ScholarlyViking'S MOCK DRAFT
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ScholarlyViking'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 21, 2026

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Mock drafts from ScholarlyViking

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  • ScholarlyViking DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (DET)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Trey Zuhn III Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (DET)
Trey Zuhn III
C Texas A&M
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (DET)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
Ephesians Prysock Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (DET)
Ephesians Prysock
CB Washington
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 5 (DET)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Jeff Caldwell Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (DET)
Jeff Caldwell
WR Cincinnati
Dasan McCullough Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Dasan McCullough
LB-EDGE Nebraska
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (SEA)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (SEA)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Anez Cooper Head Shot
PICK: 205 RND: 6 (SEA)
Anez Cooper
OG Miami
Players Gained
Head Shot
Tyrice Knight
LB
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB+ FutureB
The Lions checked most of the boxes and earned a B.

When the story of this class is written, it opens with Dasan McCullough at No. 222, a reach of 101 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.

The Caldwell pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They went 6 of 9 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
Sonny Styles in No. 17 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick50 Rnd2 Blake Miller
Blake Miller in pick 50 lands just on the right side of the ledger. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick118 Rnd4 Trey Zuhn III
They liked Trey Zuhn III enough to skip the value, taking him in the 118th overall pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick128 Rnd4 DeMonte Capehart
They paid up for DeMonte Capehart at pick No. 128 when waiting would have done the job. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick157 Rnd5 Ephesians Prysock
This one needs a full-page explanation: Ephesians Prysock in Round 5, Pick 17, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick181 Rnd5 VJ Payne
VJ Payne in the Round 5 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick213 Rnd6 Jeff Caldwell
Jeff Caldwell at pick No. 213 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick222 Rnd7 Dasan McCullough
A big swing on Dasan McCullough at the Round 7 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.