B+
Detroit Lions
Larceny in Round 7, Pick 6 lands the Lions a B+, Caldwell and all.
by Zye ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
If you want a masterclass in dealing, watch the Lions, who turned every swap into a profit this weekend.
Getting Caldwell where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. Reaching for Tiernan left real value on the table behind him.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through running back. Adding Harold Landry III by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the running back spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Caleb Tiernan in No. 33 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They liked Derrick Moore enough to skip the value, taking him in pick 52. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They robbed the room for Anthony Hill Jr. here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Lee Hunter slipping to pick No. 64 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Michael Taaffe in the Round 3 slot, plain and simple. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Julian Neal at the 118th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No edge and no loss on Justin Joly in the 120th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The roster fit checks out.
Taylen Green at pick No. 205 is money in the bank, a quarterback taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jeff Caldwell in Round 7, Pick 6 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.