Here we go, Detroit Lions fans. The 2025 NFL Draft starts tonight, and the time for thinking about scenarios is over. This is our last 7-round mock draft of the year. 

Since January, we have had our heads buried into this draft. There was the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, the NFL Combine, Pro Days, League meetings, top-30 visits, free agency, and so much more. We've got to learn about the team's preferences by talking with the coaches and the GM, and we've got to really dig in and see everyone they've been talking to and looking at. 

With all of that in mind, here is our final mock draft based on everything we learned this offseason: 

28th pick: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

Everyone is likely hoping for something sexy and exciting here, but at the end of the day, it just feels like this is the move right here. It’s not a bad move at all, and there should be some excitement here. This guy could be a big piece of the future of this offensive line. 

Zabel can not only be a guard right away, but he could potentially be Frank Ragnow's replacement when the day comes for him to walk away. 

Trade

While a trade up doesn't feel out of the question at all, I had to go with my gut on this one, and my gut is telling me that the Lions trading out of the second and playing in the third round with three picks just feels like a spot where Holmes can win. Here's the trade with the Giants:

Lions get: 65th and 99th pick

Giants get: 60th and 130th pick

Barely moved down, but moved up big from the fourth round. The Lions would have to take off the first two rounds of Day three, but it'll be worth it. 

65th pick: Josaiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan

It’s just not lost on us that the Lions have been paying so much attention to this guy. He’s had a top-30, they went ot his Pro Day, he’s had numerous virtual meetings. Stewart said the Lions were one of the handful of teams who have talked to him the most. 

He's just a classic example of a good player being looked down upon because of his size and the Lions not caring about any of that stuff and drafting him anyway because he's clearly good despite the size stuff. Stewart is the future guy opposite Hutchinson, and Detroit gets him as a steal here. 

102nd pick: Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois

Look, man, I know that it might be a joke that I keep putting this guy in mock drafts, but it’s not just because I like him. It’s because the fit is just undeniable, and we know the Lions are interested. They had a formal meeting with him at the Combine and then went out to the Illinois pro day as well. We were not able to find out if he had a top-30 with the team, but I’d bet money that he did. 

He's a guy who plays hard, blocks hard, and is a leader. What more do you need to see? 

196th pick: Kobe King, LB, Penn State

A kid who played at Cass Tech is coming back to Detroit. Another guy the Lions have been around a lot. They had a formal with him at the combine, and he was invited to their local pro day too. 

This guy hits and hits hard. He plays very violent football, and that is Dan Campbell and the Lions' style. He's also a strong run defender and special-teams guy, too. 

225th pick: Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech

The Lions being in the market for a tight end shouldn’t be surprising. Hawes is a classic tight end in the sense that this guy is block first and he blocks his butt off. 

He just reminds me so much of Dan Campbell, too. The guy who is on the field looking to hit someone, even though the ball carrier is on the other side of the field. Plus, the Lions did meet with him at the Combine.

244th pick: Lan Larison, RB, UC-Davis

This guy was just so good last year, and the Lions had him in for a top-30 as well. There’s some interest there for sure. You can say that maybe they could just wait and try to grab him as an undrafted free agent, but why risk it when you have a pick this low? 

Larison brings versatility, and while he was primarily a running back at UC-Davis, he probably makes more sense as a receiver who can do things as a ball carrier sometimes. He's like the next logical step once Kalif Ramond is no longer in Detroit. 

Undrafted Free Agents

• Ruben Hypolite, LB, Maryland: This guy wowed everyone at his Pro Day when he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. There’s an athlete there, and the Lions might want to see where that goes.
• Laki Tasi, DT, IPP: A giant Australian import who has some strong athleticism, but needs to take time to learn the game. With the exemptions that the Lions would get for having him, it’s worth it. 
• O’Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina: Can be a ball hawk, but needs to work on tackling and run-stopping.
• Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee: Dealt with some injuries at Tennessee, but has solid size and speed that are worth taking a flier on.
• Cole Snyder, QB, Eastern Michigan: There’s a chance they actually take a QB earlier, but if they don’t, a guy who could make a name for himself at camp and on the practice squad is worth it. 
• Josh Preibe, OL, Michigan: Started for Michigan in 2024 and played pretty well. Could be a solid practice squad lineman. 
• Joaquin Davis, WR, North Carolina Central: Sign me up for a 6-foot-4 receiver who can run a 4.36 40 any day of the week.
• Seth Coleman, Edge, Illinois: The Lions met with him at the Hula Bowl
• Ian Kennelly, S, Grand Valley State: Of the five players we know had multiple pre-draft visits, he’s one of them. 
• Maverick Hansen, DT, Michigan State: He’s a solid UDFA DT with some outside possibility. Plus his name is Maverick. 

Detroit Lions draft news: Here’s every player who had a reported meeting with the Lions ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft is next week, and the Detroit Lions' pre-draft process is wrapping up. So far, the Lions have had quite a few top-30 visits, and we've been tracking the ones that have been reported.  We've put together this tracker to follow along with until the 2025 NFL Draft. Here we will keep […]