Wednesday marked the final day for college players to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, prompting analysts to release a new round of mock drafts. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler—arguably the most respected NFL Draft analyst in the business—got in on the action and published his latest mock draft installment.
Most Lions writers and NFL analysts are projecting the Lions to key in on the trenches in the first round (keep in mind it’s only January), so let’s take a look at how Brugler projected the offensive
and defensive linemen leading up to the Detroit Lions’ pick.
Brugler’s first two linemen—offensive tackles Spencer Fano (Utah) and Francis Mauigoa (Miami)—went off the board in the first six picks of his mock, followed by the top two edge rushers—David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Rueben Bain (Miami)—in the top 10. Making things even more challenging for the Lions, Brugler’s top guard, Vega Ioane (Penn State), and next best edge rusher, Keldric Faulk (Auburn), were both off the board before pick 15.
With the top three offensive linemen and defensive ends off the board before pick 17, the Lions could go in a few different directions, but Brugler elected to stick with the next best lineman on his board.
And with the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions select …
Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 308)
Here’s Brugler’s explanation for his projection:
“It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Lions address their offensive line early, although I am intrigued by which prospect Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell would see as the best fit.
“I have questions about Lomu’s play strength, which might be an issue for this team in particular, but his above-average athleticism and processing will be strong selling points.”
A two-year starter at Utah, Lomu’s strengths are in pass protection. As Brugler points out, he’s a terrific athlete but isn’t a dominant run blocker the Lions typically target for their offensive line. That being said, if the Lions opt to keep Lomu at left tackle (assuming Taylor Decker retires or as Decker’s replacement), his pass protection skills will be their highest priority.
While Lomu could very well be OT3 in this class, I am also keeping a close eye on Alabama left tackle Kayden Proctor, whom Brugler projected to come off the board a few picks later. Proctor is stylistically a better fit for the Lions, and is also a super athlete, especially for his size (6-foot-7, 360). The hang-up for most analysts with Proctor is that he’s still raw for an offensive tackle, and some teams are rumored to want to push him inside to guard.
Additionally, while they aren’t getting the hype of the other offensive tackles in this class, I’ve also been intrigued by offensive tackles Monroe Freeling (Georgia) and Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern).
If the Lions wanted to look at edge rushers, Brugler had two selected in his mock draft after the Lions pick: Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), who is a dynamic pass rusher but has questions surrounding his run defense, and Akheem Mesidor (Miami), who is stylistically an ideal fit for what the Lions look for in their edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and has been raising his stock throughout the College Football Playoff.
