The Lions will shock you again in the 2026 NFL Draft because you’re looking at it wrong
The Lions keep telling us what they want to do in the draft and we keep ignoring them
The 2026 NFL Draft is later this month, and it really occurred to me, probably five years too late, that Lions fans, Lions media, and national media have been getting it wrong about the Lions for so long.
The Lions have been telling us what they like to do for years, and we keep ignoring them. Here are the three things everyone really needs to pay attention to in this year’s draft, and keeping said items in mind could lead to a different way of thinking.
The Lions do not draft for need
We pay so much attention to what we would do or what the need is. The Lions have been consistently telling us that they don’t draft for need and that they won’t reach for a position over a player.
Every mock draft you see as of late has the Lions drafting a tackle at 17, even if he’s not the best player on the board. That is a textbook example of something the Lions just won’t do.
Think about the draft like this: The Lions get to 17, and Penn State guard Vega Ioane is there. He is no doubt the best player available at that point, and even though the Lions don’t desperately need a guard, I would bet they would draft him because he fits everything this team wants to do.
Maybe there is a tackle they feel that way about, but you have to prepare your mind for the idea that maybe there isn’t. Maybe the guy the Lions are in love with is a guy they can get in the second round. Maybe he’s a third-round guy.
Positional versatility is everything
The Lions want players who can do more than one thing. That’s why when you look at edge rushers for the Lions, you have to look at guys who can do more than just rush the passer. The Lions want to stop the run, maybe even more than getting after the quarterback.
If the Lions are looking at a safety, they probably want that guy to be able to play both safety spots and the nickel. They want a defensive tackle they can try out on the edge. They want a running back who can be a receiver too. If a guy can only do one thing, the Lions have demonstrated that they’re not into that, and they’ll move on. See James Houston or Al-Quadin Muhammad as examples.
The Lions will go get their guy
Positional value is just something the Lions do not care about to the point where they had shirts printed up displaying how much they hate that idea.
That’s why the Lions did things like draft Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round. They don’t care when the draft experts say you should draft these guys. They went to get their guys. It was all they cared about. It’s still one of the only things they care about.
If they love a player, they will chase him. They will trade multiple third-round picks to move to get him. The Lions want their guys. So be prepared for a trade-up for a player you probably weren’t expecting to see a trade-up for.
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