One Week Out, the Mock Is On
Seven days before the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Detroit Lions Podcast fired up a full seven-round mock. The simulator ran on the consensus board at normal speed. Every trade offer was rejected to keep the exercise clean, even though the host admitted he would take several of them in real life. Tennessee, Buffalo, and Philadelphia dangled packages with future second-round picks. Tempting, but declined.
The board fell largely as expected into the teens. The goal was simple. Track how the Detroit Lions might act when real choices appear. Concrete roster needs. Scheme fits. Red flags. All in play.
Round 1: OT Over CB Temptations
The Lions sifted through a cluster that included Raymond McCoy, Dylan Spielman, Keldrick Falk, Caden Proctor, Akeem Mezzadore, and Caleb Lomu. McCoy brought one season of pristine outside-corner tape at Tennessee, but the knee history and whispers about a degenerative issue cooled enthusiasm. The Lions already live with that kind of concern at safety with Kirby Joseph. Pass.
Edge was surveyed for a complement to Aidan Hutchinson. A prototype was on the board, but Mezzadore did not fit that vision. Avion Terrell offered coverage polish yet carried a lighter frame than ideal. Caleb Lomu drew praise for movement skills and zone-friendly run blocking, but the sense was Detroit would not value him as highly. Caden Proctor held appeal, just not as the apple of their eye.
The pick landed where positional value and board scarcity intersected. Blake Miller, offensive tackle. Take the pillar now, develop the ceiling with Fraley, and avoid forcing an offensive need later when the board thins.
After 17: Runs, Snipes, and Offers
Once Miller was in, chips fell fast. McCoy came off the board. Proctor went to Houston. Gabe Vaki vanished. Then the sting. TJ Parker, a player with real Lions interest, disappeared just before 50. More trade calls arrived in the 50s with swaps that included moving down for extra Day 2 capital. Again, declined for the sake of the exercise.
Round 2 Watch: Corner Takes the Lead
The Lions scanned offense and saw little they liked. Eli Stowers at tight end did not move the needle, especially with contested-catch concerns. A running back like Jadarian Price was not in play. Defense answered. Chris Johnson, an outside corner, fit cleanly and immediately jumped to the top of the conversation. Malachi Lawrence offered intrigue. Kayla Banks carried a foot injury that complicated the calculus.
The takeaway was clear. By grabbing an offensive tackle early, Detroit preserved flexibility while the second-round board tilted defense. Cornerback rose to the front, with outside traits that align with how the Lions want to play on the perimeter. Health flags matter. Scheme fit matters more. One week out, this mock framed both with clarity.
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Transcript
Hey, everyone, Jeffers. And here with your daily DLP, it is Thursday, April 16th. You know what that means? One week. So we get to the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
I am very fired up about this. I hope you are too.
Yeah, one more week of all the consternation about what might happen and then we learn what actually will happen. And I am.
I'm ready. I think most of you are ready in honor of it being one week out. I thought today I would do a mock draft using a simulator and go over what picks. I think the lions would make in the given situations that come up.
So what you're right into that. I will use the PFS and simulator. I like what they have for a variety of reasons. So first of the good people.
They also have a bunch of different ways that you can set your boards up.
I think you use the consensus one. The user ADP is a fun one to use as well. If you're using simulators.
Here's over a PFS. Look, PFS just parted much my friends on that super thrilled about that. There's simulators fine as well, but for this situation.
We will use this guy.
What I mean the ads for. So we got seven rounds. That will be the Detroit lines.
Let's use the consensus player list here.
A normal speed. Yeah, we'll go normal speed because I like to watch how it flies along. So let's let's get this to go.
Going someone is expected here.
To get down to 17.
Share my love going there. I'm going to go up really off the board. That would hurt a little bit.
Can you answer the conge or the Tyson gone. Now I'm going to reject trades, but this is a nice offer from Tennessee, but I am going to reject all trades just out of, you know, to keep it isn't genuine as I can.
But 27 to 128 for 3566, 101 in a second next year. In reality, I would absolutely take that. So yes, that would be that would be nice.
26 91 second and a fifth next year from Buffalo. I'd probably take that out of our bread homes to.
And 23 and a second round pick from the Eagles. I honestly, I don't want the Eagles to move up.
