Richard Silva – The Detroit News
There’s one month left before the 2025 NFL Draft, which is April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- The Detroit Lions have the No. 28 overall pick in the first round.
- The Lions’ main needs are edge rusher and interior offensive line, though they could look in other areas.
Sound the alarms: We are officially one month from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Things will change for some teams between now and then — notably, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to find a new home — but don’t expect much shuffling for the Detroit Lions. With 72 players currently under contract (and seven picks scheduled to arrive next month, plus some undrafted free agents), Detroit’s 90-man roster is largely set.
Here’s the latest look at who various prognosticators have the Lions selecting in their latest mock drafts. This is our eighth roundup of the offseason (we drop them every Monday), as we’re aiming to keep you updated regarding the buzz surrounding the No. 28 overall pick.
▶ Pete Prisco, CBS Sports (March 24): Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
Few played a larger role in Ohio State winning a national championship last season than Jackson (6-foot-4, 315 pounds), who started 2024 at left guard before kicking out to tackle following an injury to teammate Josh Simmons. Jackson, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2021 who was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes, received All-America honors as a senior — he was a member of the second team — and his pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus during the postseason (87.2) ranked No. 1 among all offensive linemen who made the College Football Playoff.
▶ Ben Standig, The Athletic (March 24): James Pearce Jr., edge, Tennessee
Over the final 10 weeks of the regular season in 2024, only seven players in the country had more pressures than Pearce (6-5, 245 pounds); the third-year pass rusher notched 38 pressures, 32 tackles and 7.0 sacks over that stretch. Pearce doesn’t profile as the type of player the Lions seem to want opposite Aidan Hutchinson — he’s not as stout as some others, such as Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart (267 pounds) or Georgia’s Mykel Williams (260 pounds) — but his collegiate production can’t be denied.
▶ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY (March 24): Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
Selecting someone to rush off the edge is rightfully a popular prediction for the Lions, but passing over the talent of an interior defensive lineman like Grant (6-4, 331 pounds) would have to be difficult for general manager Brad Holmes. Grant is one of the best run defenders in the draft — Detroit’s identity is centered around establishing the run on offense and stopping it on defense — and he’s shown enough ability as a pass rusher (27 pressures in 2024) to project as a first-round pick. Choosing the former Michigan standout would make all the more sense if Alim McNeill, who tore his ACL in December, isn’t ready by Week 1.
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▶ Daniel Harms, The Draft Network (March 23): Mike Green, edge, Marshall
One of the draft’s most polarizing prospects is Green (6-3, 251 pounds), who some have previously mocked in the top 10 and others have going in the late first round. Green led the country in sacks (17.0) and was second in tackles for loss (22½), but he has some off-the-field issues teams have to work through and consider. There’s also the question of whether his numbers were inflated due to the level of competition, but he quelled some of that talk by performing well during practices at the Senior Bowl in February.
▶ Chad Reuter, NFL.com (March 21): Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona
Savaiinaea (6-4, 324 pounds) showed some versatility throughout his time at Arizona, splitting reps at right tackle (1,057 career snaps), right guard (985) and left tackle (345) since 2022; during his junior season in 2024, Savaiinaea started six games at right tackle and five at left tackle. Savaiinaea would need to shift back inside to guard (where he started his collegiate career) to best fit in with the Lions. He’d be replacing Kevin Zeitler, who left for the Tennessee Titans this offseason, on the right side of the O-line between Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell.
