Watching NFL Draft projections in January can trigger your vertigo, as analysts scramble to adjust their projections from pre-season expectations to end-of-season results.
In the first two installments of this year’s Mock Draft Roundup series, we saw the majority of NFL Draft analysts projecting the Lions to land Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa. However, with Mauigoa getting a lot more attention during the College Football Playoffs—including playing in the National Championship last Monday—and
NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic suggesting Mauigoa could be drafted among the top six picks in this year’s NFL Draft, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how other analysts are adjusting their expectations.
As a result, Mauigoa was only connected to the Lions once this week—as was Utah’s Spencer Fano, who Brugler also noted as a potential top-six pick—and instead, we’ve seen a heavy shift in projections (nine of the 24 we examined this week) for the Lions to snag the player many consider the third-best offensive tackle in this class: Alabama’s Kayden Proctor.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions (who hold the No. 17 overall pick) this week.
Offensive linemen
Francis Mauigoa, RT, Miami (6-foot-6, 325)
Source: Curt Popejoy (Draft Wire)
Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5, 300)
Source: Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life)
Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 360)
Source: Mark Schofield and James Dator (SB Nation), Gordon McGuinness (PFF), Reese Decker (Pro Football Network), Cody Williams (FanSided), Lou Scataliga (NFL Mocks), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz), Tim Bielk (Cleveland.com), Richie Bradshaw (Cardinals SI), Tankathon (Staff)
“Although Penei Sewell is a proven star, Taylor Decker is in his 30s and coming off his lowest-graded season since 2017. It’s time for the Lions to think about a long-term replacement at left tackle.
“The best options on the left side are Proctor and Utah’s Caleb Lomu. While both are strong prospects, Detroit opts for the 20-year-old Proctor here. He earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection in 2025.“ — McGuinness
Ioane Vega, LG, Penn State (6-foot-4, 335)
Source: Mel Kiper (ESPN), Charles McDonald (Yahoo.com), Jacob Infante (Pro Football Network), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone)
“The Lions aren’t far from getting back to being NFC contenders, but they’ll need to get a bit more talented on their offensive line to have a more consistent offense to close out seasons and games. Ioane has the size and athleticism that head coach Dan Campbell has grown to covet in his offensive linemen and fits Detroit’s bruising style of play.” — McDonald
Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 305)
Source: Jamie Eisner (Draft Network), Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today), C.J. Doon (Sun Sentinel), Brian Bosarge (Draft Countdown)
“The Detroit Lions could have a ton of shake-up on their offensive line this season. Taylor Decker and/or Graham Glasgow could retire this offseason, opening a clear hole that needs an immediate fix. If Decker doesn’t return in 2026, Caleb Lomu can immediately fill the void. He’s a young, high-ceiling prospect who dramatically improved his game this season, both in protecting the passer and opening holes in the run game. He’d be a great fit.” — Eisner
Erik’s Thoughts:
It was always strange to me that Mauigoa and Fano were being projected to be selected in the teens because they’re plug-and-play starters in my mind, but I think the blame for this could land in several of the 2026 Mock Draft Simulators ranking the tackles in this range. These simulators can be incredibly fun and certainly helpful for those creating mock drafts, but sometimes they can distort expectations.
As for this week’s projections, Proctor, Vega, and Lomu all represent a different way of the Lions approaching the draft. If left tackle Taylor Decker returns to the Lions in 2026, Vega could be the smart answer, as he has minimal flaws and is an instant upgrade, while both tackles have areas to improve. Regardless of Decker’s status, Proctor could be the best option, as he is a rare athlete with a tremendous ceiling/positional range, but he’s also the greenest of the three options here. If Decker retires, the Lions may prefer Lomu because he is a clean pass protector who mainly only needs to add some functional strength.
All three would be upgrades for the Lions’ offensive line, but which one they prefer could hinge on other factors.
Defensive tackle
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson (6-foot-3, 315)
Source: Kristopher Knox (Bleacher Report)
Kayden McDonald, NT, Ohio State (6-foot-2, 326)
Source: Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News)
“The Lions need more punch on their defensive line to support Aidan Hutchinson. McDonald can be a powerful asset vs. the run and also provide some extra inside pass-rush juice.” — Iyer
Erik’s Thoughts:
While I don’t believe drafting an interior defensive lineman is the best use of the Lions’ current resources, I also believe Woods could end up being one of the best 10 players in this draft class, and in a “we draft the best player available” scenario, he would represent great value at pick No. 17.
McDonald is a perfect fit for the Lions’ scheme, but selecting him would suggest the Lions believe they either missed on last year’s selection of Tyleik Williams or Alim McNeill’s extension—and I don’t believe Detroit thinks either of those things to be true.
Edge rusher
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas A&M (6-foot-3, 250)
Source: Josh Edwards (CBS)
“To Detroit’s credit, it has utilized essentially every means of talent acquisition to address the spot opposite Aidan Hutchinson. None of those solutions have panned out long term. The Lions take another swing by drafting one of college football’s most productive pass rushers in 2025. David Bailey had 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last season for the Red Raiders.” — Edwards
Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn (6-foot-6, 275)
Source: Richard Janvrin (Fantasy Pros), Tim Crean (Clutch Points)
“The Lions need a Robin to go with their Batman in Aidan Hutchinson. Keldrick Faulk can play in various spots along the defensive line. For a Lions team that needs more pass-rushing help, Faulk feels safe”. — Janvrin
T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson (6-foot-3, 265)
Source: Steve Bradshaw (TWSN)
Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M (6-foot-2, 249)
Source: Tarringo Basile-Vaughn (NFL Mocks)
Erik’s Thoughts:
I’d be shocked if Bailey was available at No. 17, as I see him as a top-10 player, but I’d welcome the selection. Faulk looks closer to being available in the Lions range, and stylistically would be a really good fit for what they do on the defensive line. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him projected to the Lions more and more as the offseason progresses.
Parker is coming off a down season, so I need to see more of his tape before properly evaluating him. While Howell is certainly talented, I question the schematic fit, as he’s mainly a burner off the edge with limited run-stuffing experience. That role is certainly something the Lions could use, but I’m not sure the Lions would consider an EDGE at No. 17 who can’t stop the run consistently.
Defensive backs
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee (6-foot-0, 195)
Source: John Blair (NFL Mocks), Cayden Steele (NJ.com)
Avieon Terrell, CB Clemson (5-foot-11, 180)
Source: Fox Sports (Research Team)
“The brother of All-Pro corner A.J. Terrell, Avieon has had a ton of production in three seasons at Clemson, recording 25 passes defended, 125 total tackles, eight forced fumbles, four sacks, and three interceptions in 1,860 defensive snaps played in that span.
“Avieon will be a great compliment to a secondary already featuring Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold.”
Erik’s Thoughts:
While the Lions could certainly benefit from adding more starter-level talent in their secondary, I’m not sold that the Lions would select an outside corner in the first round, with Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed projected to be in starting roles. Like with defensive tackle, drafting a player from this group would suggest the Lions were dissatisfied with Arnold and/or Reed, and I’m not sure I believe that just yet.
