7-round 2027 Detroit Lions Mock Draft: Detroit Lions address their biggest defensive needs and make a surprising offensive move
With the trade deadline behind them, the Lions can start looking toward the 2027 NFL Draft. Our latest eight-pick mock addresses major defensive needs, includes a trade with the Chargers and features a surprising selection at quarterback.
The NFL trade deadline has come and gone for the Detroit Lions, and that makes this the perfect time for another 2027 NFL mock draft. Lord knows I love these things. I might be a little addicted to them, and that’s why we’re here again.
Here’s my 2027 Detroit Lions mock draft, including one trade with the Los Angeles Chargers.
27th pick: Kelley Jones, CB, Mississippi State
I’ve mocked Jones to the Lions several times. Where Detroit is projected to pick right now, he’s the best outside cornerback the Lions could get. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he’s a much bigger outside corner than Detroit has had.
He’s playing well, too. Jones is allowing a 78 passer rating and hasn’t allowed a single touchdown all season for Mississippi State. That’s a big improvement from last year, when he allowed three. He’s also a good run defender and a good tackler, but the coverage is what stands out. Detroit should jump on him.
58th pick: Jelani McDonald, S, Texas
McDonald has been in every mock draft I’ve done this year, and the reason is simple. I don’t know what the future holds for Kerby Joseph. If he’s not activated by Tuesday, his season is over. That tells you what the future may look like, and that future may be one where he’s not in Detroit.
Either way, the Lions need to go after a safety. We’ve tracked Lions scouts at 51 different schools this year, and Texas has drawn them more than any other. Detroit has been out to Texas four times, and I think McDonald is the guy they’re there to see. He can be a ball hawk, play free safety, play in the box, and cover the slot. That’s a strong pickup in the second round.
Third round: Tony Rojas, LB, Penn State
Some people might see this and immediately say this is Jack Campbell’s replacement. I’m not saying that. I don’t know what Campbell’s future looks like. There are some reports that people inside the building think he could be back as early as this season. I don’t know.
Rojas isn’t a middle linebacker anyway. He’s a weakside, coverage linebacker. He’s allowing a 45.8 passer rating with two interceptions and one pass breakup. He hasn’t allowed a touchdown all year and has allowed only two in four seasons at Penn State, with six career interceptions. He’s a good tackler and can hold up against the run, but the coverage is the big draw here. In the third round, that feels like a steal.
Trade: Lions send 128th and 248th picks to Chargers for the 102nd pick
102nd pick: Jayden Maiava, QB, USC
Look, the Lions have a very good quarterback in Jared Goff, and he’s playing exceptionally well. But Goff is getting older and has two seasons left on his deal. I do believe the Lions will restructure, and maybe there’s an extension in there. Still, it’s time to start thinking about the future.
Maiava is a 23-year-old quarterback who is mobile but can also stand in the pocket and deliver. Let him marinate on the bench for a few years, and he could be your eventual successor. In the fourth round, why not give it a shot?
165th pick: Xavier Scott, CB, Illinois
Doubling up on cornerbacks here. Scott has shown real versatility at Illinois, playing both the slot and outside. In 2024, he had a huge season with four interceptions, five pass breakups, and a 68.1 passer rating allowed.
The concern is health. He missed most of the 2025 season with an ankle and foot injury, and he missed spring practice this year while recovering from previous knee injuries. That’s why he’s available in the fifth round. Keith Abney might be the future in the slot, but if Roger McCreary doesn’t come back after this year, Detroit will need depth there. I’d still look at free agency, but Scott is worth a flyer.
204th pick: King Mack, S, NC State
Mack has played both free and strong safety. He had a huge 2025 season at Penn State but is struggling a bit at NC State. Honestly, he probably should have stayed at Penn State. This late in the draft, you’re taking flyers on guys to see what they can become, and Mack could eventually be something as a depth piece.
216th pick: J’Mond Tapp, Edge, Memphis
In 2025 at Southern Mississippi, Tapp had 62 pressures, 10 sacks, and 45 tackles. At Memphis, he has 26 pressures and five sacks so far. He’s a good run defender and pass rusher, though he’s missed six tackles this year after missing six last season.
He’s the kind of guy you take a shot on, in the vein of Eric O’Neill and Anthony Lucas. He reminds me of James Houston, the good part of James Houston. I’d use him as a NASCAR package rusher rather than trying to turn him into a SAM linebacker.
254th pick: Patrick Kutas, OG, Ole Miss
Miles Frazier showed on Sunday that he can struggle. To be fair, he got better as the game went on, and he’s still young without a lot of playing time. But it makes you think about grabbing an extra guard late.
Kutas has allowed six pressures and zero sacks. He’s played right guard, center, and even right tackle. He’s mostly worked on the right side where Tate Ratledge is, but he’s taken some left guard reps and played left guard at Arkansas in 2024. A seventh-round guy who can play every spot on the line? You take him and see.
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