Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
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The Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers may be interested in the same player in the 2026 NFL draft.
The 2026 NFL draft is set for April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and considering that Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is tight with his pocket book, the team is going to have to come out of the draft with an A+ tally of players. Now, one of the players that the Lions have been linked to in the draft is surfacing as a player of interest for other NFL teams, so Detroit better have a backup plan.
It happens every year in the draft. Teams settle on the players that they think would bolster their lineup, but you never know what’s going to happen, and another team can also snatch that player up earlier in the draft. For the 2026 edition, the Detroit Lions’ first draft pick comes at No. 17, and NFL experts and analysts have been sending out their thoughts on who the team will pick with that important selection.
So, who will the team take with that coveted No. 17 selection? Multiple reports have the Detroit Lions going with offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama. But, reports also have Proctor going to the Chicago Bears or San Francisco 49ers.
Detroit Lions Keep Getting Linked to Popular Player in NFL Draft, But They May Have Competition
According to a report from Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, the Detroit Lions have “zeroed in on” Proctor for the team’s No. 17 pick in the draft.
“Those I’ve spoken with believe the latest Proctor ends up in the draft is the 17th pick, presently owned by the Detroit Lions,” Pauline stated in the April 1 feature. “They need a left tackle after releasing Taylor Decker, and Proctor gives them an option, along with Penei Sewell, the 2021 first-round pick who was a star at Oregon on the blind side before moving to right tackle after the Lions drafted him in 2021.”
Tim Twentyman of the Detroit Lions’ official website also has him as a tackle of interest, stating, “Proctor is a massive human with terrific athletic traits. He gets downhill in the run game and moves defenders out of the way.”
So, the Lions need a solid offensive tackle, and Proctor sounds like a fit. But, the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers are also being linked to him.
Detroit Lions May Be Up Against Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers for Player of Interest
NFL analyst and expert Peter Schrager of ESPN has Proctor going to Ben Johnson and the Bears, calling him a “mass of humanity.” Schrager notes that Proctor weighed 358 pounds at his pro day, “but he can move. If he keeps his weight down, Proctor has as much upside as any tackle in this class.”
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner forecasted Proctor to the 49ers in his Thursday, April 8 mock.
“The most physically impressive human in this draft class, Proctor has rare body control for his size,” Baumgardner stated. “Physically, he has All-Pro potential. On the field, however, he can be inconsistent in protection and might need a year on the bench (or some time at guard) before being trusted as a blindside protector.”
So, it will be interesting, as always, to see who actually lands Proctor in the draft. Either way, he’s expected to go in round one.