The Super Bowl is over and the NFL season is officially over as well. We're in full offseason mode all around and the next step is free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The Super Bowl is going to inspire this week's mock draft a lot because we learned that having a strong defense is crucial. Here's what we came up with. 

A small note is that this will be our last mock draft until after the NFL Combine in a few weeks.

Trade

Brad Holmes talked a lot about trading down in last year's draft and then the opportunity to move up and get Terrion Arnold was too good to ignore. This time around it makes a lot of sense for the Lions to actually make that trade down and get some extra picks. Here's the move. 

Lions get: 36th pick, 88th pick and 223 pick

Jaguars get: 28th pick

The Lions move down just a little bit, but they get a lot in return. An extra second-round pick, an extra third-round pick, and an extra seventh-round pick.

36th pick: Princely Umanmielen, edge, Ole Miss

This guy has either in the bottom of the first-round or the top of the second-round of many mock drafts out there. Our current ADP on him is 33, so this is a bit of a steal for the Lions at 36. 

Umanmielan had a big year at Ole Miss last year. He racked up 55 pressures and 11 sacks. The Lions need to make sure they have depth whether they make a move for Garrett or not. This guy can be that depth, but can also take over as a starter when the time comes.  

60th pick: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State

Don’t worry, we’re not done picking defense just yet, but this guy can absolutely help this already good offense bust wide open and have something they don’t already have. A big-bodied X-receiver that can go up and get contested catches.

This team had a lot of problems with receiver depth last summer and it's hard to see them go through that again. Maybe you can keep Tim Patrick too, but Higgins is the future at WR3.  

88th pick: Sai’vion Jones, Edge, LSU

This guy was an absolute monster off the edge in the Senior Bowl. I would not be shocked if he worked his way up the board during the combine due to that great Senior Bowl week and game. 

Jones had 43 pressures and five sacks for the Tigers last season. It is a huge upgrade from the season before when he had just 18 pressures and three sacks. This is a guy on the way up, grab him while you can. 

102nd pick: Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky

*We’re projecting that the Lions will have the 102nd pick in the third round based on projected compensatory picks. This pick number could change.

The fact is that while we're not ready to give up on Brodric Martin just yet, we don't know if that is going to work out, so some extra young depth with pass-rush ability wouldn't hurt at all. 

Walker had an injury in 2024 and it cost him a couple of games, but he still had a decent season. 2023 was the big year for him though. He led the nation in pressures by defensive tackles and put up eight sacks as well. 

131st pick: Miles Frazier, G, LSU

This guy has been in my last two mocks and he’ll continue to be because I think the positional versatility is just worth it. He can play both left and right guard and can flex over to both left and right tackles. You just need that kind of depth. 

195th pick: Dean Clark, S, Fresno State

The Lions have a solid safety duo in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch and they should be looking to keep Ifeatu Melifonwu, but here’s a guy that can give you some solid depth. 

Clark had a strong year for the Bulldogs in 2024. His seven pass breakups were in the top 30 in the country and he showed that he has some pass rush ability as well. The Lions like a safety that can get back there if needed. Clark would probably require some time to get a little better though. For a late sixth-round pick, that's pretty much expected. 

223rd pick: Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa

Hey, Sam LaPorta knows this guy. The Lions have their tight ends in LaPorta and Brock Wright, but with James Mitchell out, the team could be looking to add some depth in the tight end room. That’s what Lachey could be. But he could also possibly be more someday. 

230th pick: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville

I’m really intrigued by this guy and while I don’t think he has a chance to get higher than a day-three pick, I wouldn’t be shocked if he got up in the fifth round of April’s draft. 

At this point, I'm expecting that the Lions will move on from Hendon Hooker this offseason and they're going to need someone to come in a play the backup spot. That player will likely be a veteran. But here's a guy who can sit under the learning tree and maybe take over the backup spot someday. It's worth a super late seventh-round pick to see. 

246th pick: Shilo Sanders, DB, Colorado

Who’s ready to have Coach Prime hanging around Allen Park a little bit? Sanders is the eldest son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and while he may never be his dad, there’s a positional versatility angle here that’s worth the final pick of the draft for Detroit. He can play both safety and cornerback. 

The nuclear option: Why Sam Laporta is the Lions ace for a major trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a couple of weeks away, and with every passing day, it seems like a trade-up is the way the Detroit Lions will go. You just look at the roster they have right now, and you can see where the Lions could go all in on draft day and find […]