7-Round Detroit Lions Mock Draft After 2 Weeks Of Free Agency: The ‘what would Brad Holmes do’ mock

The Detroit Lions go all in on the big guys on both sides of the ball in this seven round mock draft

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Now that we’re two weeks into free agency, the Detroit Lions are probably beginning to wind down on everything they were looking to do on the open market. Now it’s time to consider what the Lions will do in the 2026 NFL Draft, given what we know now. In this one, we really want to do what we feel Brad Holmes would do. Let’s jump into it.

17th pick: Vega Ioane, IOL, Penn State

I can see the fan base’s response to the Lions going guard at 17 instead of tackle or edge rusher, and I can see that they would probably be upset. But if we’re talking about the best player available, something Holmes loves to do, for the Lions at the 17th pick, this is the guy.

Iaone changes the Lions’ offenisve line immediately. He hasn’t allowed a sack in two years, and he is an elite run blocker. The interior of the line looks so good with Ioane, Cade Mays, and Tate Ratledge. These three can stabilize the inside for the next decade.

50th pick: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa

The more I think about it, the more I can really see Holmes seeing Larry Borom as the Lions’ starting right tackle at the beginning of the 2026 season. He played really well for the Dolphins last year. Better than most people think.

Dunker could come in and compete right away, but he can also benefit from some time to get ready to start as well. He has a lot of upside, and, like Ioane, he has shown he is a really good run blocker. For a team that wants to run, Ioane and Dunker are going to be fun additions.

Trade up with the Cardinals

Just thinking about how Brad Holmes operates, he’s much more of a trade-up guy than a trade-down guy. That’s why, with all the day three picks, the Lions are looking to move back into Day 2. They do have to give up something from the 2027 draft, though. Something Holmes has never been afraid to do.

Lions get: 65th and 217th picks
Cardinals get: 118th and 207th picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft

65th pick: Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan

I’m sure Wolverine fans will be happy to keep Moore in Michigan. Moore is one of the more NFL-ready edge rushers in this draft and is coming off a big season in Ann Arbor with 41 pressures and 11 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave Moore the 8th highest pass rush grade in the nation last season. But he’s also a strong run stopper, and the Lions very clearly want guys who can do more than one thing.

128th pick: Taurean York, LB, Texas A&M

Speaking of PFF, they gave York the seventh-highest coverage grade among linebackers in 2025. With Alex Anzalone gone, here is your weak-side linebacker. He’s not Kyle Louis like we’ve had in all of our other mocks, but he’s a very similar player in the sense that he’s a bit undersized, but just gets it done out there.

157th pick: Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor

I know some Lions fans are dying for a dual-threat quarterback, and Robertson is not that, but he is absolutely a good quarterback who can put his foot down and fire the ball. He threw 31 touchdown passes in 2025 and put up nearly 4,000 passing yards.

181st pick: Nadame Tucker, edge, Western Michigan

Moore was the eighth-highest graded pass rusher in college football last year. Tucker was the third highest. He put up 61 pressures and 14 sacks in the MAC last year. The only reason he’s so low in this draft is that he had three years in college, where he mostly just came off the bench. He came out of nowhere in 2025. He’s a value pick. We all know Holmes loves value.

  • 213th pick: Ceyair Wright, CB, Nebraska
  • 217th pick: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy
  • 222nd pick: Logan Fano, Edge, Utah

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