B
Detroit Lions
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Lions a B.
by ScholarlyViking ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 3 steals
· 8 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Lions took Dasan McCullough a full 84 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. However the rest shakes out, Slaughter at that price is a win they earned.
They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 31 they get the heartbeat of the defense, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
Dani Dennis-Sutton at the 50th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A real head-scratcher, Darrell Jackson Jr. in pick No. 63 is miles ahead of his ranking. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Somehow Jake Slaughter was still sitting there in Round 3, Pick 18, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A conviction pick on Trey Zuhn III at slot 118 that the board grades a round light. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached a country mile for Ephesians Prysock at the 128th pick, and the board is aghast. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nadame Tucker at slot 157 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Ar'maj Reed-Adams in Round 5, Pick 23 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in the 181st overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 205 with a little surplus value in VJ Payne. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jeff Caldwell in No. 213 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Dasan McCullough in pick 239 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jaren Kanak at the 241st pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It patches a soft spot without any drama.