nightrain'S MOCK DRAFT
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nightrain'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 20, 2026

03202026

  • nightrain DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 29 RND: 1 (DET)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (DET)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (DET)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Jack Endries Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (DET)
Jack Endries
TE Texas
Will Lee III Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (DET)
Will Lee III
CB Texas A&M
Kage Casey Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (DET)
Kage Casey
OT Boise State
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 165 RND: 5 (DET)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
Rayshaun Benny Head Shot
PICK: 168 RND: 5 (DET)
Rayshaun Benny
DL Michigan
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 5 (DET)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (DET)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
Keyshaun Elliott Head Shot
PICK: 210 RND: 6 (DET)
Keyshaun Elliott
LB Arizona State
Kaelon Black Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (DET)
Kaelon Black
RB Indiana
Tyler Onyedim Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Tyler Onyedim
DE-EDGE Texas A&M
Draft Picks Received
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 29 RND: 1 (KC)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (BUF)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (KC)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 165 RND: 5 (BUF)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
Rayshaun Benny Head Shot
PICK: 168 RND: 5 (BUF)
Rayshaun Benny
DL Michigan
Keyshaun Elliott Head Shot
PICK: 210 RND: 6 (KC)
Keyshaun Elliott
LB Arizona State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (BUF)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (KC)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Jordyn Tyson Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (BUF)
Jordyn Tyson
WR Arizona State
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B
ValueB NeedB TradesC+ FutureB+
A solid, sensible weekend for the Lions: B.

You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Lions did exactly that with Tyler Onyedim in pick 222. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.

Lew falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work. They trusted the board more than the depth chart.

In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick29 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In the Round 1 slot they get a downhill thumper at linebacker, and a steal at that. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick50 Rnd2 Blake Miller
A straight-up fair deal on Blake Miller at No. 50, value and slot in agreement. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick91 Rnd3 Connor Lew
Steal is underselling it; Connor Lew at Round 3, Pick 27 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick109 Rnd4 Zakee Wheatley
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Zakee Wheatley in the 109th overall pick, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick118 Rnd4 Jack Endries
Jack Endries at slot 118 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick128 Rnd4 Will Lee III
Will Lee III slid further than he should have, and pick 128 is lovely value for the cornerback. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick157 Rnd5 Kage Casey
Fair-plus on Kage Casey, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick165 Rnd5 Taylen Green
Taylen Green at pick 165 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick168 Rnd5 Rayshaun Benny
They left a pile of value on the table to take Rayshaun Benny this early at the 168th overall pick. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick181 Rnd5 Domani Jackson
A tidy bit of business in Round 5, Pick 41, where Domani Jackson graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick205 Rnd6 Eric McAlister
Taking Eric McAlister in the Round 6 slot is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick210 Rnd6 Keyshaun Elliott
A market-rate linebacker, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Keyshaun Elliott. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick213 Rnd6 Kaelon Black
Kaelon Black at slot 213 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the running back. The roster fit checks out.
Pick222 Rnd7 Tyler Onyedim
Tyler Onyedim at the 222nd pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.