The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Detroit Lions walked out with their new starting right tackle, Blake Miller. Now that we head into day two with the second and third rounds, here are the 10 best players still available for Detroit:

Zion Young, Edge, Missouri

The Lions still need to find that next edge rusher, and Young is the best guy left on the board in that department. A strong pass rusher with 57 pressures and eight sacks in 2025 and a really nice 86.6 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus. The only problem is that they might need to trade up for him.

Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan

Moore is a 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.

Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh crowd would probably cheer for this. 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.

T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

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. Parker does need to make some improvements to his tool belt, though. Plus, the Lions would likely have to trade up for him.

Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois

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?

D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

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.

Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan

If the Lions are looking to fill that Sam Linebacker spot, which it looks like they are, Barham 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.

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

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.

Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina

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?

Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M

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.

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