B-
Detroit Lions
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Lions a B-.
by SD ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The Lions spent real capital to be 70 picks early on Adam Randall, and the board is going to hold them to it. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Masses. A whole weekend of picks and safety is somehow still a want.
Marvin Harrison Jr. gives the group a proven body among the projects. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.
Good work on the whole, with safety the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 17 they get a cornerstone up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They took Malachi Lawrence at par in Round 2, Pick 18, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
DeMonte Capehart at the 118th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A real head-scratcher, Max Llewellyn in the Round 4 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Hezekiah Masses in slot 157, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
By-the-book stuff, Kaleb Elarms-Orr at pick 181 squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pat Coogan at the Round 6 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Adam Randall in pick 213 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jack Kelly at Round 7, Pick 6 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.