NFL Draft rumor season is here, and that means you should take every word in this article with a grain of salt. But when a high-profile draft expert drops an interesting line about the Detroit Lions, we have a hard time ignoring it completely.
The latest comes from long-time NFL Draft expert—and former NFL scout—Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network. While doing a 2026 NFL Mock Draft on the Mina Kimes Show podcast, Jeremiah selected Francis Mauigoa for Detroit, who somehow dropped all the way to 17.
However,
that’s not the subject of the rumor. After Jeremiah made his pick, he jumped in for one important footnote:
“I was told they love Proctor, by the way,” Jeremiah said.
He is talking, of course, about Kadyn Proctor, the offensive tackle prospect out of Alabama.
Proctor is unlike many of the other top tackle prospects in this draft, in that he is absolutely massive compared to the rest. At the NFL Combine, he measured in at 6-foot-7, 352 pounds. That size has led many to believe his best spot in the NFL may be at guard. However, for a man that size, Proctor moves insanely well. Alabama even used that athleticism as a receiver in a huge game against Georgia.
It’s easy to see how a bruising type of player like Proctor would be a nice fit in Detroit, and given their massive need for a tackle of the future, he’s certainly someone they’ll do extensive research on.
Ironically, though. Jeremiah doesn’t appear to be as big a fan of Proctor, warning about the risks of a player who started his college career overweight.
“Maybe I’m just older now, (but) the risk, I don’t—390 pounds at one point in time, that scares me,” Jeremiah said.
Earlier this month, Jeremiah put Proctor 22nd on his NFL Draft big board, offering a much more positive outlook on the Crimson Tide tackle:
“Proctor is an enormous tackle prospect. He has excellent feet and agility for a big man. In pass protection, he has an explosive first step and keeps defenders off his chest. He can sink his weight and stall bull rushers. He will occasionally react late off the snap, which has led to some short-corner loses. In the run game, he can uncoil his hips on contact and displace defenders. He excels on down blocks, washing defenders down the line of scrimmage. He was used as a skill player on occasion at Alabama and even caught a quick screen against Georgia — that speaks to his athleticism. Overall, Proctor will need to manage his weight to stay at tackle, but he has the most upside of any blocker in this draft.
