The Detroit Lions selected seven players in the 2025 NFL Draft, and at least two will usurp current starters when opening week arrives.
According to senior writer Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, the team needs going into the seven-round draft were guard, edge rusher, wide receiver, defensive tackle, and safety.
Big news was announced the day before the draft when the Lions re-signed All-Pro free safety Kerby Joseph to a four-year, $86 million extension, making the 2024 NFL interceptions leader the
highest-paid player at his position in the league. Kerby totaled 83 tackles and nine interceptions in 2024. With strong safety Brian Branch on the other side (109 tackles, four interceptions), there is no immediate competition for these starting spots.
The Lions drafted safety Dan Jackson in Round 7 to add depth to the position. The hard-hitting Jackson will likely slot in behind Branch at strong safety, while free agent addition Avonte Maddox will add depth at slot cornerback and free safety.
Wide receiver has two locks in the starting lineup, despite rumors that Jameson Williams could be traded during the draft. To put the rumors to bed, on day two of the draft, the Lions picked up Williams’ fifth-year option. He will be tied to the team for two more seasons. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a back-to-back All-Pro at wide receiver. He will continue as QB Jared Goff’s go-to receiver.
But in Round 3, the Lions traded up from pick 102 to 70, giving up two third-round picks next year, to draft wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. The 6’4” and 214-lbs TeSlaa is considered a good blocker who can also be effective in the slot. While the Lions will certainly incorporate TeSlaa into the game plan, he is not expected to take a starting spot.
The Lions added wide receiver Dominic Lovett in the seventh round, who will also serve as a slot receiver. According to Erik Schlitt of SB Nation, “Lovett is undersized (5-foot-10, 185 pounds), he’s a
speedy athlete with the quickness to get open underneath and the shiftiness to be featured on screens, quick outs, and gadget plays. On special teams, Lovett has the speed and upside to also compete for a starting gunner role in Detroit.”
Defensive tackle was a clear area of need with starter Alim McNeil’s season-ending knee injury in Week 15 of last season. The Detroit Free Press suggests he could be back as early as September this year, but there is a clear path for first-round pick Tyleik Williams to fill his starting spot.
Gage O’Leary of Michigan Sports Media says “Williams possesses a lot of power and can use that to develop into a disruptive force as an interior pass rusher.”
Williams was coveted. He was not projected as a first-round pick by pundits, but Detroit seemingly had him as the top player on their board when the draft got to them at Pick 28. Lions Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes said of Williams, “We spent a lot of time with him during the process leading up to this, and we were very, very impressed after each time that we were able to spend time with him.”
Edge rusher is a spot Aidan Hutchinson has locked down on the left side, but sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein could rise up the depth chart in training camp and take the right side spot. Marcus Davenport is penciled in as the starter now, per ourlads.com, but listening to Hassanein during his phone call with head coach Dan Campbell upon being selected, Lions fans and coaches will quickly fall in love with his passion and determination to contribute to the team.
From a production perspective, Hassanein is a relentless force on the edge. Per DetroitLions.com, “Over the last two seasons at Boise State, Hassanein combined for 101 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 22.0 sacks. He's the only FBS defensive lineman to surpass 15 tackles for loss in each of the last two seasons.”
That leaves guard, the biggest need on the team. Graham Glasgow is the presumed starter on the left side, but he gave up 36 pressures and four sacks on the quarterback last season. Christian Mahogany played a limited number of snaps last season, but did not allow a sack in 34 passing plays, giving up only one pressure. Look for Mahogany to take one of the starting guard spots, and look for Round 2 draft pick Tate Ratledge to take the other.
Ratledge was a three-year starter at Georgia, starting 37 career games at right guard. In 2024, he played 311 passing plays, giving up only one sack and four hurries, per Pro Football Focus. The Lions
traded up three places to draft him. The plan seems to be that Mahogany will take over on the left side, and Ratledge will fill the right guard spot vacated by Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans.
As added depth, the Lions selected guard Miles Frazier in the fifth round out of LSU. Frazier played in 40 games over three years. In 2024, he played 579 passing plays without giving up a sack. He
allowed 12 hurries.
With their seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Lions filled every significant need on their team. This is a stacked roster, as evident by the seven Pro Bowl selections this past season.
With the young additions, look for the Lions to improve their blocking on offense, performing better than the 33 sacks allowed in the regular season (two sacks allowed in defeat to the Washington Commanders in the playoffs) and opening up even bigger rushing lanes for running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who had 1,412 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
On defense, stronger performance against the run can be expected. The Lions might even improve on their 37 sacks in 2024, which ranked 23rd out of 32 teams.