NFC North

Detroit Lions NFL Draft Profile

How the Lions draft: the front office running the board, the needs shaping the next class, and every draft class we cover.

Compiled by the NFL Mock Draft Simulator research desk · Front office: Brad Holmes (GM), Dan Campbell (HC)

Front office and philosophy

General manager: Brad Holmes  ·  Head coach: Dan Campbell

Toughness, physicality, and relentless competition. Campbell demands physically dominant players who thrive in the trenches. Holmes sources high-character, high-production players who fit the culture. Premium on OT and EDGE, with an emphasis on a dominant run game.

Brad Holmes came from the Rams and has an excellent track record drafting high-value players in the middle rounds. Dan Campbell's culture demands menacing, physical players who embrace contact. The Lions have drafted OT early in multiple consecutive drafts and will continue prioritizing the trenches. Running back is an unusually high priority given their power-running identity.

These tendencies are encoded directly into the simulator: when you run a mock and the Lions are on the clock, the engine applies this regime's positional biases and its balance between best-player-available and need-based drafting. See how the simulator works for the full methodology.

Current draft needs

Our needs assessment for the Lions entering the 2027 draft cycle, ordered by priority. These weightings are what the simulator uses when it evaluates this team's board.

Team needs were researched for this class from current rosters. They predate free agency and will be revised after March 2027.

Draft classes

Division rivals

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