Top 25 Prospects For The Detroit Lions In The 2026 NFL Draft: If the Lions wind up with any of these guys, they had a good draft
After months of going over the data,, the film, and staring at these guys names, these are the top 25 prospects for the Detroit Lions in the 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft is two weeks away, and after months of going over the data and looking at all of these players’ names, watching film, and staring at analytics until I pass out, these are the top 25 players for the Lions. If they walk out with any of them, they had a good draft.
Top-25 2026 NFL Draft prospects for Detroit Lions
1: Vega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
Average Draft Position: 16th
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: 16th
The Beast Ranking: 12th
I know Lions fans have their hearts set on a tackle or an edge with the 17th pick, but if they get a shot at Ioane, we’re talking about the guy who is truly the best player available at the 17th pick.
He hasn’t allowed a sack in two seasons, and he only allowed four pressures in 2025. Having an interior of Ioane, Cade Mays, and Tate Ratledge is a game-changer for Detroit. They won’t need to update for the next decade.
2: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Average Draft Position: 32nd
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 21st
The Beast Ranking: 28th
No edge rusher in this draft is more ready to go right now than Mesidor is. We keep talking about run defense a lot when it comes to Detroit. Well, this guy is the top run-defending edge in the class. He had a 90.5 run defense grade in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
He also had 55 pressures and nine sacks to boot. The concern here is that he will be 25 years old in his rookie season. That might not be a total deal-breaker, but the Lions are probably looking for someone younger.
3: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Average Draft Position: 27th
AtoZ Sports Big Board Banking: 24th
The Beast Ranking: 19th
It’s no shock when you see Proctor mocked to the Lions a lot, and it’s no shock that the Lions reportedly love him. He just fits in many different ways. He’s a solid pass and run blocker.
He can play on either the left or right side, and he has that Sewell-like play style that has him blocking downfield. His athleticism is off the charts for a player his size. If he were to drop a little bit of weight, he’s prime time for the Lions at right tackle. Proctor allowed 19 pressures and two sacks in 2025.
4. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Average Draft Position: 23rd
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 28th
The Beast Ranking: 25th
Lomu could fit right in at left tackle. He was an elite pass blocker at Utah in 2025, allowing just eight pressures and zero sacks. The question with him is in the run-blocking department. He had a down year in that area.
5: Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Average Draft Position: 31st
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: 36th
The Beast Ranking: 29th
When you’re thinking about a right tackle who can start for the Lions in 2026, you probably want a guy who has a lot of experience at the position. That’s Miller. He’s been Clemson’s starting right tackle since his freshman season.
He allowed 14 pressures and two sacks in 2025, and he’s solid in all the areas the Lions want a tackle to be solid in. Plus, personality-wise, he’s just a Dan Campbell guy all around.
6: Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan
Average Draft Position: 61
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 65th
The Beast Ranking: 77th
Moore is another bull-rushing edge rusher from the Big Ten. He was blowing up guys at the Senior Bowl, and that’s what we saw at Michigan, where he put up 41 pressures and 11 sacks. He’s also quite good at stopping the run, which we know the Lions want to do pretty badly. It helps that he plays just right up the road in Ann Arbor. You know the Lions have had scouts there to see him.
7: Zion Young, Edge, Missouri
Average Draft Position: 42nd
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 38th
The Beast Ranking: 37th
Not long ago, there was another Missouri edge that everyone thought the Lions might take. That was Darius Robinson. This guy is a better prospect. He’s coming off a big 51-pressure, eight-sack season, and he had an elite run-defense grade. Right up the Lions’ alley.
8: Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt
Average Draft Position: 93rd
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 89th
The Beast Ranking: 75th
With Alex Anzalone gone, Louis fits right into his role. He’s a sure tackler, he can be a ball hawk in coverage, and he can rush the passer as well. He’s just perfect for that Will linebacker spot. One of my personal favorite players in this draft. We also know the Lions have been around Pitt a couple of times this year, so they’re familiar with him.
9: T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
Average Draft Position: 33
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 30th
The Beast Ranking: 31st
He had a quietly productive season at Clemson this year with 41 pressures and six sacks. He also had five forced fumbles (zero in 2025) and 20 tackles for loss in his career. The guy can do his thing, and we know the Lions had scouts at Clemson this year.
10: Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
Average Draft Position: 34
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 25th
The Beast Ranking: 39th
There’s a little trade-off with Howell and Parker here. Howell is a better pass rusher, recording 41 pressures and 11.5 sacks this past season, but Parker is the better run defender.
It’s not that Howell is bad; it’s just that Parker is better. There’s a lot of value to having a guy who can rush the passer, but you also want a guy who can do more than one thing. The Lions have seen Texas A&M play a couple of times this year.
11: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
Average Draft Position: 54th
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 54th
The Beast Ranking: 71st
It’s seriously like watching a dude from the 80’s, and it’s not just because he has a mullet. He has the build and the play style of an old school player who just wants to hit some dudes.
He is tremendous in the run game. He’s the kind of guy who is looking for blocks that he can make just so he can get some hurt out there. He’s a Dan Campbell-style guy. Dunker allowed 10 pressures and two sacks in 2025.
