B-
Detroit Lions
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Lions: B-.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The Lions clearly saw something nobody else did in Jack Pyburn, taking him 61 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced.
Landing Cameron that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. That linebacker hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 17 they get a press-man option on the boundary at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Gabe Jacas at the 50th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board had cheaper options than Jude Bowry at slot 118, and it noticed. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Bishop Fitzgerald in Round 4, Pick 28. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nyjalik Kelly in the Round 5 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Zane Durant in No. 181, and that is fine. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Taking Josh Cameron in the Round 6 slot is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Jadon Canady at No. 213 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Jack Pyburn at the 222nd overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.