The Detroit Lions’ first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is now set

The Lions are picking higher than they’ve picked in a while

Mike Payton Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions’ season is over, and now we move into what is going to be a very consequential offseason for general manager Brad Holmes. The Lions can bounce right back into the Super Bowl picture with a great offseason. One thing that is going to help is the Lions once again having a higher draft pick. They didn’t make it to the top 10, but they do have a nice pick.

The Detroit Lions will pick 17th in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft

If it were the NBA Draft, it would not be a lottery pick, but the Lions can still get some big winnings with this pick. It was just a few years ago when the Lions took All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell in this area. To give you a small example of who could be availible in this spot, here are the players we have ranked from 17-32 in our A to Z Sports Big Board.

Sonny Styles Jr.LBOhio State
Kenyon SadiqTEOregon
Makai LemonWRUSC
Caleb LomuOTUtah
Cashius HowellEDGETexas A&M
Avieon TerrellCBClemson
Olaivavega IoaneIOLPenn State
CJ AllenLBGeorgia
Chris BellWRLouisville
Denzel BostonWRWashington
Colton HoodCBTennessee
KC ConcepcionWRTexas A&M
Kadyn ProctorOTAlabama
Caleb BanksDTFlorida
T.J. ParkerEDGEClemson
R Mason ThomasEDGEOklahoma
Kayden McDonaldDTOhio State

If the Lions wind up with either Utah’s Caleb Lomu or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, that would be huge for the rebuild of their offensive line. We’ll see soon enough what the Lions look to do in April. First we’ve got the Senior Bowl in just a few weeks. The NFL Combine is right behind it. Football never stops.