2025 NFL Draft Grades: Detroit Lions

Best Pick: I love second-round guard Tate Ratledge. He will compete to start at right guard right away. He's a nasty player, who fits their offense perfectly.

Worst Pick: I think taking defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round was a bit high. He plays a lot like Alim McNeil, who they have on their roster. There were better options in my book.

The Skinny: This isn't a draft that I loved, which is a departure from their recent drafts. Williams is a good player, but was that really a need? Why not an edge? Third-round receiver Isaac TeSlaa is a project who didn't do a lot in college and they traded up to get him. Fifth-round guard Miles Frazier has starting experience.

Top needs entering the draft: Edge rusher, guard and linebacker

I had the Lions taking an edge rusher in Round 1 in all four of those mock drafts I mentioned. Twice it was James Pearce Jr., then it was Oluwafemi Oladejo, and finally it was Donovan Ezeiruaku. Part of that is because of the value -- there are really solid pass rushers to be had late in Round 1, where Detroit was poised to make its first pick. Part of that is because it's a severe need for this roster. Aidan Hutchinson led the Lions in sacks last season, racking up 7.5, doing so in just five games. When he broke his leg in mid-October, the pass rush struggled the rest of the season; no other player had more than Za'Darius Smith's four sacks.

Oladejo and Ezeiruaku were both on the board at No. 28, as was Mike Green. Yet, Detroit looked elsewhere, taking defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. He can fire into the backfield as a run stopper, but he lacks pass-rush juice (2.5 sacks in 2024). I had him ranked 44th overall and sixth among DTs in the class, though we watched four interior D-linemen get taken before the Lions' first-round pick. I'm not worried about the value. I'm more concerned with the missed chance to find Hutchinson a running mate on the edge.

The edge rusher didn't come on Day 2, either. The Lions tackled a need, though. They traded up from No. 60 to No. 57 to take guard Tate Ratledge. He's going to fit nicely in Detroit and push to start at right guard (Christian Mahogany and Kayode Awosika are the main competition). The trade up cost the Lions their fourth-round pick, but they had a hole. Miles Frazier -- their fifth-rounder -- will also provide depth. He is a top-10 guard and just missed my top 100 overall.

The lone edge rusher selected by Detroit was Ahmed Hassanein in Round 6. He's productive, with 22 sacks, 97 pressures and 33.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. He's just touching the surface of what he can be. It's just not the splash I was expecting.

Detroit's most questionable move, though, was trading up from No. 102 to No. 70 to take receiver Isaac TeSlaa. Good player, but he was ranked No. 149 overall on my board. I count 12 receivers ranked above him who were still available -- and nine of them still would have been there at the Lions' original slot. To make the aggressive move up the board, Detroit forked over two 2026 third-rounders.

The Lions are nothing if not extremely on brand. The Fighting Dan Campbells looked to continue beefing up their trenches, adding Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round. The former Buckeye is big and physical, bringing disruptive power to the interior defensive line, and should help the team dominate on early downs. Meanwhile, Georgia guard Tate Ratledge brings toughness, athleticism, and a nasty edge to the interior offensive line. The team's decision to trade a pair of 2026 third-round picks to move up in the third round and take Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa is a big head-scratcher, though. TeSlaa is a super athletic receiver with great size but not much production, which typifies the exact profile teams that typically wait until Day 3 to take chances on. Adding LSU guard Miles Frazier in the fifth is a great value, though, so it takes some of the sting out of the TeSlaa move.

I was fascinated to see how GM Brad Holmes and the Lions would approach this draft given all their coaching departures in the offseason. Tyleik Williams could audition as a stunt double for injured standout defensive tackle Alim McNeill, offering similar size, power, agility and leadership skills.

Meanwhile, the Lions might have found a clone of their head coach Dan Campbell in second-round guard Tate Ratledge, one of the more imposing and intense players of this class. Between Ratledge and fifth-round pick Miles Frazier, the Lions' lineage up front is secure. In terms of value, I liked the sixth-round selection of defensive end Ahmed Hassanein more than the third-round pick of wideout Isaac TeSlaa, though the latter's intriguing size/speed combination is a welcome complement to the shiftiness and speed of Detroit's current receiving corps. Finally, don't be surprised if seventh-round pick Dan Jackson makes this club.

Here's why: It was a very "eat your vegetables" draft for the Lions. Four linemen and a big, athletic wide receiver to develop in Isaac TeSlaa. Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill are going to be an incredibly imposing duo for teams to try and block on the interior and Tate Ratledge gives Detroit a potential starting guard to develop. These guys might not be the sexiest players to add, but this team has consistently shown the value of good trench play and the Lions tried to keep it strong with this draft.

Most interesting pick: Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas

TeSlaa was a scouting combine star, but didn't have too much production during his time at Arkansas. Considering the Lions traded two future third-round picks to select him in the third, Detroit clearly sees him as a starter. It'll be interesting to see what his role ends up being alongside Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

It's gotten to a point where GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell are almost above reproach as it pertains to their roster-building acumen. Did DT Tyleik Williams seem like a bit of a reach at the end of Round 1? Maybe ... but you tell Holmes and Campbell they're wrong. Second-round G Tate Ratledge seems made to order for this culture while patching a hole.

The Lions didn't care about value or best player available, and went with their successful formula of adding mean dudes to the trenches. Williams might have been a reach in the first round, but he was regarded as the best run stopper in this class. Ratledge is another physical player, one who could compete for the opening at right guard. Taking TeSlaa on Day 2 was a surprise, but he has the size and athleticism to possibly give Jared Goff another versatile weapon. Once again, the Lions thought outside the box and went away from what the draft boards were saying on the internet.

I like the selection of Tyliek Williams in the first round, and Boise State edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein was a fun pick in the sixth round. Outside of that, Tate Retledge was a slight reach in round two, as was Isaac TeSlaa in round three.