From time to time we like to take a look at how some other places see potential solutions for the Detroit Lions. On this Sunday morning it’s a good time to look at Pro Football Network and their latest 7-round 2025 mock draft.
There are trades included in this expansive mock, but none for the Lions. At No. 28 overall in the first round, analyst Ben Rolfe projects Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams to Detroit. After noting Levi Onwuzurike’s free agency status, this quip on Williams nicely sums up exactly what many Lions fans want in the middle of the defense,
Williams boasts impressive mobility, strength, and a dominant physical profile, flashing pocket penetration, pass-rush moves, and block-shedding ability. Inconsistency has been the biggest knock on him in 2024, but in a defense alongside Alim McNeill and D.J. Reader, he has the chance to learn and develop before being called upon as a mainstay of this line.
The projections stick to the defensive line in the second round with Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen. He’s a player who has been a popular mock draft target for Detroit in this range when he’s available–which isn;t always the case. Umanmielen’s size and play strength make him a nice schematic fit for Detroit’s defense.
In the third round, it’s offense time. Maryland wideout Kaden Prather is a smart projection as a productive wideout with size, something the Lions need with Tim Patrick a free agent:
Prather combines size with agility, excelling in spatial awareness and physicality to make contested catches. He can glide through space and adjust in the air, which makes him a fringe Day 2 prospect, but one that could be a WR3 as a rookie.
Day 3 haul:
Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon
Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Glendon Miller, DB, Maryland
Muhammad and Lampkin share the same basic description despite playing very divergent positions; both are smart and technically proficient players who sorely lack size — Lampkin weighs just 270 as a guard/center. Neal is a nice fill-in for Craig Reynolds if he departs as a restricted free agent. Miller is a tall but lanky hybrid free safety/outside corner with great ball skills.