The Detroit Lions enter the NFL Draft with seven total picks to work with as they look to climb back up the NFC ladder. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes will be building off the 15-2 record the Lions finished with last season, as they look for the right option at pick No. 28 in the first round.
The NFL Draft takes place on April 24 at 8 PM ET. Detroit will be trying to shore up the depth on the defensive side of the football, but the offense cannot be glossed over since it was a key ingredient to the 2024-25 success. Holmes expressed the heartache that came with a need for a pass rusher at the end-of-the-year press conference, per Colton Pouncey of The Athletic.
“This was the first time we’ve had to trade for a pass rusher this year, and I will say that was the most difficult player acquisition journey that I’ve ever dealt with,” Holmes said. “…You can look at all these names of all these starting defensive ends in the NFL, but when you start doing the work and you start making the calls, that thing shrinks down. …You start calling these other teams and these other GMs and they might have four rushers. And so, forget the starters, those guys aren’t even available. We’re talking about thirds (No. 3 pass-rushers) and fourths (No. 4 pass-rushers), and I can’t really disagree with them where they say, ‘Look, we’ve got two-plus months of football left and (if) I trade you one and then we get another one hurt then we’ve only got two.’ And I was like, ‘I didn’t really expect you to be rational and think about it that way.’ But it’s true. …I think that one, just going through that experience, I can say just sharpened me up a little bit.”
Bearing all of this mind, let's see who the Lions could potentially land in Round 1.
Lions select Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College at No. 28
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Lions do not want a repeat of how things abruptly ended last season. Injuries forced a the offense to have to step up repeatedly in big games, and the defense couldn't hold it together. Donovan Ezeiruaku gives them a step in the right direction.
The All-American pass-rushing talent, who recorded 80 tackles (21 for a loss) and 16.5 sacks and earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, is a tremendous option on the front seven next to Aidan Hutchinson.
Grey Zabel, Guard, North Dakota State
Related Detroit Lions NewsArticle continues below
One of the best pass protectors and run blockers in North Dakota State's Grey Zabel could be a potential fit, as well, for this stage of the first round. The Lions' balanced passing attack with Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown would be instantly secured, and the running game could continue to flourish with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Xavier Watts, Safety, Notre Dame
Secondary became a big problem down the stretch when the Lions were ousted by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional round.
Xavier Watts brings some quality explosiveness to the defense even as a rookie. He has also been versatile in various defensive schemes, playing different roles in the process.
Beefing up the pass defense against stars like Jayden Daniels will go a long way for the Lions next season, as they haven't lost much firepower on the offensive side of the football.