ar806'S MOCK DRAFT
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ar806'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 29, 2026

my nfl 2026 draft

  • ar806 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (DET)
Kayden McDonald
DL Ohio State
Isaiah World Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Isaiah World
OT Oregon
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (DET)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (DET)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Eric O'Neill Head Shot
PICK: 186 RND: 6 (DET)
Eric O'Neill
DE-EDGE Rutgers
Mitchell Melton Head Shot
PICK: 203 RND: 6 (DET)
Mitchell Melton
LB-EDGE Virginia
Keyon Ware-Hudson Head Shot
PICK: 212 RND: 6 (DET)
Keyon Ware-Hudson
DT Oregon
Kamran James Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
Kamran James
DE-EDGE Florida
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall C+
ValueC- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Flashes of a plan, unevenly run, for the Lions: C+.

Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Mitchell Melton at slot 203 is 102 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline. The good and the questionable cancel out to a C+.

For all the activity, safety went untouched, which is hard to explain. Ponds falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.

Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

Call it incomplete, and check back in a couple of seasons.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Kayden McDonald
In No. 17 they get a wrecking ball inside at fair value.
Pick50 Rnd2 Isaiah World
They left a pile of value on the table to take Isaiah World this early at the 50th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick118 Rnd4 D'Angelo Ponds
The board had D'Angelo Ponds higher than the Round 4 slot, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick155 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in pick 155, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick186 Rnd6 Eric O'Neill
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Eric O'Neill. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick203 Rnd6 Mitchell Melton
This one needs a full-page explanation: Mitchell Melton in the 203rd pick, miles early. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick212 Rnd6 Keyon Ware-Hudson
Keyon Ware-Hudson at Round 6, Pick 33 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick222 Rnd7 Kamran James
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Kamran James well ahead of where he belonged. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.