The Draft Nightmare Every Lions Fan Saw Coming
The 2026 NFL Draft is just two days away, and of course the football gods have conspired to make things complicated for Detroit. Because why would anything ever be simple when you’re a Lions fan?
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler dropped some intel that should make every Lions supporter’s eye twitch. After talking to teams around the league, he says it “wouldn’t surprise” him if four offensive tackles get snatched up in the first 15-17 picks. And yes, I know what you’re thinking. The Lions pick 17th overall.
Offensive tackle is arguably Detroit’s biggest need heading into this draft. So naturally, there’s a real chance the position gets picked clean before Brad Holmes even gets to make his selection. This is the kind of cosmic joke that Lions fans have learned to expect.
Holmes Won’t Reach for Need
To his credit, Holmes has been consistent about sticking to his board rather than reaching for positional need. He said it plainly last week: “You can’t take a player that you’re not really fired up about because he plays a certain position. And then the reason why you weren’t fired up about him, he shows that on the field, and that’s why you had reservations on him. Now you’ve got the double-whammy. We haven’t done that. We only take players that we’re really excited about.”
That’s the right approach. We’ve seen what happens when this franchise reaches for players they’re not truly excited about. The Matt Millen era is littered with those mistakes.
But it does mean Detroit might have to settle for the fourth or fifth tackle off the board, assuming they stick with the position at all.
The Tackle Class Gets Murky
Fowler’s reporting suggests Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano are “consensus” top 15-17 picks. But Georgia’s Monroe Freeling and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor are climbing boards too.
An NFC executive told Fowler about Freeling: “Would have said no on Freeling in November but I can see it now. He fits the mold.” Meanwhile, an AFC executive called Proctor “the go-higher-than-you-think guy for me.”
Great. So even the tackles who weren’t considered first-round locks a few months ago are now getting first-round buzz. That’s exactly what Detroit needed to hear.
Plan B Territory
If the tackle run happens as predicted, Detroit would still have options. Clemson’s Blake Miller has been a popular mock draft pick for the Lions recently. Both MLive and the Detroit News paired him with Detroit in their latest projections. Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor and Utah’s Caleb Lomu are other possibilities.
But if Holmes decides to pivot entirely, things get interesting. Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk is another name that keeps getting connected to Allen Park. Or maybe Detroit goes completely off script with Oregon tight end Kenyond Sadiq, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, or safeties Emmanuel McNeil-Warren or Dillon Thieneman.
The beauty and curse of Holmes’ approach is that he’ll take the best player available regardless of position. That’s led to some great picks, but it also means trying to predict what Detroit will do is basically impossible.
While offensive tackle makes the most sense at 17, this is shaping up to be one of those drafts where Detroit might have to get creative. And honestly, after decades of watching this team, creative might be exactly what we need.
Think Holmes will stick to his guns and pass on tackle if the good ones are gone, or will the positional need be too tempting? Let me know in the comments below.
