With April nearly upon us, it’s officially NFL Draft season.
So, on this week’s PODcast, we make the pivot from free agency to the Detroit Lions’ upcoming draft. With a modest free agency period, the Lions will need to nail their draft to fill out the roster before the 2026 NFL Draft. And while the Lions have nine picks in the upcoming draft, only two of those will come in the first 100 selections.
This PODcast focuses on the first round, and to help introduce listeners to this year’s class, we break
down nine candidates who could be the Lions’ first-round pick—be it at 17 overall or higher/lower based on what Detroit opts to do with their pick. We discuss the following prospects:
- Miami OT Francis Mauigoa
- Clemson OT Blake Miller
- Utah OT Spencer Fano
- Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor
- Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
- Miami EDGE Ahkeem Mesidor
- Illinois EDGE Gabe Jacas
- Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
- Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
On the show, we highlight each player’s strengths, weaknesses, and their overall fit with the Lions. We also discuss the likelihood that each player is there at 17, or if the Lions would be best served to trade up/down for that player. And while the majority of the conversation is about the offensive tackle and edge defender class, we also debate whether the Lions would be warranted in going in a different positional direction—particularly in the secondary.
All of that conversation starts in the second half of this week’s show. In the first half, we discuss the Taylor Decker drama, and some of the biggest takeaways from Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell’s latest media sessions.
Check out the entire show over on your favorite podcasting platform or use the Spotify embed below.
You can also catch an extended version of the PODcast over on our YouTube channel.
