After a shocking early exit in the playoffs, the Detroit Lions will need to address their biggest needs in order to not only get back to the playoffs but go further than they did this year. Their biggest needs come from the front lines both on offense and defense, and they were badly missing Aiden Hutchinson on the defensive side down the stretch and into the postseason. With the 2025 NFL Draft right around the corner, the Lions will have an opportunity to address those needs and add talent to their offensive and defensive lines.
Two-round mock draft has the Lions focusing on the trenches
In a two-round mock draft done by Sports Illustrated’s John Maakaron, the Lions address both the offensive and defensive line with two potentially high-upside selections. With their first-round pick (No. 28), he has the Lions taking Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., while addressing the pass rush in the second round with Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen with pick No. 60.
Josh Conerly Jr. could be a major upgrade on the Lions’ offensive line
Conerly was a standout tackle at Oregon, establishing himself as one of the best in the country. Pro Football Focus assessed him with strong grades across the board, including 83.5 in pass blocking and 72.5 in run blocking.
The Lions were very good in run blocking but only average in pass protection. PFF gave the team an average 69.5 grade in pass blocking, which is a solid figure, but one that could use improvement in an explosive offense such as Detroit. Conerly could help solve that problem given that he excels in pass protection, and could be a sneaky good pick for the Lions in the draft.
“During drills at the Senior Bowl, Conerly drew praise for his work ethic and winning his fair share of reps during one-on-one periods,” Maakaron wrote.
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Princely Umanmielen could help the Lions form a formidable pass-rush combination
Umanmielen was great at Ole Miss this past season as an edge rusher with 10.5 sacks. He also recorded a career-high 14 tackles for a loss to go along with 37 combined tackles and 55 total pressures.
Pairing him opposite Hutchinson in the pass rush could create a formidable duo while also solving a key need. Detroit had the second-fewest tackles in the league with 635 and recorded the ninth-fewest sacks with 37, making it very clear that they lacked a strong presence on the front lines aside from Hutchinson pre-injury.
Umanmielen could help solve that problem tremendously as he develops into a better pro. Maakaron added in his article that he could be mentored by some of the veteran defensive players that Detroit has on their roster, which could also help accelerate his development:
“Detroit currently has veteran Za’Darius Smith on the roster. Adding a young pass rusher who he could mentor may pay dividends in the long run,” Maakaron wrote.
Ultimately, the Lions want to put themselves in a position to make a deep playoff run next season. Addressing their most glaring needs at the draft will be a key first step in doing so.
