A-
Detroit Lions
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Lions a A-.
by ScholarlyViking ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
The Lions went off the board in a big way for Ephesians Prysock, 59 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. Getting Payne where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
The linebacker hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
In the end it comes back to Blake Miller, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
Blake Miller in No. 62 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nadame Tucker this early at the Round 4 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Value said wait; Ephesians Prysock in Round 4, Pick 28 says they were not listening. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Ar'maj Reed-Adams at slot 157 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
VJ Payne at the 213th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid sticker price for Jaren Kanak in pick No. 222, and that is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.