuneac (SI – Bears<\/a>), Jack Wargo (Sleeper CFB<\/a>), Paul Banks (The Sports Bank<\/a>), Johnny McGonigal (Penn Live<\/a>), Chris Gregory (Rotoballer<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today<\/a>), Jacob Camenker (USA Today<\/a>), Jared Dublin (CBS Sports<\/a>), Geoff Schwartz (Fox Sports<\/a>), Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life<\/a>), Jordan Edwards (Sports Info Solutions<\/a>), Evan Silva (Establish the Run<\/a>), John Daigle (Establish the Run<\/a>), Ryan Roberts (AtoZ Sports<\/a>), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports<\/a>), Anthony Rizzuti (Panthers Wire<\/a>), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz<\/a>), Matt Mulhern (NBC Sports – Philadelphia<\/a>), Logan Ulrich (NFL Rumors<\/a>), Matt Rooney (Bleacher Nation<\/a>), Doug Orth (The Huddle<\/a>), Sean Newcomb (The Daily Targum<\/a>), Ian Harper (NFL Mocks<\/a>), Andrew Hammond (Al.com<\/a>), Rob Staton (Seahawks Draft Blog<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers (The NFL Stock Exchange<\/a>), Nate Tice and Charles McDonlad (Yahoo Sports<\/a>), Justin Melo (Sports Illustrated – NFL Draft<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Emory Hunt (CBS Sports<\/a>), Brian Batko (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/a>), Dennis Sosic (Fantasy Pros<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Connor Rogers (NBC Sports<\/a>), Scott Smith (Buccaneers.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Luke Easterling (Athlon Sports<\/a>), Chris Gregory (Rotoballer<\/a>), Logan Ulrich (NFL Rumors<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Ryan Roberts (AtoZ Sports<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers (The NFL Stock Exchange<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Mel Kiper (ESPN<\/a>), Chad Reuter (NFL.com<\/a>), Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report<\/a>), Jordan Edwards (Sports Info Solutions<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Source: Dane Brugler (7-round mock via The Athletic<\/a>), Todd McShay (McShay Report<\/a>)<\/p>\n