Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Taking a closer look at the prospects from the 2025 NFL Draft that have been projected to the Detroit Lions over the past week. We’re less than three weeks away from the NFL Draft and things still seem very wide ope n for the Detroit Lions. Most analysts have narrowed the Lions projected targets down to only a handful of positions, but there are still a variety of options at each. In this week’s Mock Draft Roundup, we examined 41 mock drafts and saw 15 different prospects over four positions connected to Detroit. Let’s take a look at those latest players and explore the likelihood of them being on the Lions' radar. Offensive skill players Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State Source: Lou Scatagliz (NFL Spin Zone) “The Detroit Lions do have a need at wide receiver, and while Emeka Egbuka might be cut from a similar cloth to Amon-Ra St. Brown, why not have two of them? This could be a fun pick to simply help the offense become even better. If their defense can stay healthy, this team will be a huge problem in 2025.” — Scatagliz Erik’s Thoughts: Wide receiver has been a popular projection for the Lions of late, and with coach Dan Campbell noting that the Lions want to get younger at the position, I fully expected to see several receivers on this list. However, this is the ONLY non-lineman projected to the Lions this week. Egbuka is a legitimate first-round talent, but as Scatagliz points out: he’s very redundant with St. Brown. Yes, St. Brown now splits his snaps almost evenly between the slot and outside, but Egbuka saw nearly 75% of his targets come from the slot. And with the Lions only running 11 personnel 54% of the time, it’d be challenging to find a clean path to the field in Egbuka’s current projected role. Offensive line Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas Source: Curt Popejoy (The Draft Wire) Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama Source: Kyle Crabbs (33rd Team), Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports), Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News), Cameron Sheath (Pro Football Network), Christian D’Andrea (For The Win), Cory Bonini (The Huddle) “Maybe the Lions are eager to let Christian Mahogany move into the starting lineup. But Dan Campbell doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to turn down a blue chip blocker – especially when he could be the best interior lineman in his class.” — D’Andrea Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State Source: Jacob Infante (Pro Football Network), Glenn Erby (Eagles Wire), Matt Rooney (Bleacher Nation) “Kevin Zeitler left for the Titans in free agency, giving the Lions an opening at right guard along an otherwise-stacked Detroit Lions offensive line. “North Dakota State has had two offensive linemen drafted on Day 2 in the last four years. Grey Zabel, an experienced starter with strong short-area quickness, a nasty demeanor, and versatility across the line, could be the highest-drafted player of the bunch.” — Infante Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State Source: Paul Guillemette (Draft Countdown), Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) “After this season, tackle Taylor Decker has a roster bonus due so it might be time to move on. Simmons can become the swing tackle as he waits his time. He’s recovering from a left knee injury that raises questions.” — Watkins Josh Conerly, OT/G, Oregon Source: Lance Zierlein (NFL.com) “Based on recent history, GM Brad Holmes looks for good athletes from big schools when drafting early, and we know he covets talent in the trenches. Conerly can challenge for a starting role at right guard right away, then take over at left tackle when the 31-year-old Taylor Decker moves on.” — Zierlein Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State Source: Gilberto Manzano (MMQB) “The Lions have in-house options to fill the void left by Kevin Zeitler, but they opt to not play it safe here and add Jackson to mix for the right guard competition. Jackson also has experience at left tackle after filling in for the injured Simmons at Ohio State.” — Manzano Erik’s Thoughts: While Booker, Zabel, and Jackson—all projected to be true guards in the NFL—have been staples in the roundup, we’ve only seen Banks, Simmons, and/or Conerly mocked to the Lions once or twice. This is a unique draft class in that all of the projected top-five tackles also have the range to play inside at guard. Banks, Simmons, and Conerly were all college left tackles (Simmons has some experience at right tackle as well) but the thought process in acquiring them is that they could play inside in 2025, then possibly kick out to tackle in 2026 if the Lions feel the need to make a move at offensive tackle—the most common situation being trading Taylor Decker in 2026 when his contract expands. I’m not sold on the Lions making that move, but I understand the logic behind it. In the end, the Lions may have a lot more options than previously considered. Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, 3T, Oregon Source: Field Yates (ESPN) “Injuries befell the Detroit defense down the stretch last season, and some of them will linger into this upcoming season — including stalwart defensive tackle Alim McNeill’s torn ACL. Harmon could help fill that hole after his breakthrough 2024 season. His 34 pressures in his lone year with the Ducks were by far the most of any FBS defensive tackle. He has the length, power at the point of attack and pursuit speed as a rusher to make a difference.” — Yates Walter Nolen, 3T, Mississippi Source: James Dator (SB Nation) “Nolen is the kind of mauler on the defensive line the Lions need next to Aiden Hutchinson. With the potential to be an excellent gap penetrator it will open up more opportunities for the Lions’ phenom edge rusher. Nolen would be a good rotational rusher in year one, with the potential to take over for D.J. Reader in time.” — Dator Erik’s Thoughts: Like at receiver, I figured Campbell’s comments from the owners meetings—specifically regarding Alim McNeill likely missing the start of the season—would drive decisions at defensive tackle, yet we saw a reduction in projections. Three-techniques Harmon and Nolen continue to be regulars on the roundup, but it’s a few weeks since we’ve seen the Lions connected to Michigan nose tackle Kenneth Grant. This could be fallout from the Lions signing Roy Lopez, but I wouldn’t be too quick to write him off, as Grant gives them a long-term solution that would pair perfectly with McNeill. Edge rusher Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia Source: Maurice Jones-Drew (NFL.com), Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report), Mike Nicastro (Behind the Steel Curtain), Richard Janvrin (Fantasy Pros) “Detroit has been searching for a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson for two years now, and coming off a significant injury, they must add another pass rusher. Williams’ production at Georgia was concerning, but I think that’s centered more around how he was utilized.” — Nicastro Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall Source: Luke Easterling (Anthon Sports), Jacob Camenker (USA Today), Nick Suss (The Tennessean) “Even before all of their injuries last year, the Lions already needed an upgrade on the opposite side of the defensive front from Aidan Hutchinson. Green isn’t the most well-rounded prospect in terms of his run defense, but he’s got an explosive first step and gaudy production, leading the FBS in sacks last season.” — Easterling Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College Source: Jamie Eisner (The Draft Network), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports), Garrett Podell (CBS Sports), James Foster (33rd Team), Justin Lewis (Pro Football Network), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone), Dave Kluge (Football Guys) “Will the Lions pass on Donovan Ezeiruaku for someone a little larger? Maybe. But there’s no denying that Ezeiruaku is worthy of being a first-round pick. Ezeiruaku is a high-effort player who can make an immediate impact rushing the passer opposite Aidan Hutchinson.” — Eisner Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M Source: Brett Whitefield (Fantasy Points), Bruce Feldman (The Athletic), John Kosko (PFF), Joe Schad (Palm Beach Post), Lou Scataglia (NFL Spin Zone), Matthew Jones (Fantasy Pros) “The Lions’ roster and depth chart is in a really nice spot — there isn’t a clear pathway for any player drafted here to be a Year-1 starter. Scourton provides a cost-effective running mate to Aidan Hutchinson, who is due a massive extension. The Lions love big, powerful EDGE defenders with alignment versatility. Scourton checks all those boxes.” — Whitefield James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee Source: Dalton Wasserman (PFF), Scott Reynolds (Pewter Report), Kyle Dvorchak (NBC Sports) “From Week 7 onward this past season, Detroit ranked 27th in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade. The Lions retained multiple contributing defensive linemen in free agency, but they need one more star pass rusher to complement Aidan Hutchinson. Pearce has that potential as someone who racked up 107 pressures and an 89.4 PFF pass-rush grade over the past two seasons.” — Wasserman Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas Source: Carmen Vitali (Fox Sports) “The same can be said for the Lions. The thought of Jackson, a player that packed on 40 pounds at Arkansas, lining up opposite a now-healthy Aidan Hutchinson, should be scary to every team on the Lions’ schedule. If Jackson knows how to apply himself on the field half as well as he does in the weight room, I would trust Detroit to get the most out of him.” — Vitali Erik’s Thoughts: As always, edge rushers account for the majority of projections, with most analysts focusing on Mykel Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Nic Scourton. Williams and Scourton—along with Shemar Stewart, who was not connected to the Lions this week but did take a top-30 visit—are prototype “opposite-Aidan Hutchinson” edge players in the Lions system. Ezeiruaku is a slight size deviation but has natural Lions traits. Green fits in similarly to Ezeiruaku, while Jackson would slot in as a prototype end, but Pearce doesn’t seem like a fit for the Lions in multiple ways. Yes, the Lions need a pass rusher, and yes Pearce has pass-rushing talent, but he’s also missing several key traits that the Lions typically look for. There have been a lot of rumors swirling about Pearce’s dedication and work ethic, and while I caution readers to take these reports with a grain of salt—it is lying season—it is worth pointing out that you’d be hard-pressed to find a report that speaks about him in a positive manner in these categories. But even if you believe the character trait discussion is overblown—we are limited in what information is made public—it’s hard to ignore his play on the field. Simply put, Pearce is not a good run defender or edge setter, which alone should drop him down the Lions’ draft board. In the end, Pearce may end up being a good NFL player in the right system, but I have a difficult time connecting the dots for him to Detroit—especially with the other talent that is expected to also be available. ...read more read less