Lions' Draft Strategy: Building Depth with Nine Picks

0:00On April 3rd, the 2026 NFL Draft is just under three weeks out, hitting Pittsburgh at a Cresher Stadium on the North Shore. Detroit Lions fans are locked in, with their squad holding nine picks to build that roster deeper. They've got a first rounder at Pick 17, a second at Pick 18, or number 50 overall, and solid spots later on. Earlier this month, before the league year kicked off, the Lions flipped running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. In return, they snagged an extra fourth rounder at Pick 28 and a seventh rounder, beefing up their draft ammo without losing top end, capital. Lions, brass, and fans see this as prime positioning after a strong season push, letting them target playmakers without trading up aggressively. That trade clears cap space too, keeping Montgomery's production in the AFC while freeing Detroit to chase fresh legs. Diving into the full hall, they've got two fourth rounders. On at Pick 18, the other from Houston at 128 plus 5th at 17, and 41, a compensatory nod.

1:06Round 6 brings picks 24, from Jacksonville and 32 via Seattle through the Jags, and a seventh at 6th from Cleveland. All eyes on how GM Brad Holmes schemes these selections to keep the Lions roaring into contention, draft nights about to drop that heed. This has been NFL News Today, powered by AI.