2026 Lions Mock Draft Roundup: Best OT fit debate unsettled

We’re less than three weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the mock draft networks are churning out predictions at a fever pace. This week, we examined 45 mock drafts, and while they’re still very heavily leaning toward the Detroit Lions selecting an offensive tackle in the first round—39 predictions compared to just six on the defensive side of the ball—there is a new most predicted player.

Let’s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions this week.

Offensive linemen

Francis Mauigoa, RT, Miami (6-foot-5 1/2, 329)
Source: Jacob Camenker (USA Today), Tom Fornelli (CBS Sports)

“Dan Campbell said the Lions are contemplating moving Penei Sewell to left tackle in 2026. If they do, they will need to find a quality right tackle option. Mauigoa (6-5, 329 pounds) played the position at Miami, showing good anchor in pass protection while being a powerful mauler in the running game.” — Camenker

Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5 1/2, 311)
Source: Justin Melo (SI NFL Draft), Chad Reuter (NFL.com), Patrick Flowers (Bleacher Nation), Matt Maiocco (NBC Sports Bay Area), Chris Kwiecinski (Fox Sports Chicago), Charles Rant (Stadium Rant), Cody Williams (Fansided)

“Spencer Fano looked really smooth and athletic during on-field position drills at the NFL Combine. There have been pre-draft questions about his capability to play offensive tackle, but he’s looked the part during the process. The Detroit Lions have a massive hole there after Taylor Decker asked for his release.” — Melo

Blake Miller, RT, Clemson (6-foot-7, 317)
Source: Brett Whitefield (Fantasy Points), Mike Band (Next GEN stats via NFL.com), Sayre Bedinger (NFL Spin Zone), Phil Perry (NBC Sports Boston)

“This past week, Dan Campbell publicly stated his desire to move Penei Sewell to the left side. This means one of their biggest remaining holes is now at RT, where Blake Miller is a natural fit. I personally would prefer Kadyn Proctor here and keeping Sewell at RT, but I can’t deny that Miller has the requisite amount of nastiness to his game to be a Lion. EDGE is the other big need for the Lions, while corner is quickly becoming a future problem.” — Whitefield

Monroe Freeling, LT, Georgia (6-foot-7 1/2, 315)
Source: Matt Miller (ESPN), Mark Schofield (SB Nation), Eric Edholm (NFL.com), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports), Ryan Moran (Pro Football Network), Eddie Brown (San Diego Union Tribune), Matthew Jones (Fantasy Pros), Nate Bouda (NFL Trade Rumors), Dylan Chappine (Wolf Sports), Justin Bales (FF Today), Jack Wargo (Sleeper CFB), Richard Janvrin (Lineups), Jason Abbey (DAZN), Matt DeLima (The Big Lead)

“Taylor Decker’s release leaves an opening at left tackle barring a move from Penei Sewell from the right side. Either way, the Lions need tackle help. Freeling was a one-year starter at Georgia but has elite traits in terms of movement, size (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) and 4.93 speed. Freeling is one of the few proven left tackles with a Round 1 grade and has the upside of a higher-end starter thanks to his upper-level athletic skills plus his development over the course of the 2025 season.” — Miller

Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 352)
Source: Bleacher Report (Staff), Lance Zierlein (NFL.com), ESPN (Staff), Luke Easterling (Athlon Sports), Ryan Donahue (Sharp Football), Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports), Ryan Sanudo (The Sun), Ian Harper (NFL Mocks), Matt Rooney (Bleacher Nation), Anthony Rizzuti (Panthers Wire), Jordan Foote (Prize Picks)

“Detroit favors size, power and physicality in the trenches,” Thorn said. “Alabama’s fits the mold of what a Hank Fraley-led room has looked like under head coach Dan Campbell, offering the class’ best blend of size and raw power. He would also benefit from learning to better harness and refine his physical gifts while working alongside Sewell, as well as receiving extra help, slides and attention in pass protection.” — Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn

Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 313)
Source: Rob Rang (Fox Sports)

“The precocious 6-foot-6, 313-pound redshirt sophomore might one day prove the best tackle of this class.” — Rang

Erik’s thoughts:

Mauigoa is back in play for the Lions for two predictors, but he was off the board very early in the other 43. Fano continues to get mocked by Detroit a bunch, as does Protcor, while Miller and Lomu have seen a swelling of love on social media of late, despite lower pairings with the Lions this week.

Freeling has seen the largest growth in mock draft predictions to Detroit this week, a trend that has been building for some time. It’s easy to fall in love with Freeling’s potential, but we’ve seen his big board rankings fluctuate a lot of late, with some analysts projecting him in the top 10, while others list him as OT7 on their boards. Freeling received a ton of attention following the NFL Combine, and, as often happens in the weeks that follow, analysts overcompensate to try to slow the hype, which often results in an undervaluation of a player. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle, and with the Lions picking in the middle of the first round, he is likely legitimately in play for Detroit.