12: Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois
Average Draft Position: 48th
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 58th
The Beast Ranking: 49th
Jacas had 41 pressures and 11.5 sacks in the Big Ten in 2025. This guy is all strength. He’s the type of guy who can push just about any lineman out there, and he has the burst to get at these guys before they know what hit them.
The question is, can he grow his game behind that power?
13: D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
Average Draft Position: 50th
AtoZ Sports Big board ranking: 51st
The Beast Ranking: 38th
Ponds is the best slot corner in the draft. If the Lions move on from Amik Robertson, Ponds can step in and start immediately. He is small at just 5-9, but he plays like he’s 7-feet tall. His size has not affected his play at all, even against bigger receivers.
14: Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina
Average Draft Position: 125th
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 99th
The Beast Ranking: 88th
The thing to like about Kilgore is positional versatility. He can play safety, outside corner, nickel, and slot. You can put him anywhere in the secondary, and he is going to play it well. The only real question is, do the Lions feel like they have their fill of players like this already, or can you never have enough of these guys?
15: Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan
Average Draft Position: 95th
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: 136th
The Beast Ranking: 100th
If the Lions are looking to fill that Sam Linebacker spot, which it looks like they are, Barhama is the very best player to do that with in this draft. He can pass rush, set the edge in the run game, and drop into coverage. He makes a lot of sense for the Lions.
16: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Average Draft Position: 59th
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 55th
The Beast Ranking: 40th
His 92.7 coverage grade was the highest among all linebackers in the country in 2025. The perfect type of player the Lions would want with Alex Anzalone moving on. He doesn’t bring the pass-rush ability that Anzalone brings, but man, he can cover well.
17. Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
Average Draft Position: 162nd
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: Unranked
The Beast Ranking: 75th
Let’s face it, the Lions have been doing their due diligence on interior defensive linemen. They want to be better in the middle just as much as they want to be better on the edges. Onyedim is a steal for where the Lions could grab him. He can pass rush, he can run stuff. He doesn’t have to be a day one or two pick.
18: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Average Draft Spot: 37th
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: 40th
The Beast Ranking: 33rd
If the plan is truly to have Larry Borrom be the starting right tackle in 2026, then Iheanachor makes a ton of sense for the Lions. He could probably use a year to bake in the NFL, and that scenario with Borom would give him a chance to do that. Iheanachor is a solid athlete who is new to football, but he’s not Giovanni Manu. He took to Division 1 football like a fish to water. He just needs a little more time.
19: Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
Average Draft Position: 97th
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 75th
The Beast Ranking: 78th
This is another one of the best safeties in the class. He’s a playmaker, and that’s why he should be a name you watch to be on the rise when it comes to draft time.
The big concern is technique. He can take wrong angles at times, and he’s inconsistent off the snap. These are things that can be coached up.
20: Malachi Lawrence, Edge, Central Florida
Average Draft Position: 55th
AtoZSports Big Board: 63rd
The Beast Ranking: 36th
If we’re looking at a value pass rusher in the second or maybe third round, Lawrence fits that bill. He had 40 pressures and seven sacks in 2025, and he’s gotten better every season. The one concern is that he could be a little better against the run.
21: Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
Average Draft Position: 153rd
AtoZ Sports big board ranking: 128th
The Beast Ranking: Unranked
With David Montgomery gone, here’s a guy who is essentially just a younger version of him. His comp is Montgomery by just about everyone. He could fit that role beautifully if the Lions do indeed look to draft a running back. They have a lot of guys in that room already.
22: Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
Average Draft Position: 111th
AtoZ Sports Big Board Ranking: 131st
The Beast Ranking: 86th
Delp is one of the best pass-blocking tight ends in the nation in 2025. Out of tight ends with a minimum of 300 snaps, Delp was the fifth-highest grade pass blocker.
His run blocking is solid, too. If the Lions look to move on from Brock Wright as their main blocking tight end, Delp fits the bill.
23: Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati
Average Draft Position: 104th
AtoZ Sports Big Board: 112th
The Beast Ranking: Unranked
A nose tackle who can rush the passer. You don’t see it too often. Cincinnati didn’t use him that way in 2025, but they did to great success in 2023 and 2024. I like a guy at that position who has that extra piece beyond space-eating and run-stuffing. Corleone is that guy.
24: Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon
Average Draft Position: 115th
AtoZ Sports Big Board: 194th
The Beast Ranking: Unranked
The Lions need more slot corners. Right now, they just have Roger McCreary, and that’s it. Besides Ponds, Canady is the best slot corner in this draft, and unlike Ponds, he’s done it a lot. He’s not a corner that people expect to move to the slot. He’s already been there, and he’s done it very well.
25: Nadame Tucker, Edge, Western Michigan
Average Draft Position: 188th
AtoZ Sports Big Board: 146th
The Beast Ranking: Unranked
Another guy who’s right up the road, though a little farther up. Tucker had 59 pressures and 12 sacks in 2025. The only real concern is that 2025 was his only full year of college football.
He was at Houston for three seasons and mostly played a backup or special teams role.
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