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The Detroit Lions could really luck out in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's why it could be a great fit for the franchise.
The NFL Draft is coming up from Thursday, April 24, through Saturday, April 26, and even though the Detroit Lions won’t have one of the first picks, it could still be a perfect draft for the Motor City.
The NFL Draft is scheduled to take place outside the longstanding Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The event will be available to watch live on the NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. The broadcast will start at 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 24, and coverage of rounds two through seven will also be available to watch on those platforms, too.
Why This Draft is Great for the Lions
Mock drafts have been going strong since the end of the Super Bowl, and in many cases, sooner. Among the top picks this year will likely be Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
While the Lions won’t be able to lap any of those guys up, that’s okay, because there are going to be plenty of good pass rushers up for grabs this year.
NFL analyst and expert Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team published a feature on April 3 that gives some predictions for the 2025 draft. In it, he says that the “strength of this class is in the defensive line, as there is high-end talent and plenty of depth.” That’s literally exactly what the Lions need. He also predicts that at least 10 pass rushers will selected by the end of Thursday evening.
Now, the Lions won’t get a super high pick, but no harm done, because Mosher says this class keeps going and going when it comes to their defensive talent.
“What is unique about this class is that the talent doesn’t stop after Day 1. This is one of the better Day 2 classes of defensive line talent in recent memory,” he notes “It’s not a sexy draft with elite quarterback or wide receiver prospects, but it does have a lot of quality defensive players, and it will stretch well into night No. 2 of the NFL Draft.”
The Defensive Talent in This NFL Draft Shines
He also asserts that he won’t be surprised if 11 or more pass rushers get picked on the first day of the draft. That sounds wild, but it could really happen with this batch of guys. “This is arguably the best defensive line class in the last decade, and they will certainly come off the board early and often,” he says.
In an April 6 story for FanSided, Max DeMara notes that the Detroit Lions “haven’t prioritized edge rushers in free agency, choosing to re-sign Marcus Davenport as their biggest move. The belief is that Davenport can rebound in 2025, but the Lions need to give their veteran support in case of another injury emergency playing out.”
With that in mind, DeMara says that “nobody should be shocked if the Lions take a second and potentially third-round flier on talented pass rushers, especially if the class is as deep as Mosher has advertised.”
Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter covering the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
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The Lions likely will exercise their fifth-year option on Williams this spring, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. The Lions have until May 1 to exercise an option that would guarantee Williams a salary around $15.49 million for 2026. That's well below market rate for a quality No. 2 receiver -- something Williams became in 2024 with a 58-1,001-7 line on 91 targets in 15 regular-season games. While unlikely to average more than 6-to-7 targets per game in an offense loaded with other talented playmakers, Williams should have a similar role this upcoming season under new play caller John Morton, who previously worked for the Lions in 2022 and then served as Denver's pass-game coordinator the past two years. Lions GM Brad Holmes said he'll likely pick up Williams' fifth-year option, but Holmes didn't mention a contract extension the way he did when discussing fellow 2022 first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson.
