B-
Detroit Lions
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Lions.
by SD ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 6 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Adam Randall at No. 222, a reach of 53 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.
The Allen pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through safety.
Job largely done: cornerback settled and 7 of 9 of the wish list covered.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 17 they get a potential shutdown corner. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
CJ Allen in the 50th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Max Llewellyn this early at the 118th overall pick. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A premium they did not need to pay, DeMonte Capehart a notch or two before his time. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
A big swing on Taylen Green at pick No. 157, well ahead of any board in the building. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They talked themselves into Aaron Graves at the Round 5 slot, and the board did not agree. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
They will replay Josh Cameron at pick 205 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Nolan Rucci at No. 213 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Adam Randall in Round 7, Pick 6, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.