4 under-the-radar tackles the Lions could wait and take outside of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft, and win big with
If the Lions wanted to wait out things at tackle, they have that possibility with a pretty deep class outside of the first round
In just over two weeks, the Detroit Lions will be on the clock in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and almost everyone believes the same thing. They’ll probably take a tackle.
The thing is, and we’ve gone over this not long ago, the Lions do not draft for need, and all of our mock drafts have them do that, really just ignore everything they’ve told us about their draft strategy in the last five years.
They might actually take a tackle if they feel that’s the best player. But they also might take an edge, guard, cornerback, safety, quarterback, defensive tackle, or tight end. If a guy is there and he’s the best player. The Lions will probably take him.
So that would mean tackle would move out of the first round. Today, I want to put some real attention on some of the tackles that the Lions could score with outside of the first round. And I mean guys who are definitely not going in the first. So now Blake Miller or Gennings Dunker here. Here are five guys to know:
Brian Parker, OT, Duke
Average Draft Position: 102
Parker is coming off a very strong 2025 for the Blue Devils. He allowed 20 pressures and three sacks as a right tackle. He had a career-high 83.9 run block grade from Pro Football Focus. That’s big because his 2024 grade was 68.8. He had back-to-back pass block grades in the 80’s.
Right now, the idea that some teams are thinking about with him is a move to the center. That says a lot about his mental processing. It’s usually the guys who can make that move that teams feel good about taking on responsibility and being communicative. The one downside is that he’s a bit undersized, but the Lions do not care about height, weight, or speed. They care about film. Parker shows up on film.
Trey Zuhn, OT, Texas A&M
Average Draft Position: 126th
The run blocking is a concern, and there’s no doubt about that. It’s something that Zuhn needs to be coached up on. It’s not the worst. On avergae he graded out in the high 60s or low 70s. The big sell here is the 96 pass blocking grade. 96! That made Zuhn the highest graded pass blocking offensive lineman in college football in 2025.
Zuhn is also a four-year starter in the SEC, and that is another thing that might make the Lions feel like he could potentially start immediately at right tackle. The concern is the same as Parker’s: length. That’s why some teams look at him as a guard or center. But what do the Lions not care about? Height, weight, and speed.
Markel Bell, OT, Miami
A very young prospect. Belli’s just 21-years-old, but he played like a grown man for Miami last year. He allowed 15 pressures and zero sacks as their starting left tackle. He graded out well in pass blocking, and just ok in the run game.
Bell only played two years of Division 1 college football. He played in community college before that. But he did play well. The other concern is that maybe some weight loss might help him be a little more explosive and athletic.
Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
Burke has been a popular guy on the draft visit scene. He had a really nice season at Memphis in 2025, where he graded out in the 80s all across the board and allowed just 13 pressures and three sacks.
The things to think about here are that he played for three different colleges. In the past, the Lions have spoken about how hard it is to really nail things down with layers like that, and there is some concern when players jump ship too often. The other thing is that 2025 was really his best year, and it was also the only year he played right tackle. He struggled a bit on the left side, and that’s fine if the Lions move Penei Sewell, but you’d have to wonder if they would want to see more tape.
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