Post Shrine & Senior Bowl 7-Round Lions Mock Draft

Got the 32 NFL teams, and draft-obsessed sickos like me, the draft is a year-round process. For the more casual follower and the majority of NFL media, the All-Star Bowl Games mark the beginning of the path to the draft. So now these games have been played, it seems the perfect time for a mock!

The way I do mocks is a mixture of what I’d do and what I think the team would do. I’ll do my best to point out which picks are which as I go. In this mock I haven’t made any trades so we have eight picks to digest below. I will do a mock with trades closer to draft day.

So let’s begin…….

1.17 - Monroe Freeling - OT - Georgia

With Taylor Decker’s future still very much an unknown, getting his replacement at some point this offseason is a must. Freeling is a name a lot of people will be surprised to see this high, especially as other tackles Caleb Lomu and Kadyn Proctor were available. Freeling is one of the best pass protectors in this class, who has great feet and shows a decent anchor. His play in the run game is more inconsistent, he’s not a mauler and rarely moves a lineman vertically, he does open holes by sealing off linemen. He can overbalance occasionally and miss his assignment as a result. This is all very coachable and I see him being a left tackle in the league for at least a decade, and we all know Brad Holmes love to pick from the blue bloods of college football.

2.50 - Zion Young - Edge - Missouri

I’m sure, like me, most of you have been screaming for an Edge opposite of Aiden Hutchinson for years. Here, we get one in the shape of 6’5’’, 262lbs Zion Young. The Tiger is the type of pass rusher that the Lions have coveted in recent years, he is great against the run and rushes with power. He had 6.5 sacks in 2025 which isn’t a particularly impressive number but I believe his best pass-rushing days are ahead of him, he’d be a day-one starter in my opinion.

4.118 - Matt Gulbin - C - Michigan State

Centre is the other OL position that needs to be addressed this off-season. I am of the opinion that Tate Ratledge should stay at guard, and with a relatively weak FA class at centre, the draft may be the way to find a long-term replacement for the retired Frank Ragnow. Gulbin may well end up being my favourite Centre in this class. At 6’4’’, 312lbs he has the size profile that the Lions seemingly covet at the position, and he puts that size to good use in the run game and shows a very good anchor in the pass game.

5.155 - Jalen Huskey - S - Maryland

I’ll be honest, Huskey was not a player that wasn’t on my radar before I watched the Shrine Bowl practices. I really liked his movement skills in one-on-one’s vs TE’s and RB’s and also had some good reps vs. WRs. I also liked the physicality he played with at the top of routes, just enough to impact the receiver and not enough to draw a flag most of the time. I have since watched a bit of his game film and it shows his versatility to play anywhere in the defensive backfield but safety definitely seems like the most natural fit for him.

6.203 - Jaden Dugger - LB - Louisiana

Another Shrine Bowl standout, Dugger has only been playing LB for 2 years after moving from safety. He weighed in at nearly 6’5’’ and 240lbs, although it is believed he played closer to 230. Either way, this is a large human being and being a former safety he has great movement skills and shows the ability to cover TE’s. He’s not bad against the run but still needs to get better at getting off blocks. After a bit of seasoning, I see him as an Alex Anzalone replacement.

6.211 - Riley Nowakowski - TE - Indiana

TE depth is another need for the Lions and who better to help fill it than a national champion. Nowkowski, who can also play full-back is slightly undersized at 6’2’’ and 239lbs would be a versatile weapon for new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing who loves to use TE’s.

6.212 - Bryan Thomas Jr - Edge - South Carolina

Doubling down on Edge here with a player in Thomas Jr that will probably start his NFL career as a designated pass rusher. Not the normal type of pass rusher that the Lions tend to go for at only 6’1’’, 245lbs but I was really impressed with Thomas Jr’s first step and how quickly he gets depth in his pass rush, he has the ability to threaten the outside edge and flashes a nice spin move to beat OT’s on the inside.

7.222 - Collin Wright - CB - Stanford

Lastly, we get a bit of depth for our often-injured cornerback room. The 6-foot, 186-pounder is technically sound and can run with most receivers. I'd like him to be able to trigger on underneath routes a bit quicker but I believe this is coachable.