What Was the Lions’ Best Pick in the 2026 Draft?
The dust has settled on the 2026 draft, and you either spent the night sleeping it off or grinding highlights of every single Lions pick until your eyes bled. No judgment either way.
Brad Holmes and his crew made seven selections over the weekend, adding pieces to the offensive and defensive lines, restocking the linebacker room, bolstering the secondary, and tossing in a wide receiver for good measure. It was classic Holmes work. Methodical, purposeful, with just enough surprise to keep everyone guessing.
So here’s the question that matters: which pick was the best?
The Chalk Answer: Blake Miller Makes Perfect Sense
The obvious choice is Blake Miller, the first-round offensive tackle. When the board fell the way it did and everyone in the league knew Detroit wanted tackle help, Holmes still managed to land his guy without trading up or getting cute. Miller fits what the Lions do, brings the kind of nasty they love up front, and should contribute immediately.
That’s textbook Holmes. Identify the need, trust your evaluation, execute the plan. No drama, no reaching, just solid football business.
The Value Play: Keith Abney in the Fifth
But if we’re talking pure value, cornerback Keith Abney might be the steal of the weekend. Most draft boards had him as a Day 2 prospect, yet he fell all the way to pick 157. That’s the kind of slide that makes general managers wake up in cold sweats wondering what they missed.
Abney brings long-term starting potential at nickel while adding depth on the outside. In an offseason where the Lions lost Amik Robertson, finding his potential replacement in the fifth round feels like highway robbery. Holmes has a track record with these late-round defensive backs, and Abney fits the mold perfectly.
The Lions addressed their lines, added depth at key positions, and managed to find what looks like legitimate value in the middle rounds. It was another vintage Holmes draft. No fireworks, no splashy trades, just steady building that should make this roster better in the fall.
Which Lions pick has you most excited, or are you already second-guessing Holmes for passing on that guy everyone wanted? Drop your draft grades below.
Keith Abney falling to the fifth is exactly the kind of move that makes you believe in what Holmes is doing. Guy was supposed to be gone way earlier and we just… grabbed him. This is the difference between now and all those years of reaching for the wrong guys.
I mean Blake Miller is solid but let’s pump the brakes a little bit. First rounders are supposed to be solid, that’s the whole point. I’ll feel good about this class when these guys are actually playing on Sundays and winning us games, not in May.
You know what I love? Holmes doesn’t panic and he doesn’t get cute trying to outsmart the room. That steady, no-drama approach is what this team needed for so long. This feels like real football being played.
Abney at 157 is the kind of pick that wins you games three years from now when nobody’s even thinking about the 2026 draft anymore. Holmes keeps finding these guys and I’m all in on the process.