Laione97'S MOCK DRAFT
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Laione97'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 3, 2026

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Mock drafts from Laione97

Detroit Lions 2.0

  • Laione97 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 24 RND: 1 (DET)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (DET)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (DET)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (DET)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Keon Sabb Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (DET)
Keon Sabb
S Alabama
DJ McKinney Head Shot
PICK: 134 RND: 4 (DET)
DJ McKinney
CB Colorado
Ar'maj Reed-Adams Head Shot
PICK: 154 RND: 5 (DET)
Ar'maj Reed-Adams
OG Texas A&M
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (DET)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
LJ Martin Head Shot
PICK: 188 RND: 6 (DET)
LJ Martin
RB BYU
Roderick Kearney Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (DET)
Roderick Kearney
OG Florida
Jackson Arnold Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Jackson Arnold
QB Auburn
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 24 RND: 1 (LAR)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (DEN)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (DEN)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Keon Sabb Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (HOU)
Keon Sabb
S Alabama
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (LAR)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Isaiah World Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (LAR)
Isaiah World
OT Oregon
Players traded away
Head Shot
David Montgomery
RB
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall C+
ValueB- NeedB TradesF FutureB
The Lions lost the trade table, and the C+ tells the story.

The Lions did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and LJ Martin fell into the Round 6 slot. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.

Rodriguez has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.

Hit on Caleb Lomu and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.

Pick Analysis
Pick24 Rnd1 Caleb Lomu
In the 24th pick they get a long-term starter on the line, though they paid up to get him. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick50 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jake Slaughter at pick 50 is the proof. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick63 Rnd2 Darrell Jackson Jr.
A clean, defensible pick in slot 63 with a little surplus value in Darrell Jackson Jr.. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick95 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
A conviction pick on D'Angelo Ponds at No. 95 that the board grades a round light. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick116 Rnd4 Jacob Rodriguez
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jacob Rodriguez in the Round 4 slot, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
Pick125 Rnd4 Keon Sabb
The board fumbled Keon Sabb all the way to the 125th pick, and they scooped it up. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick134 Rnd4 DJ McKinney
Value with a capital V on DJ McKinney in the 134th overall pick, a genuine coup. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick154 Rnd5 Ar'maj Reed-Adams
A quiet steal in Round 5, Pick 15: Ar'maj Reed-Adams for less than the market said. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick162 Rnd5 Lee Hunter
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Lee Hunter well ahead of where he belonged. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Pick188 Rnd6 LJ Martin
They will replay LJ Martin at pick 188 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick209 Rnd6 Roderick Kearney
Roderick Kearney in pick 209 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick222 Rnd7 Jackson Arnold
Jackson Arnold at the 222nd pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.