Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT
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Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 3, 2026

I worked hard at this one

  • Maddmax DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Monroe Freeling Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (DET)
Monroe Freeling
OT Georgia
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Jalen Farmer Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (DET)
Jalen Farmer
OG Kentucky
Max Llewellyn Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (DET)
Max Llewellyn
DE-EDGE Iowa
Nyjalik Kelly Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (DET)
Nyjalik Kelly
DE-EDGE UCF
Caleb Douglas Head Shot
PICK: 176 RND: 5 (DET)
Caleb Douglas
WR Texas Tech
Matt Gulbin Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 5 (DET)
Matt Gulbin
C Michigan State
Nick Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Nick Barrett
DL South Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Douglas Head Shot
PICK: 176 RND: 5 (KC)
Caleb Douglas
WR Texas Tech
Draft Picks Traded
Bobby Jamison-Travis Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (SF)
Bobby Jamison-Travis
DT Auburn
Jadon Canady Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (WSH)
Jadon Canady
CB Oregon
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Lions.

You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Lions did exactly that with Nyjalik Kelly in the 157th overall pick. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.

That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Farmer at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.

Cornerback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Monroe Freeling
In pick 17 they get a cornerstone up front, though they paid up to get him. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick50 Rnd2 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at the 50th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick118 Rnd4 Jalen Farmer
Jalen Farmer is a better player than the 118th pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick128 Rnd4 Max Llewellyn
They reached into another round for Max Llewellyn, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick157 Rnd5 Nyjalik Kelly
This one needs a full-page explanation: Nyjalik Kelly in the Round 5 slot, miles early. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick176 Rnd5 Caleb Douglas
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Caleb Douglas in pick No. 176. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick181 Rnd5 Matt Gulbin
No edge and no loss on Matt Gulbin in Round 5, Pick 41; it is a wash and a sensible one. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick222 Rnd7 Nick Barrett
Nick Barrett in pick 222 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It adds depth where they could use a little.