Is that that might be a weird situation, but let's see where we're at with who the lions have on the board here.
I am looking here for what I think the lions are going to do again. A he knacker is there. Let's look at the offensive tackles that are available.
Proctor Lomu Blake Miller, certainly in play for the lions. He's been connected quite a bit. I believe that I not sold on Keiden Proctor being the apple of their eye as much, but I won't deny the fact that he certainly would hold appeal to the lions.
Lomu would be my pick here, but I don't think the lions are going to like him as much as I do. And schematically, I get it. He is better for a more movement based zone type team with his run blocking.
But I do think that that can develop with Hank fairly, but.
So if the edges now go to the defensive side of the ball.
Obviously McCoy is, so McCoy is fascinating because he has one year of like immaculate tape as an outside corner at Tennessee.
The problem was that was in 2024. It's the only year we've got. It is coming off of a knee injury that might not be right yet. And the worst degenerative are being thrown around.
Pretty, pretty liberally by a lot of people who have access to information that I don't.
We've already got that problem with Kirby Joseph. So I'm going to say no. And you know what? I think the lions are going to say no on that too.
Falk man, he is straight out of central casting for what they want opposite or what they've shown that they want opposite.
Aden Hutchinson at edge.
Mezzanore, I don't see him in that light. I don't think the lions do either make me a worn as fascinating Terrell.
Maybe on Terrell is a great cover corner. He's a good schematic fit, even though he's a little bit later than he would want cold and hood makes sense.
Get down in here. So I think T.J. Parker is listening to 39 here. I think I do think that the lions have significant interest in him in the first round.
But I am going to go to what I think the lions would do. And in this situation, I think they're taking Blake Miller offensive tackle.
Now we move forward. Falk and McCoy coming right off the board. Lomo getting in the run defensive players here.
Parker there, gone to Houston. I don't buy that for a second, by the way.
Texan's looking defensive line first. Brown state Chris Bell, I like that pick for Chris Bell for the Browns.
Gabiakis gone. That hurts. T.J. Parker gone. That also hurts just before 50.
That's another trade that I would do in real life, but I'm going to reject it. The charges offering 55 and 86 for 50 and 128.
59 and 106 for 50 and 220. So absolutely, I'd do that pick in a heartbeat.
But in order to keep it, you know, acknowledge we're good. These ads are killing me again, but.
Eli Stowers, I don't think the lines are going to be super interesting on the the tight end who is basically Isaac to fly.
This way is he also isn't very good at contestant catches. So I don't think the flies are going to be interested in that. So let's look at the overall board.
Chris Johnson as an outside corner, a whole man. We might just stop the conversation right there.
Because he's a really good fit. So we have the names available here though Malachai Lawrence, certainly some intrigue there.
Kila Banks with the foot injury insert. Sturkey comment here about Brad being attracted to guys that have foot problems and big guys with injury problems. Yeah.
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Notice there's not a lot of offensive players on this range that's that reinforces why you would take the offensive tackle first.
And look at the top.
The top offensive players should area price running back. You're not taking him. Stowers tight end. I don't think the lines are going to have any interest in him.
You know, Williams know is sort of an underneath. He's a redundant receiver to what they have in and I'm going to say Brown isn't nearly as good at that.
Chris Brassel just lost better than him.
I think I think the lines would think that you gold day and linebacker.
I was in Chris Johnson corner back from San Diego State and I have now.
A lot of options at corner back.
And I love the fact that it would give him time to develop into being a starter and does that to be thrust in right away.
But if he earns it, he can earn it.
Because so the names that come up here in the third round as we go forward.
I will lose trade on sticks.
Keelan Ruffledge is an interesting one. You think the lines would have some interest there in the Georgia Tech offensive lineman.
Big citrus going to Jacksonville.
I like big citrus. I like I think the lines like big citrus as well. Dominic Orange from Iowa State.
It's kind of an immobile object type nose tackle. He's got more than that, but he's got some juice.
Not to make a citrus upon there or anything, but I like him and I know that the lines have spent some time on him.
In the Georgia Tech offensive tie.
So in the Georgia Tech offensive tie.
You should bow rig on there to chase crown over so the range of offensive tackles.
