nightrain'S MOCK DRAFT
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nightrain'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 9, 2026

02092026

  • nightrain DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DET)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 59 RND: 2 (DET)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 89 RND: 3 (DET)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 103 RND: 4 (DET)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Tanner Koziol Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (DET)
Tanner Koziol
TE Houston
Raylen Wilson Head Shot
PICK: 186 RND: 6 (DET)
Raylen Wilson
LB Georgia
Luke Altmyer Head Shot
PICK: 203 RND: 6 (DET)
Luke Altmyer
QB Illinois
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Ethan O'Connor Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (DET)
Ethan O'Connor
CB Miami
Jordan Hall Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (DET)
Jordan Hall
DL Georgia
Draft Picks Received
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 59 RND: 2 (HOU)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 89 RND: 3 (CHI)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 103 RND: 4 (NYJ)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Ethan O'Connor Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (CHI)
Ethan O'Connor
CB Miami
Jordan Hall Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (CHI)
Jordan Hall
DL Georgia
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (CHI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Emmanuel Pregnon Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (CHI)
Emmanuel Pregnon
OG Oregon
Jaeden Roberts Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (NYJ)
Jaeden Roberts
OG Alabama
Robert Spears-Jennings Head Shot
PICK: 212 RND: 6 (CHI)
Robert Spears-Jennings
S Oklahoma
Players Gained
Head Shot
Blake Fisher
OT
Head Shot
Zah Frazier
CB
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB+ TradesA+ FutureB-
The Lions won the night they stopped Ponds from sliding. Grade: B+.

The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Lions watched D'Angelo Ponds slide 38 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.

Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.

Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick20 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
They paid sticker price for Olaivavega Ioane in pick No. 20, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick59 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
A quiet steal in Round 2, Pick 27: Jake Slaughter for less than the market said. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick89 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at the Round 3 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick103 Rnd4 Zakee Wheatley
You do not let a safety like Zakee Wheatley reach the 103rd pick and blink. They did not. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick155 Rnd5 Tanner Koziol
The board had Tanner Koziol higher than pick 155, and the tight end fell to them anyway. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick186 Rnd6 Raylen Wilson
They took Raylen Wilson at par in slot 186, which is nothing to complain about. The roster fit checks out.
Pick203 Rnd6 Luke Altmyer
Value with a capital V on Luke Altmyer in the 203rd overall pick, a genuine coup. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick222 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
No edge and no loss on Riley Mahlman in No. 222; it is a wash and a sensible one. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick239 Rnd7 Ethan O'Connor
Ethan O'Connor in slot 239 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick241 Rnd7 Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall in Round 7, Pick 25 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.