B-
Detroit Lions
The Lions did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Cloud9blazers ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 5 reaches
The tape said wait; the Lions did not. Bryce Foster went at slot 181, a good 66 picks before the board was ready.
The safety hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.
The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, Kayden McDonald at pick 17 squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They paid a round early for Derrick Moore in slot 50, more than the board wanted. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Will Lee III in No. 118 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kaytron Allen at pick No. 128 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Kevin Coleman Jr. in Round 5, Pick 17 is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Bryce Foster this early at the 181st pick. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A wild overpay on Trey Zuhn III in Round 6, Pick 24, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jaren Kanak at No. 213 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
This one needs a full-page explanation: John Michael Gyllenborg in pick 222, miles early. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.