Who you wouldn't who you might pass on in the first round if you want to keep going down.
They've all just come off the board, basically.
So now we get the one 18 and who are the top prospects here.
Daryl Jackson, not. I'm going to say the lines are going to have a lot of interest in that one.
Logan Jones.
but Devon Moore is an outside corner, good, good,
skiing fit and football player, but again, we just took a corner.
We'll look at the edges that are available here.
Okay, Anthony Lucas, Mason Rieger.
These guys aren't very good value according to the consensus for it,
but do we think the brand cares about the consensus for it?
I don't.
Well, the well is interesting.
I'm going to pause on him, though, because I think I want him to be my next pick.
I do. Let's look at the linebackers.
Oh, I had Christopher Paso from draft grade book on recently, and he talked up Caleb Eamsor.
I like him a lot here as the Alex and Zolone replacement, who can do a little bit more long-term,
but he can come right in and be able to in-player where Rodrigo plays rundowns,
and then Eamsor plays Patsing Dallas, and you know, flexes out tight ends and things like that.
That's going to be itself a read of my picks, honestly.
Chris McClellan from Missouri, he's a fun one, Caleb Proctor.
Might be a little early for him for what he offers, although he is, I mean, he was in,
he's been in mocks that I've done.
I dare say that I want the lines to one and more than I think that they would,
but in this range, he would certainly be in play.
Dr. Corleone, the godfather, good player.
See, all these other guys, you can wait on those.
Safety's.
Taffy, VJ Payne makes a lot of sets here.
I like VJ Payne a lot, and looking at who I've taken,
am I really going to ignore edge inlinebacker again?
To load up on the secondary, but VJ Payne sees, he fits that Brian Branch role.
And looking long-term, no Branch has the injury.
He does have an expiring contract coming up, he makes some sense there,
Lewis Moore, okay, and now you're, you're dipping much deeper there to these guys,
so I think would be available later, and I think that the Lions would see it that way as well.
Tight ends.
Delp, no, Tray Elmo, Lions won't have any interest in him at all.
Bullcooker, he's, he's fun later.
Rare ends coming off of an injury.
Gettings are starting to come out here.
I'm going to go, I'm going to make the executive decision.
Charles Demings is there too, and I just took a cornerback.
That hurts.
I'm going to go with Elom's or.
And I do think that the Lions, I know, well, I know that they've shown interest in him,
I know that they met with him at their pro day, beyond that.
Not sure, but these, he fits what they are looking for.
So again, my face down to 128.
Kaila Proctor just lands.
Cage Casey just went.
He would be a guy that I would have interested in this range.
Back up Isaiah World, oh my god.
An injured guy who doesn't belong in the top 150 going in the 120's.
That's the part of the draft.
Okay, so who's still here?
McClellan is still here.
Edge, let's look at the edges.
Now, my next pick is in the 150's.
Do I think McClellan's still going to be there?
Is Tyra EXAP a will, and I do think that he fits the Brit and their style of Crush the Can.
Would he be there later?
Yeah, I think so.
Anthony Lucas, I like him too, and I think the Lions would as well.
Go to the safety's.
That BJP.
BJP is screaming at me here.
Not going to lie.
Tyra EX, you got the same discussion.
So that went to an everything between
Bo Curture and Lake McCree, Jair and K-neck.
RJ Maryland is an interesting, that is Russell Maryland's son.
He is much more of a, and he's ridiculously fast.
He can't block.
See how that that plays out?
Running Max, K-Tron Allen.
Certainly a grit fit.
K-Lum Black, another grit fit.
A lot of these guys are.
Adam Randall, my guy, I like him.
I don't think that the Lions would take him this early, though.
The bigger backs who can catch them out of the backfield, I think is what they're looking at.
Again, there's a lot of quantity here.
So I'm going to pass on that, and I am going to go back
to where my instincts told me.
Oh, there's a lot of good cornerbacks here.
Now, see, now I'm regretting taking Chris Johnson,
just because there are so many corners who aren't that much worse than him relative to
like the worst, the edges that are available based first,
that's where I can take him there.
But that's part of the draft process.
Safety.
I would think VJ pain, because I know that he is the Lions type.
Again, could be Brian Branch's eventual replacement,
can play it right away, at worst, at worst, he's your third safety,
and can also play in the slot.
