The Lions will prioritize keeping the best unit on the team the best unit on the team.
Two weeks out from the 2025 NFL Draft, the options for the Detroit Lions at No. 28 overall (and beyond) are wide-ranging. Trading up or trading down from that late first-round pick feels equally possible.
With that first-round pick, there are two positions that feel like needs: edge rusher and interior offensive line. General manager Brad Holmes is not, and should not be, a strictly needs-based drafter. But he also doesn’t ignore needs when they are clear.
ESPN has rounded up some fresh draft buzz for each team, with insight from team beat reporters and draft analysts. In the “what we’re hearing” section for the Lions, here’s what draft analyst Matt Miller wrote.
“With center Frank Ragnow nearing the end of his career, interior offensive line will be a priority in the early rounds. Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) has been widely connected to Detroit at No. 28 overall and can play both guard and center. Pass rusher is another position the Lions could target early, and don’t be surprised if they add a cornerback — especially a nickel corner — in their first four picks.”
Zabel pushed himself into the first-round conversation after a strong Senior Bowl, where he worked at both guard spots and held his own against a higher level of competition in practice drills. He played left tackle at a high level during his final season at North Dakota State. but he is seen as an interior player at the next level and he saw snaps at all five offensive line positions during his college career.
The Lions have questions at guard, with Graham Glasgow coming off a rough season and Christian Mahogany having a small sample of two starts as a rookie last season (as good as they were; one at each guard spot).
During his press conference after last season, Holmes promised there will be ongoing priority placed on keeping the offensive line strong.
“I just think you’ve got to keep the whole garden watered at all points,” Holmes said. “And so, it’s going to be the whole unit, because I mean, that is – that’s the engine for us…And so, I don’t care how good we ever get on the offensive line…..it’s our identity, man. So, I think just that alone is just – it’s always going to be at the forefront.”
As for Miller’s mention of Zabel as a possible successor for Frank Ragnow at center, he played 17 snaps at center in college (according to Pro Football Focus). So let’s put that idea in the “possible, but not looking likely” category.
The idea of the Lions taking a nickel corner is broadly surprising, with Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw and Brian Branch providing suitable depth there. Taking a cornerback “in their first four picks” would not necessarily be a shock, it’s Miller’s categorization of a nickel corner that feels like a stretch and others who pay close attention to the Lions also see it as a surprise.
On the other hand, the Lions taking Zabel at No. 28 would not be a surprise. At this point the bigger question is if he’ll be available that late, or if they’ll have to pivot to another interior offensive lineman if they see fit to take one there.
