Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images With pick No. 28 in the 2025 POD Community Mock Draft, the Detroit Lions select... Our 2025 Pride of Detroit Community Mock is well underway, and over the past couple of weeks, we have seen members of our community make selections for the first 27 picks, thus putting the Detroit Lions on the clock. If you missed any of the previous sections, you can check all of them out, including the fan-voted grades, in our Community Mock Draft Tracker. As we do every year in this exercise, we picked a handful of players that Lions fans may want the team to select and published a poll for the community to vote on. The results of this poll are still ongoing, but at the time of this publication, the majority of votes resided with offensive lineman Grey Zabel of North Dakota State. As is tradition, I made my selection before the voting began, and with pick No. 28 in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select... Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College Ezeiruaku played defensive end and wide receiver in high school, and he was recruited to Boston College by then-head coach Jeff Hafley—who is now the Packers' defensive coordinator (I broke down Hafley’s attacking defense when previewing Green Bay in 2024). For the Eagles, Ezeiruaku was a three-year starter at defensive end, showing growth each season. After Hafley departed Boston College for Green Bay, Bill O’Brien was hired and brought Tim Lewis in as his defensive coordinator. Lewis coached in the NFL from 1993 to 2015 and kept the Eagles’ in a pro-style 4-3 defensive scheme. Ezeiruaku played most of his snaps as a stand-up pass rusher, lining up at the 7- and Wide-9 techniques. This extra distance from the offensive tackles gave him an advantage as a pass rusher, and he showed marked improvement during his senior season. 2024 statistics Pass rush Sacks: 16.5 Tackles for loss: 21 Pressures, per PFF: 60 PFF pass rush grade: 90.5 PFF pass rush win rate: 18.2% Run defense Tackles: 80 PFF run stops: 30 PFF run defense grade: 83.6 For perspective on these stats, they helped Ezeiruaku become a Consensus All-American, win the Ted Hendricks Award (Best defensive end in college football), be named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as First Team All-ACC, and lead the ACC in sacks and tackles for loss. In preparation for the NFL Draft, Ezeiruaku played in the Senior Bowl and attended the Combine, earning an 8.14 RAS. He did not re-test at his Pro Day, electing to only run positional drills. Measurables 6-foot-2 1⁄2, 248 pounds, 34-inch arm length No 40-yard-dash 35.5-inch vertical jump, 9-foot--11 broad jump 6.94-second 3-cone, 4.19-second short shuttle With college production and above-average athleticism, Ezeiruaku made an impressive case for himself and many analysts have projected him to be selected in the Lions’ range. Draft analyst rankings Trevor Sikkema (PFF): 15 Dane Brugler (The Athletic): 22 Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com): 25 Todd McShay (McShay Report, via Ringer): 26 Jordan Reid and Mel Kiper (ESPN): 28 Lance Zierlein (NFL.com): 6.4 grade, equivalent to roughly a top-20 pick in this class Strengths and weaknesses Ezeiruaku is a dynamic pass rusher with an arsenal of pass-rushing moves at his disposal. He’s quick off the snap, attacks the arc with speed-to-power, and can make himself skinny while avoiding blocks. His ability to rush with speed while staying under control and detached from offensive linemen constantly keeps him in positions to make plays. His lighter frame can make him susceptible to power blocking in run defense, but his slipperiness and sure tackling make him a very capable run defender. Setting the edge is not necessarily a strength, but it’s a trait he has the foundation to develop as he gains NFL strength. Intangibles As a two-year team captain, Ezeiruaku leads with a passion for the game, a high-intensity work ethic, and a high level of intelligence—he was recruited by multiple Ivy League schools including Harvard and Princeton. His intelligence translates to an equally high football IQ which helps him understand where to be, as well as quickly diagnose the play as it unfolds. Fit with the Lions While his frame keeps him from being a clean fit in the Lions’ 2024 scheme, he’s not a complete outlier, as he’s nearly identical in size to Al-Quadin Muhammad, Nate Lynn, and Mitchell Agude. As a rookie, Ezeiruaku would likely play a rotational, complementary role with another pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson. At times, he could rotate with Marcus Davenport in base sets, but he also has the range to play as a stand-up pass rusher, similar to how they previously used James Houston. Ezeiruaku has an advanced skill set, above-average athleticism, and a frame that can hold extra weight and strength. This combination of traits gives Ezeiruaku a high developmental ceiling and would make him an excellent addition to the Lions' defensive front. Time to grade the pick. ...read more read less