Lions’ 2025 mock draft: Who are the best players available?

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It’s March, and free agency is right around the corner. What teams do this month in free agency will undoubtedly impact what happens next month during the draft. We’ll have a better understanding of how the 2025 Detroit Lions will look next week, which should set the Lions up to take the best player available come April.

There are a lot of moving parts until then, though, which makes this the perfect time for a post-combine, pre-free agency mock draft.

Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, here’s a seven-round mock draft, highlighting some players who could fit what the Lions are looking for.

First round, No. 28: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Defensive tackle might not seem like a need, but the Lions don’t draft for need. They draft the best player available — and there’s a chance Harmon is that player when they’re on the clock at 28. In this scenario, Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell, Boston College edge Donovan Ezeruaku, Georgia edge Mykel Williams, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Marshall’s Mike Green were all off the board. I considered going with a guard like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, and a slight trade down for Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton was appealing, but I didn’t want to overthink it. Harmon was my favorite player remaining. I like him more than some of the players who were taken.

Alim McNeill and Mekhi Wingo are coming off torn ACLs suffered late in the 2024 season. DJ Reader will turn 31 before the season and is entering the final year of his contract. And the Lions could lose Levi Onwuzurike in free agency. Adding Harmon to the mix would give the defensive tackle room some immediate firepower. Harmon is nearly 6-foot-5, 313 pounds with 34 3/8 arms. He led all FBS defensive tackles in pressures with 55, per PFF, and ranked fourth with a win rate of 17.6 percent (min. 100 pass-rush snaps). He’s got a quick first step and performed well at the combine. He’s versatile enough to play nose, three-tech or kick out to defensive end in a pinch like Onwuzurike. Not to mention he’s a Detroit native who began his career at Michigan State before transferring to Oregon.

He could do a better job finishing at times, but that’s nitpicking. He’s got traits, production, versatility and local ties. Harmon would be a strong addition.

Second round, No. 60: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina

Once viewed as an easy first-round prospect — and as high as 10th on The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s big board — a torn ACL suffered in September has Revel sliding a bit. The question is, how far will he slide? I wondered how realistic it was myself when I saw Revel sitting there at No. 60. But NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Revel outside of his updated top-50 big board, published after the combine. If that’s the buzz around the league, he’d be an absolute steal at 60. He could even be a trade-up candidate if he’s sitting there in the 50s.

Revel has excellent size (6-foot-2, 194 pounds), great speed (projected 4.3 40) and isn’t afraid to challenge in man coverage. He’s everything the Lions look for, and could be needed if Carlton Davis III signs elsewhere in free agency. If Revel is the pick, Detroit’s secondary of the future would be set for the foreseeable future with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch at safety, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at nickel and Terrion Arnold and Revel at outside corner. Not to mention Amik Robertson would still be around to give the young guys time to develop.

Third round (compensatory), No. 101: Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA

Oladejo (6-foot-3, 259 pounds, 33 3/8 arms) was a linebacker for the first three years of his career, prior to switching to edge this past season. That move is why he’s in this position. He’s a little raw, as one would imagine, given his lack of experience, but he’s got a ton of workable traits. He’s twitchy, has long arms, closing speed and should be able to hold up against the run. He had a strong week at the Senior Bowl, and though he skipped agility tests at the combine, he’s expected to run at his pro day. Those numbers could ultimately determine where he’s drafted. In his most recent big board, Brugler had Oladejo ranked 92nd. We get him at 101 here.

Oladejo lacks a refined rush plan right now, but he uses his hands well and can win with effort and athleticism while he gets more comfortable. Get him in a room with new defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers and let him learn behind Za’Darius Smith for a year. Could have a starter on your hands in 2026.

Fourth round, No. 133: Jackson Slater, G, Sacramento State

If the Lions are able to bring back Kevin Zeitler, it’ll lessen the need for another guard in 2025. But even if they do, it could be worth adding a guy like Slater to the room. Zeitler is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. You could say the same for Graham Glasgow, who will turn 33 in August and is coming off a rough season (though he wasn’t fully healthy). Christian Mahogany feels like the closest thing to a dependable young guard the Lions have, with Colby Sorsdal a healthy scratch for much of the season and Giovanni Manu looking like a project tackle. Slater was a multiyear starter at Sacramento State, more than held his own at the Senior Bowl and recorded a 9.36 relative athletic score — with 31 bench reps and the third-fastest 40 time among interior linemen at the combine. Could play guard or center at the next level.

Fifth round, No. 141 (via trade with Carolina): Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois

Trade details: Detroit sends No. 196 and 2026 fifth-round pick to the Panthers for No. 141.

Bryant could be the big-bodied X receiver the Lions have been looking for. Tim Patrick was productive in that role a year ago, but if the Lions are looking to go younger, Bryant makes sense as a Day 3 option. He’s 6-foot-2, 204 pounds with a 37 and a half inch vertical. He caught 54 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season. At the combine, Bryant said he operates with a “no block, no rock” mentality, and it shows on tape. He had a contested catch rate of 69.2 percent, a passer rating when targeted of 140.1 and a drop rate of just 1.8 percent. If he ran a 4.41 instead of a 4.61, we’d likely be talking about him going much higher. He’s more of a long-strider than a burner, but the Lions have the speed department covered with Jameson Williams. The Lions seem to be on the hunt for bigger receivers based on some of their reported meetings. That includes Bryant, who had a formal meeting with the Lions at the combine. Could be a fun fit.

Sixth round, No. 202 (via trade with Los Angeles): CJ Dippre, TE, Alabama

Trade details: Detroit sends No. 230 and a 2026 seventh-rounder to the Rams for No. 202

I was looking for a late-round tight end, and Dippre was there for me. A Maryland transfer, Dippre checks a ton of boxes if the Lions are looking to add to their tight end room. Former fifth-round pick James Mitchell is now with the Carolina Panthers, so the room could use another body. Dippre led all tight ends with 32 bench reps, recorded the second-highest MPH (21.82), NextGenStats athleticism score (83) and relative athletic score (9.38) among TEs. He’s also an excellent blocker and just sounds like a Dan Campbell guy. Dippre met with the Lions at the combine. One to keep an eye on.

Seventh round, No. 249: Jailin Walker, LB, Indiana

A James Madison transfer who followed head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana, Walker is an athletic linebacker who could be available late in the draft. The 6-foot-1, 218-pounder recorded 83 tackles on an Indiana team that set a program record for wins in a season with 11. He didn’t earn a combine invite, which could keep him under the radar a bit, but he’s a terrific athlete. Walker checked in at No. 63 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List back in August. He’s been clocked at a top speed of 22.5 mph on the GPS and vertical-jumped 40 inches last offseason. Not a bad bet this late.

(Top photo of Derrick Harmon: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)

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