B
Detroit Lions
The Lions won the night they stopped Rivers from sliding. Grade: B.
by Zye ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Lions were there to profit. Eric Rivers, the No. 167 name on the board, should have been long gone before slot 222.
Every board in the league had Green lower, and that gap is the story. A whole weekend of picks and running back is somehow still a want. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 8th overall pick they get an enforcer at safety. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They took Romello Height at par in pick 62, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Josiah Trotter was still sitting there in No. 111, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. The roster fit checks out.
Treydan Stukes at Round 4, Pick 18 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Markel Bell in pick No. 124. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Taylen Green in the 157th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Circle this one: Zane Durant at slot 205 is a fall that decides a draft. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Dallen Bentley in the Round 6 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick 222 is the definition of value, full stop. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.