8 early names to know for the Lions first 2025 NFL Draft selection

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Who will be the first selection of the Detroit Lions in the 2025 NFL Draft in April?

I know that’s not a question that brims with urgency at this point. It’s still early in the postseason. We don’t even know yet who the top-seeded Lions will be hosting in the NFC Divisional Round. But their scouting staff and front office have been working on this for months.

As the managing editor of Draft Wire and someone who’s covered the NFL draft and scouting process for over 20 years, I have too — though certainly not with the breadth or depth of time and resources that the Lions (or any NFL team) devote to the draft. And while I’ve had several interactions with members of the Lions staff on these fronts, most are very cursory. They may drop a breadcrumb or two for me to trail out, but they also aren’t anywhere close to any of the consensus-building that comes from the scouting staff, coaching staff and front office making draft decisions.

Having said all that, here are 10 players who stood out as potential Lions targets for their first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Whether that pick is made at 28 (the earliest the Lions can select even if they lose in the Divisional Round), or 20 with a trade up, or 42nd with a big trade back, here are the prospects who look like they fit the Lions.

They are listed in alphabetical order.

Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery (69) celebrates quarterback Max Brosmer’s (16) touchdown against the USC Trojans during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Ersery isn’t quite as tall as incumbent Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, but the playing style and use of length is very similar for the 6-foot-6, 330-pound Golden Gophers left tackle. Ersery is patiently violent with his pass protection but (like Decker) will occasionally underset the edge and not get the long arms fired out fast enough when he shoots with both arms. He’s got quick eyes and resets his hands and his center of gravity well despite looking like he’s playing too tall.

It’s the run game where Ersery will likely hold great appeal for the Lions. He’s very quick off the snap with both his feet and his hands, and there is some nastiness to his punch. Ersery pulls impressively and doesn’t often miss his assignment in space–a big key for tackles in Detroit’s offense. While he was a 3-year starter at left tackle, Ersery’s style and skillset should adapt well to playing right tackle, if needed.

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (55) reacts in the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Harmon is a prime example of a player who thrived with a change of scenery. After playing relatively well but not impactfully at Michigan State, Harmon transferred to Oregon for his final year, reshaped his body a little, and turned into a legit top-40 prospect.

The 310-pounder (keep an eye on his testing and measurements) is a behemoth inside. Whether playing heads-up on a guard or shading over shoulders, Harmon devours double-teams and showed an impressive ability to steer the stack and plug holes. His hands are still inconsistent, but Harmon showed improvement at shedding and using his fast feet to the ball. As a pass rusher, he’s got a nicely polished rip move and developed a bull rush for the Ducks, too.

Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) celebrates a touchdown by running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.

A three-year starter, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Jackson has kicked outside to tackle thanks to injuries after predominately playing guard. And while he’s handled himself very well at tackle — Jackson has allowed just three QB pressures, no hits or sacks in three CFP games — he’s a guard-only in the NFL.

Jackson has played in a variety of blocking schemes but is at his best in gap scheme and pull situations, which the Lions frequently use. His range in outside zone is solid but not special. Steadily improved his vision and quickness to the point. Anchor strength notably upticked in 2024, though Jackson can still get bulled if his heavy-handed punch lands too high. He’s an unusual case of a former 5-star recruit who also proved to be a late-blooming athlete in college.

A top-40 overall pick on Jackson might be bullish, but that was also said of both Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta.

Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE ), ARKANSAS – NOVEMBER 23: Landon Jackson #40 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrates after sacking the quarterback in the second half of a game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs 35-14. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Jackson absolutely looks the part of the hand-in-dirt defensive end to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson. He’s 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, with long arms, good strength and a relentless motor. Led Arkansas in both sacks (6.5 each year) and TFLs in each of the last two seasons.

Jackson plays with a power-to-speed style and is great on stunts and loops. Very smart, crafty football player. Consistently tough and reliable run defender who doesn’t give the edge away. Finishes with power but can also finish too high. He doesn’t play exceptionally strong despite his build, but the biggest knock I have on Jackson is that he almost completely lacks twitch and suddenness as a pass rusher.

