In less than 30 days, the Lions and the rest of the league will participate in the three-day event where they can add talented prospects to their roster from the collegiate ranks. In the Lions’ case, they’re hoping the moves they make can continue their hopes of sustained success and propel them to a Super Bowl championship.
Here’s my latest prediction of what the Lions will do with their picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Round 1, Pick 28 — Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
The Lions target the EDGE with their first pick in this mock, as Ezeiruaku is a high-upside defender who could be a solid complement opposite Aidan Hutchinson. He was extremely productive in his final season with the Eagles, totaling 16.5 sacks and earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
His ability to get after the quarterback is a skill the Lions would benefit greatly from. When Hutchinson went down with a season-ending injury, the defense was able to still generate pressure, but had a difficult time finishing plays and sacking the opposing quarterback.
In adding Ezeiruaku, the Lions bring another high-volume pass-rusher who could wind up being a big impact player for Detroit in 2025 and beyond.
Round 2, Pick 60 — Jonah Savaiinaea, IOL, Arizona
Savaiinaea was a tackle at the collegiate level but looks to be sliding to the interior, which is where the Lions have a big need after Kevin Zeitler’s departure. While the Arizona product may need some time to develop playing a new position, his physical and athletic traits suggest he’ll be fine.
Detroit does have other young guards who will compete for the vacancy Zeitler leaves, and Savaiinaea would be a good addition to that battle. He’s agile and strong, and would be a nice fit for the Lions’ run-first attack.
Round 3, pick 102 — Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
The Lions use the compensatory pick they received for Aaron Glenn’s departure on Royals, a receiver who has exceptional body control and compete for contested catches. He spent nearly 75 percent of his snaps out wide while dabbling with some slot reps, but has the ability to be an outside receiver consistently at the NFL level.
Because Royals has such great body control, he’s able to win in tight situations as shown by his eight contested catches in 15 opportunities according to Pro Football Focus. He projects as a solid depth option with the opportunity to be the team’s third wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in 2026 and beyond.
Round 4, pick 130 — Ty Robinson, DL, Nebraska
With questions about Alim McNeill’s availability for the start of the season, the Lions could benefit from adding versatile depth along the defensive line. While adding Roy Lopez and re-signing Levi Onwuzurike help, they could stand to add another option with positional flexibility.
Robinson fits that bill, and showed off his high-level athleticism during his on-field workouts at the Combine. He ran a 4.83 40-yard dash and had a 9-foot-11 broad jump. With these tools, he can develop into a solid rotational player early in his career.
Round 6, pick 196 — Sebastian Castro, S, Iowa
Castro was a playmaker in one of the Big 10’s better defenses over the last several seasons. With 163 career tackles, 14 tackles for loss and three interceptions in his time at Iowa, he has plenty of experience and a solid pedigree playing in an Iowa defense that produced current Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.
The former Hawkeye has solid ball skills and can come up and fit the run. He’s very aggressive in coming down to make plays at the line of scrimmage, and this violent style could gel nicely with Detroit’s scheme.
- Round 7, pick 228 — Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State
Martin is a player who has an impressive profile and likely would’ve risen throughout his final collegiate season had it not ended prematurely due to an injury. In just five games played this season, Martin totaled 47 combined tackles and eight tackles for loss.
In 2023, Martin had 140 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss and six sacks. That year, he showcased he is capable of doing a little bit of everything defensively. He competed well at the Combine, and looks the part of a potential day 3 steal if he can remain healthy.
Round 7, pick 244 — Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon
Mohammad spent time at three different colleges, beginning at Oklahoma State before transferring to Washington and later Oregon. He is a physical player who can be disruptive in the run game, as shown by his five tackles for loss at Washington in 2023.
He can be sticky in coverage and is a twitchy athlete. While there are technical aspects of his game that need to be refined, his overall instincts, athletic ability and coverage ability are worth taking a chance on late in the draft.
