B-
Detroit Lions
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Lions.
by ScholarlyViking ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The Lions bet big and early on Dasan McCullough, 110 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
The Kilgore value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They punted on linebacker, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 17 they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
No edge and no loss on Gabe Jacas in slot 50; it is a wash and a sensible one. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach on Trey Zuhn III in pick 118; the board had better options right there. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
You do not let a cornerback like Jalon Kilgore reach the 128th pick and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Ephesians Prysock. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They left a pile of value on the table to take VJ Payne this early at No. 181. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Value with a capital V on Jeff Caldwell in pick 205, a genuine coup. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached into another round for Dasan McCullough, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Aaron Graves slipping to No. 222 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A minor need, but a need all the same.