B-
Detroit Lions
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Lions.
by ScottyB1963 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
Boards are made to be trusted, and the Lions shredded theirs for Jack Pyburn. He came off 61 spots early, and the room will hear about it. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
The linebacker hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The McAlister value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 17th pick they get a press-man option on the boundary. Exactly the need they had to hit.
The board had cheaper options than LT Overton at slot 50, and it noticed. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for J.C. Davis. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Mikail Kamara at the Round 4 slot, and the board did not agree. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They let Jaeden Roberts come to them and pounced at pick No. 157. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
By-the-book stuff, Matt Gulbin at No. 181 squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Good price on Jalen Stroman in pick 205, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Eric McAlister in the Round 6 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Jack Pyburn at the 222nd overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.