As the NFL narrows its focus to the two teams left standing, the rest of the league begins its annual pivot to offseason mode. And in Detroit, that shift started a little earlier than expected.
For Lions fans, the sting of falling just short of the Super Bowl is still fresh, but the attention is quickly turning toward what comes next. The NFL Draft looms large, and with it comes the flood of mock drafts, speculation, and pre-draft buzz that will dominate the next few months. The Lions are at a pivotal moment in their build - and what they do next could determine whether 2025 was a peak or just the beginning.
One early projection that’s catching attention comes from NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah, who has Detroit selecting Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in the first round. On paper, it’s an intriguing fit - Mesidor is explosive off the edge and played alongside standout Leonard Taylor IV and Rueben Bain Jr. in a talented Hurricanes front. Jeremiah sees him as a complementary piece to Aidan Hutchinson, forming a potentially disruptive pass-rushing tandem.
But here’s the thing: that pick doesn’t quite line up with the Lions’ most pressing needs - or their current timeline.
Let’s be honest - Detroit isn’t in the early stages of a rebuild anymore. They’re in win-now territory.
That means the draft can’t be about long-term projects or high-upside reaches. It has to be about impact, especially in the trenches.
And while Mesidor brings juice, Detroit needs more than juice. They need a proven difference-maker on the edge, someone like a Trey Hendrickson - a veteran presence who can win one-on-one and command attention away from Hutchinson.
That’s the kind of addition that fits where this team is right now.
Even more pressing than edge help? The offensive line.
That unit was the bedrock of Detroit’s identity during their rise - physical, nasty, and reliable. But cracks are forming.
Dan Skipper has retired. Taylor Decker’s future is uncertain.
And the center position remains a question mark. If the Lions don’t address the offensive line early and aggressively, they risk losing the very thing that’s made them successful.
General manager Brad Holmes knows this. Earlier this month, he pulled the curtain back a bit on the front office’s efforts to reinforce the line in recent years.
“You’d be surprised the moves we tried that we could not get done that involved offensive linemen,” Holmes said. “Whether that be in the draft or free agency.
It hasn’t been ignored. We tried to do the best we can.
I was excited about the youth injection we did go with. I think it was necessary… But the offensive line as a whole, whether it’s the interiors or the tackle, that’s something we’re going to have to be urgent in terms of adding.”
That word - urgent - says everything.
Holmes isn’t just talking about plugging a hole or adding depth. He’s talking about a foundational need, one that could shape how the Lions operate on offense in 2026 and beyond.
That urgency should translate to a first-round pick on the offensive line, especially if a top-tier tackle is on the board. It could even mean trading up to secure the right guy.
And that’s why Jeremiah’s mock, while interesting, doesn’t quite hit the mark. It overlooks the current state of Detroit’s roster - a team that’s no longer just building, but competing.
A team that needs protection up front more than another developmental edge rusher. A team that, if it wants to stay in the NFC’s upper tier, has to get this offseason right - starting in the trenches.
The Lions have come too far to stall out now. The blueprint is already in place. Now it’s about reinforcing it - with urgency, clarity, and the kind of calculated aggression that got them here in the first place.