The 2026 NFL Draft is 73 days away, and for the first time in quite a while, the Lions have a high first-round pick. On top of that, they have a nice collection of picks as well. A third-rounder would be nice, but they still have quite a few picks.

With that in mind, we wanted to set the table and take a look at the top 25 names to watch for the Lions over the course of those 73 days. Not all of these guys are going to be first-round guys. We’re going to be looking at guys in the later rounds, too. Let’s jump into it.

Top-25 2026 NFL Draft prospects for Detroit Lions

Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

Average Draft Position: 30th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 21st

Don’t be shocked when you see Proctor mocked to the Lions a lot over the next 73 days. He just fits in many different ways. He’s a solid pass and run blocker.

He can play on either the left or right side, and he has that Sewell-like play style that has him blocking downfield. Proctor allowed 19 pressures and two sacks in 2025.

Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Average Draft Position: 24th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 24th

Lomu could fit right in at left tackle. He was an elite pass blocker at Utah in 2025, allowing just eight pressures and zero sacks. The question with him is in the run-blocking department. He had a down year in that area.

T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

Average Draft Position: 33
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 26th

He’s coming off a really solid week at the Senior Bowl, but he also 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 once the NFL Combine passes, we expect his ADP to jump into the first round. No. 17 is a good spot for him, and we know the Lions had scouts at Clemson this year.

Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M

Average Draft Position: 21st
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 22nd

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.

Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa

Average Draft Position: 41
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 37th

It’s seriously like watching a dude from the 80’s, and it’s not just because he has a mullet. He has the build and the play style of an old school player who just wants to hit some dudes.

He is tremendous in the run game. He’s the kind of guy who is looking for blocks that he can make just so he can get some hurt out there. He’s a Dan Campbell-style guy. Dunker allowed 10 pressures and two sacks in 2025.

Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

Average Draft Position: 43rd
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 32nd

Brad Holmes got a little crazy with Georgia players last year. Imagine a world where Freeling reunites with Tate Ratledge. Those two played very well together.

You have to see the wingspan on this guy. It’s 84 inches. That is not small at all, and long arms are good for this position. He allowed six pressures and two sacks last year. The concern is that he’s the worst run-blocker on this list so far.

Kamari Ramsey, S, USC

Average Draft Position: 47th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 72nd

Positional versatility is something the Lions love, and Ramsey brings that to the position. He can play either safety spot and in the nickel. What we like most about him is his adaptability. He can back into a play if he’s beaten initially and change his approach on the fly.

Zion Young, Edge, Missouri

Average Draft Position: 50th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 50th

Not long ago, there was another Missouri edge that everyone thought the Lions might take. That was Darius Robinson. This guy is a better prospect. He’s coming off a big 51-pressure, eight-sack season, and he had an elite run-defense grade. Right up the Lions’ alley.

Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami

Average Draft Position: 56th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 31st

We keep talking about run defense. Well, this guy is the top run-defending edge in the class. He had a 90.5 run defense grade in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.

He also had 55 pressures and nine sacks to boot. The concern here is that he will be 25 years old in his rookie season. That might not be a total deal-breaker, but the Lions are probably looking for someone younger.

Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

Average Draft Position: 64th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 88th

At this point, solving the center situation might be something the Lions should focus on in free agency or via a trade, but if that doesn’t work out, Slaughter is one of the top centers in this draft.

He could start right away, as he allowed just four sacks in three years as a starter in the SEC.

Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois

Average Draft Position: 74th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 69th

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

Average Draft Position: 60th
A to Z Sports Big board ranking: 49th

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.

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

Average Draft Position: 82nd
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 75th

This is not the best quarterback class you’ve ever seen, but Nussmeier is one of the bright spots. He had a nice 2025 despite losing his head coach midway through the year, and he was the Senior Bowl MVP.

I’m curious what things look like at the NFL Combine and whether the Lions plan to meet with him.

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Average Draft Position: 65th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 58th

I know Lions fans like this kid a lot, and now that he’s more than likely not returning to Ole Miss, the Lions will have a chance to take a look at him. Chambliss is a gamer, and we saw that in the CFB playoff.

Not only is he mobile, but he can also throw the ball well, and he can put some power behind it. He’s a guy that you have to wonder about in the process. Did the fact that he’s doing everything he could to not enter this draft make teams uncomfortable?

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Average Draft Position: 88th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 90th

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 in the case that Alex Anzalone is indeed moving on. He doesn’t bring the pass-rush ability that Anzalone brings, but man, he can cover well.

Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State

Average Draft Position: 89th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 66th

This is another one of the best safeties in the class. He’s a playmaker, and that’s why he should be a name you watch to be on the rise when it comes to draft time.

The big concern is technique. He can take wrong angles at times, and he’s inconsistent off the snap. These are things that can be coached up.

Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan

Average Draft Position: 100th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 76th

Moore is another 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. It helps that he plays just right up the road in Ann Arbor. You know the Lions have had scouts there to see him.

Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State

Average Draft Position: 105th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: Not ranked in top 100 players

At the end of the day, this all depends on what happens with David Montgomery. If the Lions trade him, here’s a guy who is essentially just a younger version of Montgomery. His comp is Montgomery by just about everyone. Keep an eye on that situation and this player.

Gracen Halton, DL, Oklahoma

Average Draft Position: 136th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: Not ranked in top 100 players

We don’t know what the future is for Alim McNeill or if he can get back to being the guy we know he can be. Halton is a possible replacement. He is a pass-rushing interior defensive lineman who can wreak havoc in the middle. He’s also an exceptional run stopper.

Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt

Average Draft Position: 137th
A to Z Sports big board ranking: Not ranked in top 100 players

The expectation at this point is that Alex Anzalone is likely not returning. If that indeed happens, Louis fits right into his role. He’s good in coverage and can rush the passer as well. We also know the Lions have been around Pitt a couple of times this year, so they’re familiar with him.

Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina

Average Draft Position: 143rd
A to Z Sports big board ranking: 93rd

The thing to like about Kilgore is that position versatility. He can play safety, outside corner, nickel, and slot. The latter is probably where the Lions would play him if Amik Robertson is not brought back in 2026.

Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia

Average Draft Position: 148th

Delp is one of the best pass-blocking tight ends in the nation in 2025. Out of tight ends with a minimum of 300 snaps, Delp was the fifth-highest grade pass blocker.

His run blocking is solid, too. If the Lions look to move on from Brock Wright as their main blocking tight end, Delp fits the bill.

Nadame Tucker, Edge, Western Michigan

Average Draft Position: 187th

Another guy who’s right up the road, though a little farther up. Tucker had 59 pressures and 12 sacks in 2025. The only real concern is that 2025 was his only full year of college football.

He was at Houston for three seasons and mostly played a backup or special teams role.

Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah

You’ll notice we don’t have an ADP for Bentley, but he’s a player on the rise. He wowed everyone at the Shrine Bowl, and I fully expect him to wow everyone at the Combine. He’s quite the athletic tight end who can be an additional pass catcher in Drew Petzing’s system, but can also block very well.

Al’Zillion Hamilton, CB, Fresno State

Another guy on the rise after a strong Shrien Bowl, and someone the Lions had a meeting with, according to a source. He can play in the slot and has some versatility. He’s a lot like his former Fresno State teammate turned Lion, Morice Norris. Although he may be a better prospect.