He projects more as a guy who prevents escape routes and augments rushers around him than a guy who generates pressure on his own. (read as: you’ll probably love him with Hutchinson but be very underwhelmed if you’re expecting more than Za’Darius Smith gives the Lions in 97’s absence).

Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia

Nov 23, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (74) celebrates with fans after defeating the UCF Knights at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Milum is another player who appears custom cut from the Lions’ cloth. The 6-foot-6, 318-pounder has been a bedrock, consistent left tackle for the Mountaineers after moving from right tackle, where he was a Freshman All-American. Allowed one sack in his college career in a pro-friendly offensive scheme that leaned on zone and gap.

The biggest question is, where does he fit in the NFL? He’s got very short arms (speculated to be 32″) to play outside, but his style of play is more suited for tackle than the tighter quarters inside. Not that Milum can’t thrive as a gap/duo guard, but his pad level and footwork appear better-suited to stay at tackle.

His character oozes Lions appeal. Two-time team captain. Three-time Academic all-conference. First guy in/last guy out mentality.

LT Overton, DL, Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 26: LT Overton #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after a sack against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Overton is straight out of central casting athletically for the Lions defensive line. He can play as a heavy DE or kick inside down to a 2-tech, depending on the package–and Overton has shown he can win from anywhere in between, too.

Overton’s pass rush skills took a big leap in 2024. He developed more moves but also a better sense of when to use them. Very good athlete who could test well enough to crack the top-20. Overton doesn’t have great eyes for the ball or run-game instincts, and he misses way too many tackles (24 percent rate per SIS), but he doesn’t turn 21 until October and hasn’t played extensively yet. If the Lions coaching staff believes they can work with him, Overton is a much higher-end athletic hybrid version of current Lions linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike.

Jack Sawyer, OLB, Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) sacks Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) forcing a fumble during the second half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. Sawyer returned the fumble for a touchdown, and Ohio State won 28-14.

Sawyer has been a very steady, impactful EDGE over the last two-plus seasons for Ohio State. He’s been a superstar throughout the College Football Playoff, dominating against other top teams. It’s that ability to turn it up in big games that draws extra appeal for Sawyer, who plays with his heart on his sleeve on every snap.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder is a power-to-speed rusher with a wide range of moves to attack either shoulder of the offensive tackle. Outstanding, responsible run defender who can shed blocks and make plays in the backfield on outside runs as well as anyone in this draft class. Sawyer is not an elite athlete and can get stuck in the mud off the snap. Very limited experience in coverage drops. Exceptionally high football IQ helps him overcome his average speed and twitch, though that lack of high-end athleticism could cause NFL teams to be lower than the 25-40 overall range on Sawyer.

Shemar Turner, DL, Texas A&M

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 30: Defensive lineman Shemar Turner #5 and defensive back Dalton Brooks #25 of the Texas A&M Aggies gesture after stopping a run by running back Raheim Sanders #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks in the fourth quarter of the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Turner is a good candidate to be a player who blossoms at the next level. The physical tools have long been there for the 6-foot-4, 290-ish-pound interior lineman, but between his usage and a churn of coaching styles and approaches, Turner never quite broke out in the way that a guy with his size and movement skills probably should.

Not to be confused with Aggies defensive linemate Shemar Stewart–who figures to be drafted before the Lions pick–Turner had some run at EDGE in prior seasons before playing almost exclusively inside in 2024. He wasn’t twitchy or sudden enough as a big edge, but in the B-gap, Turner found his football home. Smart, strong and relentless in run defense. Was very much coached up to play the potential QB run or shallow pass instead of getting after the quarterback and that has stunted his development as a pass rusher.

There’s a lot more potential there than what he did in college, and the Lions are keen on finding guys like that (see: Alim McNeill and Derrick Barnes). Of all the guys listed here, Turner appears to be the one who would most likely still be available for the Lions to select in the second round. Athletic testing might alter that, however…

Names left on the cutting room floor

There were a few other players who didn’t quite make the list here for one reason or another. Those prospects include:

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Jahdae Barron, DB, Texas
Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama (I think he’ll be long gone)
Nick Emmanwori, S/LB, South Carolina (think Ifeatu Melifonwu’s role)
Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan (I think he’ll be gone too)
Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
Armand Membou, OL, Missouri

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