ZYE'S MOCK DRAFT
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ZYE'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 27, 2026

solide draft with bk up qb

  • ZYE DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (DET)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 50 RND: 2 (DET)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (DET)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (DET)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (DET)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Trinidad Chambliss Head Shot
PICK: 120 RND: 4 (DET)
Trinidad Chambliss
QB Ole Miss
Trey Zuhn III Head Shot
PICK: 186 RND: 6 (DET)
Trey Zuhn III
OT Texas A&M
Jack Velling Head Shot
PICK: 199 RND: 6 (DET)
Jack Velling
TE Michigan State
J. Michael Sturdivant Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (DET)
J. Michael Sturdivant
WR Florida
Draft Picks Received
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (BUF)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (BUF)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (BUF)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (SF)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Trinidad Chambliss Head Shot
PICK: 120 RND: 4 (GB)
Trinidad Chambliss
QB Ole Miss
Jack Velling Head Shot
PICK: 199 RND: 6 (GB)
Jack Velling
TE Michigan State
Draft Picks Traded
Carnell Tate Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (BUF)
Carnell Tate
WR Ohio State
Jude Bowry Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (GB)
Jude Bowry
OT Boston College
Jaden Greathouse Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (SF)
Jaden Greathouse
WR Notre Dame
Noah Fifita Head Shot
PICK: 203 RND: 6 (SF)
Noah Fifita
QB Arizona
Fernando Carmona Head Shot
PICK: 212 RND: 6 (SF)
Fernando Carmona
OT Arkansas
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B
ValueC NeedB+ TradesA- FutureC+
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Lions a B.

They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Akheem Mesidor, 35 picks early at pick 26. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.

That linebacker hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On value alone, Golday makes the weekend a net positive. Small wins on the phones, but wins all the same.

Good work on the whole, with linebacker the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick26 Rnd1 Akheem Mesidor
In No. 26 they get a double-digit-sack hope, though the board says they badly overpaid. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick50 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman at Round 2, Pick 18 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick60 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter at pick No. 60 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick91 Rnd3 Jake Golday
Nice patience on Jake Golday, who had no business lasting to slot 91. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick92 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at the Round 3 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick120 Rnd4 Trinidad Chambliss
A clean, defensible pick in the 120th pick with a little surplus value in Trinidad Chambliss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick186 Rnd6 Trey Zuhn III
The board had cheaper options than Trey Zuhn III at the 186th overall pick, and it noticed. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick199 Rnd6 Jack Velling
Jack Velling at pick 199 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick222 Rnd7 J. Michael Sturdivant
No edge and no loss on J. Michael Sturdivant in slot 222; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.