HURON20'S MOCK DRAFT
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HURON20'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 7, 2026

Initial 2026 Draft1

  • HURON20 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (DET)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Zion Young Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Zion Young
DE-EDGE Missouri
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (DET)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (DET)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 129 RND: 4 (DET)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
Tanner Koziol Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (DET)
Tanner Koziol
TE Houston
Lander Barton Head Shot
PICK: 180 RND: 5 (DET)
Lander Barton
LB Utah
Xavier Nwankpa Head Shot
PICK: 188 RND: 6 (DET)
Xavier Nwankpa
S Iowa
Sawyer Robertson Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (DET)
Sawyer Robertson
QB Baylor
Trey Zuhn III Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Trey Zuhn III
OT Texas A&M
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (DET)
James Smith
DL Alabama
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (LAC)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CHI)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 129 RND: 4 (CHI)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (CHI)
James Smith
DL Alabama
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (CHI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (LAC)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Tarheeb Still
CB
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B
ValueC NeedB+ TradesA+ FutureB-
The Lions worked the phones like thieves and earned a B.

They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Zion Young, 32 picks early at the 50th pick. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.

The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up.

Slaughter falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.

Pick Analysis
Pick22 Rnd1 Caleb Lomu
They paid a round early for Caleb Lomu in pick No. 22, more than the board wanted. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick50 Rnd2 Zion Young
Zion Young in the 50th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick57 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
A quiet steal in slot 57: Jake Slaughter for less than the market said. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick118 Rnd4 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at Round 4, Pick 18 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick129 Rnd4 Domani Jackson
Domani Jackson slid further than he should have, and No. 129 is lovely value for the cornerback. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick155 Rnd5 Tanner Koziol
They liked Tanner Koziol enough to skip the value, taking him in the 155th overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick180 Rnd5 Lander Barton
They went early on Lander Barton in the Round 5 slot, and the value did not follow. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick188 Rnd6 Xavier Nwankpa
Xavier Nwankpa in No. 188 is fair value, right on his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick209 Rnd6 Sawyer Robertson
Fair-plus on Sawyer Robertson, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
Pick222 Rnd7 Trey Zuhn III
A wild overpay on Trey Zuhn III in pick 222, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick239 Rnd7 James Smith
They paid up for James Smith at slot 239 when waiting would have done the job. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.