Play cornerback, he didn't actually play linebacker,
a little bit if you really wanted to.
We need some technical cleanup there, but
looking at the names that are going by here,
Hans Jagger, Burton's gone.
He's Sean Elliott's a guy that they would have interest in as a linebacker, I think.
Getting into the big guys here.
Okay, so same to Rand and Rachel and Benny,
both of them nose tackles gone right before the Lions pick here.
Now we're looking at running backs, and you look at the best available players,
and you're looking at running backs, you're looking at edges here.
Anthony Lucas.
I think the Lions are going to like him more than I do, honestly.
Got Jeremiah Wright is a fantastic fit,
as an interior lineman, but would they value that over edge?
So this is where you have to try to put yourself in the branch shoes,
and I'm trying my best here.
Would he value that player over filling the need at edge?
I don't think so, because I think Anthony Lucas is kind of player.
Let's look at the other edges that are out there.
Just for fun.
Lou Ellen, you know what?
Lou Ellen definitely fits what they want.
Comes from Iowa, that's a program that they know that they have had some success with,
I'm going to accept that you're though.
There's an Anthony fence.
I'm going to take Max Lou Ellen, because I do think that the Lions will like his style.
Good pass rush specialist.
He falls in love with his spin a little bit too much,
but there is a lot to like about him.
Any player has athletic upside.
He is more of a guy who can come in and take reps,
and get a notice that off the field a little bit,
which is a stated goal, which would be nice.
Now we're down into the fifth round, and now we're just taking the best player available.
Who I think the Lions would find the best player available?
Had that caveat in here?
I don't know if it's running back.
Nick Barnett, maybe.
The running backs again.
There are so many running backs that can be taken in this range.
A jade on Kennedy.
That's an interesting one.
He has fantastic eyes.
Good nose for the ball.
Now Dime Tucker, old one year wonder.
Love is one year at Western though.
Between six.
Tim Keenan, okay.
Oh, he moved away.
You know what?
That's the pick.
Tim Keenan knows tackled Alabama.
Gotta get an Alabama guy on the team, right?
That's what Brad does.
And he fits.
He can work into that rotation.
He can take the Royal Lopez roll and the DJ Reader roll.
And he can soak up those stamps.
The guy who he might not record more than 2.5 plays in the back field,
combined sex and tackles for losses.
But he helps Jack Campbell be better.
He helps.
He's your linebackers.
He helps your safes be better.
Creating blitzing lanes and things like that.
Containing the run.
All right.
Jeff Caldwell speed outside receiver with if he hands.
Keenan Curry makes a lot of sense here.
Oh, you know what?
I'm not even going to look deeper because I think Keenan Curry is a guy
that the Lions will like a lot as a power to speed
past drifter who's affected.
He led the buck guys in the sacks.
He probably wins a money betting on that.
Yeah, he's going to be the guy.
Just looking at the other guys who are available here, though.
You're looking at a lot of people that don't really differentiate themselves
from the competition that's available where it's at.
You know, Jordan Hudson makes sense.
Matthew Himner.
Red Murdock.
Shout out to Peter Spirigina.
We're saying of Keenan Curry.
We'll look at where we're at for the Lions.
We've taken Blake Miller, Chris Johnson, Caleb Eamsore,
BJ Payne, Max and Wellen, Tim Keenan,
Keenan Curry.
We're done with our final two picks here.
The best available.
Will they take a quarterback?
That's a good question.
I don't know if they will or not.
I would, I wouldn't take a quarterback here.
I would take all might here if he's available.
See if I'm always available.
He is as this club dick.
I could honestly see them having some interesting cave club dick here, but I
I don't know.
Now we're looking at guys that might have special teams upside.
Jacobi Thomas makes a lot of sense.
Andre Fuller from Toledo, cornerback.
Look at the other edges.
Gomes for a tight end in Northern Illinois.
Traymore.
Come on, I'm not athletic enough.
Payton, not really that good.
Michael Hellman,
Central Michigan.
He might be my last pick.
I might return him in a few big keys on James Newby,
as a guy that I put in my first mock draft for the Lions.
Certainly intriguing player.
Jack Piber and as well.
But those are guys that you don't really need to take here.