Edge rusher

Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn (6-foot-6, 276)
Source: Tyler Forness (AtoZ Sports), Lou Scataglia (NFL Spin Zone)

“After selecting Aidan Hutchinson second overall in 2022, they have been searching for a player opposite of him to ease the pressure. Faulk fits the profile of a bigger edge rusher that they have targeted across the board, and his pass-rush profile has a lot of growth potential. Right away, they get a really good run defender with high upside potential.” — Forness

Akheem Mesidor EDGE, Miami (6-foot-3, 259)
Source: Nate Tice & Charles McDonald (Yahoo Sports), Joseph Hoyt (Dallas Morning News)

“This pick doesn’t need much more explanation other than the fact that the Lions don’t have many pass rushers on their roster right now. They are razor thin at defensive end outside of Aidan Hutchinson, almost to the point where they have to take an edge rusher with this pick. Mesidor is a bit hit-or-miss on a down-to-down basis and turns 25 before the draft, but he has a chance to be a contributor in the NFL or even a legitimate, consistent threat off the edge if he hits the ground running. The Lions have to try something.” — McDonald

Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri (6-foot-5, 262)
Source: Keith Sanchez (Draft Network)

“The Detroit Lions’ sack production for the past few years has been Aidan Hutchinson or bust. And while Hutchinson has operated at a high level, it is clear that if the Lions want to reach the Super Bowl, they need a more well-rounded defense. In this spot, the Lions draft edge rusher Zion Young to be a great complementary piece to Hutchinson, as Young also has the ceiling to get double-digit sacks in a season.” — Sanchez

Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M (6-foot-2 1/2, 253)
Source: Nick Shook (NFL.com)

“If there’s any general manager in the NFL who has demonstrated a willingness to ignore pre-draft rankings and stick with his guys, it’s the Lions’ Brad Holmes. He flouts concerns regarding Howell’s arm length (30 1/4 inches) and chooses a dynamic rusher who is also highly capable of making a difference against the run, giving the Lions the running mate they’ve needed for Aidan Hutchinson.” — Shook

Erik’s thoughts:

Faulk and Messidor have been regulars to the mock draft roundup all offseason, while Young and Howell have made brief appearances and exits. Young is a terrific stylistic fit for the Lions’ scheme, but there are some off-the-field issues that need to be vetted to ensure he’d be a good culture fit. He’ll remind some Lions fans of a younger Za’Darius Smith (during his time in Detroit), but pick No. 17 feels a bit rich for me. Howell is a dynamic pass rusher and is almost universally predicted to be selected in the first round. However, I have more questions about his run defense—especially in the Lions’ scheme—which could be a deal-breaker in the first round for Detroit.

Mock Draft Spotlight

With minimal changes in the above picks for the second week in a row, let’s do another Mock Draft Spotlight, this time focusing on ESPN’s Matt Miller’s 7-round mock draft.

Here are the nine prospects he paired the Lions with in each round:

Round 1, pick 17: Monroe Freeling, LT, Georgia (6-foot-7, 315)
2, 50: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF (6-foot-4, 253)
4, 118: Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan (6-foot-2 1/2, 238)
4, 128: DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson (6-foot-5, 313)
5, 157: J’Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia (5-foot-9, 199)
5, 181: Reggie Virgil, WR, Texas Tech (6-foot-3, 187)
6, 205: Sawyer Robinson, QB, Baylor (6-foot-4, 216)
6, 213: Beau Stephens, OG, Iowa (6-foot-5, 310)
7, 222: Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington (6-foot-3 1/2, 196)

Erik’s thoughts:

I discussed Freeling at length above, so let’s move on to the rest of the picks from Miller. Lawrence is a player rising up draft boards, and some have begun predicting that he’ll come off the board in the first round. There’s some Josh Sweat to his game and would surely add some juice off the edge in Detroit.

Rolder is an ascending linebacker whose game is built on run defense and instincts. While he is probably at his best as an INSIDE WILL linebacker in a defense that deploys a lot of 2-linebacker sets, he’s still developable and has range to grow into more roles.

I took Taylor in the fifth round of my seven-round Lions mock draft, so I’m on board with that pick.

Virgil feels like a bit of a luxury pick, but it’s hard to argue the value, and he has the upside to compete for a WR4 role early in his career, likely as a vertical WR-X option to support Isaac TeSlaa.

I don’t get the Robinson pick in the sixth round, either in value or positional selection.

The Lions have added a bunch of IOL talent this offseason (they currently have 10 IOL on the roster), but Stephens is a very good value in the sixth round, even if it means displacing an offseason addition like Juice Scruggs or Ben Bartch.

Prysock is big and is a hitter, but he’s played mostly zone coverage, which has allowed him to play downhill. If he shows even a hint of ability to play man coverage, or the staff believes he has the range to play safety, he’d be yet another player of value for the Lions in this draft.

Read the full article here