The Detroit Lions are coming off a 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in prime time on Sunday Night. Now at 6-4 heading into a Week 12 matchup with the New York Giants, the Lions are a team strong on one side of the ball and looking for consistency on the other.
Following the loss, Lions head coach Dan Campbell did praise his defense due to their efforts in limiting the Eagles ground attack, but offensively, the Lions head coach kept confidence in his offensive line as the team rushed for just 3.5 yards per attempt. The offensive line also allowed 19 pressures on Jared Goff who was hit seven times.
While there is still time for the Lions to put it all together, more offensive line help is showing as one of the top needs for the team. The other top need is finding another edge rusher to compliment Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive side of the ball. Those are two areas of focus in mock drafts.
One mock draft has the Lions finding another explosive player off the edge. Another one has the Lions adding more toughness to the interior of their offensive line.
ESPN NFL Mock Draft: Lions gain another explosive edge at No. 18
In his first NFL Mock Draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Lions finally finding a running mate at the edge rush position for Aidan Hutchinson with the selection of Clemson’s T.J. Parker. As a player who was ranked as one of the top edge rush defenders entering the 2025 college football season, Parker has a bit of a down year as far as sacks (2.0), but it’s hard to ignore the potential he brings to the table.
Miller writes:
“Aidan Hutchinson is a one-man show on Detroit's defensive line, which ranks dead last in pass rush win rate since offenses are able to key on him. Parker is the type of running mate we've tried to match to Detroit in mock drafts for several years now. At 6-3 and 265 pounds, he plays the edge with length and strength that are pro-caliber, which led to 11.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2024. While he has only 2.0 sacks this season as offenses slide to stop him, Parker's effort and upper-body strength are exactly what Detroit needs opposite Hutchinson in a 4-3 scheme.”
This would be a great pick for the Lions who are in an NFC North division that is loaded offensively. If Parker does slide down to No. 18, this is a pick the Lions can’t ignore, but is it their most pressing need?
CBS Sports NFL Mock Draft: Lions
With the struggles the Lions have had offensively, one approach to the draft is to continue to build the offensive line in front of Jared Goff. In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has the Lions selecting Oregon offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon to keep the O-line physical and aggressive.
Renner writes:
“The Lions want to keep their offensive line a dominant unit, and this is how you do it. Pregnon is having a standout year after transferring from USC. He's only allowed two pressures all season.”
At 6-foot-5, 318 pounds, Pregnon is a force in the interior of the offensive line and would be great working alongside Tate Ratledge, especially with his nasty demeanor as a run blocker. Taking him at No. 18, however, would seem a bit high given his projection as more of a Day 2 pick. Not throwing any shade as this selection for the Lions, but Pregnon is a player they can get in the second round unless his draft stock continues to rise as the college football season enters the stretch run.
When it comes to Pregnon vs Parker, the Lions should go edge in this case and continue to build defensively considering how tough their division is getting and the force an edge rush duo of Parker and Hutchinson would be.
What is NFL Mocks’ selection for the Detroit Lions?
In our Week 11 NFL Mock Draft which was posted prior to the Lions’ Sunday night loss, the Lions strengthen their secondary with the selection of cornerback Jermod McCoy who could slide based on how well he is recovering from a ACL injury. Prior to the injury, the Tennessee cornerback was amongst the top cornerbacks in the nation.
When healthy, he is still that type of player, but NFL teams may need to see that potential shine when he makes his way back to the football field in 2025. In all, it is either defense or the offensive line as the top pick for the Lions in the 2026 NFL Draft.