NFC North · 2026 Draft Class

Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Class

Every Lions selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the needs they entered the weekend with, and the trades that reshaped their board.

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

The class

Detroit Lions made 7 selections in the 2026 draft, opening with Blake Miller, a offensive tackle out of Clemson, at No. 17 overall.

The class skewed toward offensive tackle. In total they drafted 6 different positions.

Going into the weekend our board had their priority needs listed as Offensive Tackle, Edge Rusher, Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety. They addressed 4 of their 5 pre-draft needs directly: Offensive Tackle, Edge Rusher, Linebacker, Cornerback. Left unaddressed: Safety.

Their best value relative to the consensus board was Keith Abney II at No. 157, 96 slots later than the industry board had him ranked (61).

Draft capital

Lions draft capital broke down as 1 Day 1 pick, 1 on Day 2 and 5 on Day 3. 4 were slots they did not own when the weekend began, acquired by trade.

Pick by pick

Every Lions selection, with where it landed against our consensus board and against their own pre-draft needs list.

• Round 1, No. 17: Lions took Blake Miller, within 13 slots of his board ranking of 30. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
• Round 2, No. 44: Lions moved on Derrick Moore on Day 2, paying 21 slots of premium rather than risk the wait. Edge Rusher was their No. 2 listed need.
• Round 4, No. 118: Lions moved on Jimmy Rolder on Day 3, 93 slots early, which is what a team does when it has decided the board is wrong. Linebacker was their No. 3 listed need.
• Round 5, No. 157: Lions took Keith Abney II on Day 3, a board-rank 61 player who waited 96 slots past his board ranking to get there.
• Round 5, No. 168: Lions used the pick on Kendrick Law, ranked 215, the sort of dart every team throws on Saturday afternoon. Wide Receiver was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 6, No. 205: Lions took Skyler Gill-Howard at board rank 237, a late lottery ticket rather than a statement. Defensive Tackle was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 7, No. 222: Lions took Tyre West on Day 3, a player who sat outside our ranked board.

Pre-draft needs

Our needs assessment for the Lions going into the 2026 draft, ordered by priority. This is the list the class above is measured against.

Draft-day trades

• With New York Jets: sent No. 50 (R2), No. 128 (R4); received No. 44 (R2).
• With Buffalo Bills: sent No. 181 (R5), No. 213 (R6); received No. 168 (R5).

Related

• Round 1 results: every other pick made around the Lions' first selection.
• Position rankings for the groups they drafted: Offensive Tackle, Edge Rusher, Linebacker, Cornerback, Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle.
• The 2026 consensus big board: where every one of these players ranked before the draft.
• Every trade from the 2026 draft: the full ledger, including the Lions' moves.
• Steals and reaches: which picks diverged most from the board, and what that gap means.
• The draft by the numbers: positional supply, school production and how draft capital was distributed.

More on the Lions

The Detroit Lions franchise hub carries the current front office and needs, plus every other class we cover.