The 2026 NFL draft is just hours away, so we won’t have to wait long to see what the Detroit Lions do with their No. 17 pick, but a Lions insider may have already leaked Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes’ big plan.
Ahead of the draft, Holmes said that he believes the team is in a good spot in the pre-draft where he already has a solid core on the roster and can use the draft process to add young, promising players to the fold.
“It was really more in the past, where I’ve gotten – for our process, it’s a lot of time that you miss,” Holmes said when asked about missing the Annual League Meetings in Arizona to focus on the draft. “So, by the time that you get back, I’m kind of in a make-up mode because of all the time that you missed for our process.”
He added regarding staying in Detroit to prep for the draft, “So, that’s why I kind of just said, look, in order for me to try to kind of avoid being in that make-up mode – because now you hop into draft meetings with the scouts, and it keeps rolling, but you’ve missed a good chunk of time for us. So, that’s what went into it this year.”
Lions Insider Possibly Leaks Team’s First-Round Pick
On Thursday, April 23, just hours before the draft, Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett reported that Holmes had a Zoom call with UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence this week. Lawrence hadn’t initially been expected to go early in the draft, but he had a strong showing at the NFL Combine, so his draft stock has gone up since then.
Getting a pass rusher would be music to the ears of anyone in the Lions’ camp who has been frustrated with Holmes not getting an edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions may even be able to trade down for Lawrence, because hardly any mocks have him going as high as No. 17. Lawrence is so off-the-radar for the Lions that even Tim Twentyman of the Detroit Lions’ official website doesn’t have him as a suggested pick.
The Detroit Lions have nine picks in this year’s draft, and their second comes in round two as pick No. 18, the No. 50 overall.
Detroit Lions Hopeful Has ‘Prototypical Size and Length’
Malachi Lawrence’s official NFL profile calls him an “NFL-caliber edge rusher with prototypical size and length” and a player who “moves with the suddenness of a smaller player.” His “explosive get-off and a deep bag of moves/counters fuel his pocket disruption,” and this player is able to “win inside or outside but his speed-to-power conversion is average.”
On the downside, the profile adds that he “makes splash plays behind the line but must provide better consistency and discipline in run support.” But, what matters is that “Lawrence is an ascending prospect with rush polish and pro traits that should be enticing for pressure-hungry defenses.”
I’ve been reporting on the Detroit Lions for years now and see, over and over again, their need for another reliable franchise edge rusher. Snagging Lawrence would be a solid move.
Lions Insider May Have Just Leaked Their First-Round Draft Pick