We want to running back.
Jimmy Roller is still available.
That's going to be tough value to overlook.
He tested much more athletic than he ever showed at Michigan,
but that might hit that some upside.
He does have very good eyes and everything.
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I live here.
I'm off to Jaila.
Jaila Husky is fun.
I wonder if I wonder where they would go here.
This is this is tough.
Honestly, and trying to put in what you think the Lions would do here.
Let me look at the running backs.
Swimming with you much time on this last pick.
Let's call a fix.
I know.
A triad of all special teams go war there.
Converted was a winebacker at Ohio State.
Tied in at Ohio State.
He can play tight like there's a number of different things you can do with him.
He fits into the athlete as much as he has a running back.
Jam Miller, they probably like him more than I do.
Hold my tongue on that one.
I just didn't see a lot to like.
Wine receivers.
You're not looking at anybody here that's better than
Donick Love it.
Just, I'll frame it that way.
And I don't think that the Lions will see it that way either.
Any other offensive tackles if you want to dip in
double dip, triple dip.
Yeah, I might be.
Richie's in his head.
Tristan Lee.
Ooh, that's a tough one.
Could you trap both Clemson tackles?
That would be interesting.
Alan Harada is a project.
There's a lot of athleticism to like there.
I'm looking down here.
There's my guy Bruno on Whizior on Whizor.
Six foot eight, 36 inch arms, 86 inch wingspan.
Virginia State Trojan, D2, dominated down there.
I put it up on social media earlier this week.
That if you're looking for a late round or UDFA guy to work with,
I will tell you from having watched him at BSU.
He walks in with the same level.
If not a better technical proficiency than where
than where Giovanni Manu is right now.
And has played well, I guess, playing American football against D2.
The CIA is not a great league, but I'll say it was an undrafted pre-agent.
I am going to go, however, the best player available.
I think the Lions will take, which will go be Thomas.
I think he fits the grit.
Last pick.
Let's see if they took Aaron Anderson, Rosie Virgil.
A lot of guys don't make a whole lot of sense when Lee went right away.
Now we're looking at what would the Lions do here with a reward under a fuller.
We've got a lot of cornerbacks.
We've taken already defensive backs.
We'll go back to that offensive line.
Ibnur.
So you're up now.
I think
I'll come on as fun.
There's a lot of
figuring out which of these developed Michael Types the Lions would like the most.
Is probably fruitless for me to spend a lot more time on.
So I'm just going to pull the trigger here.
As I keep scrolling down, hoping that somebody will jump off and say,
you drive me.
The Lions will drive me.
And I'm not really seeing it.
Next, Bratison.
Let's go up to the top.
I think the picks could be Matthew Hinder.
Tighten from SMU.
And that would be the gentleman is the draft.
My picks.
To recite.
Blake Miller offensive, Dr.
Blumson, Chris Johnson, cornerbacks in Diego State.
Caleb Elon's or linebacker.
TCU.
VJ Payne, Safety Kansas State.
Max Lullen, Edge, Iowa.
Tim Keenan, Knows Tackle, Alabama,
Caden Curry, Edge.
Outside linebacker defensive end from Ohio State.
I wish this would stop scrolling like that.
I'll be Thomas Safety from.
Oh, oh, it goes to the bottom grade.
I don't worry about the grades that gave me a B.
That's fine.
I don't care about the grading metrics.
I'm the last one being Matthew Hinder.
Tight end.
The versatile tight end potential for accurate placement.
Remember, the Lions are going to be
potentially all three of the current tight ends.
I had to inspire in contracts.
I do think the reporter will get taken care of.
But Brock Wright and Tyler Contlin are both
for ages at the end of the year.
I'm getting a guy in here now.
It makes a lot of sense.
So that is the draft.
I will print that off when I'm done.
But until that.
We'll yank that.
We're going to week to go, guys.
I posted my final big board at real GM today.
It should be up by the time this is on.
If not, keep looking for it.
FootballRoseYM.com.
I went at the 341 players.
Yeah, it's an ordeal.
We will have a lot more content coming in the coming days.
We're working on scheduling a group,
mock draft, or we do things.
If you like, if you like how this one went,
I will do another one of these probably over the weekend
where I do the picks that I personally would make.