Lions 2026 NFL Draft needs: Best options at No. 17 overall

Teams generally fall into one of two categories at the NFL Draft: those with an obvious need to fill and those with the luxury of taking the best player available. The Detroit Lions fit squarely into the first of those buckets with their offensive line missing a starting-caliber player at tackle.

If the Lions go any direction other than tackle with the No. 17 overall pick, it would come as a surprise. But other positions on this roster need fairly quick attention, and if the right player falls to them midway through the first round, they could pivot. This draft class makes that a possibility with its depth at the tackle position.

Here are the five best prospects for the Lions to consider with the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

5. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

No tight end on the Lions’ roster is under contract beyond 2026. Not even Sam LaPorta, whom one would assume will re-sign before he hits free agency. The 2023 Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending back injury last fall that required surgery, however, which would explain some of the hesitancy about locking him up on a long-term deal before he proves himself again this season.

New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing uses 12- and 13-personnel formations at one of the highest rates in the league, so the Lions need to keep the cabinet stocked this year and beyond. There is one first-round talent in the draft, and he might be on the Lions’ radar as they look for LaPorta insurance.

That prospect is Kenyon Sadiq. He is an athletic freak who set the NFL combine record for a tight end in the 40-yard dash with a 4.39-second time, and his vertical and broad jumps ranked second and third, respectively, all-time at the position. Sadiq created impossible matchups for Big Ten defenders and hauled in eight touchdown catches in his final year at Oregon.

4. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Injuries tested the Lions’ cornerback depth. They used valuable draft capital on this position two offseasons ago, yet the production continues to lack. Plus, there exists some uncertainty around Terrion Arnold due to his name appearing in an armed robbery and kidnapping case — although it is worth mentioning the third-year cornerback has not been convicted of a crime.

It is not the biggest need on this roster, but it is hard to deny that Detroit would benefit from more upside at defensive back.

A healthy junior season would have likely cemented Jermod McCoy as the No. 1 cornerback in this class and thus put him out of reach for the Lions. Instead, McCoy tore his ACL in January 2025, missed all of last year, and entered the draft with just two years of college tape. That film is outstanding, though, and should be more than enough to keep him in first-round consideration.

While he was not regarded as a blue-chip recruit, McCoy opened his college career with a bang at Oregon State and got even better upon his transfer to Tennessee, where he thrived in his lone year in the SEC to the tune of four interceptions and nine pass breakups. His Pro Day testing on March 31 suggested he has recovered from the knee injury and is capable of getting back to that high level of output. He ran a blazing 4.37-second 40-yard dash and posted competitive broad jump and vertical jump numbers.

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

If health is a concern at the cornerback spot, then they are a major worry at safety, where Kerby Joseph missed the final 11 games of last season, and Brian Branch tore his Achilles in December. The former’s knee issue looks like a potential long-term issue, and the latter figures to miss at least the first few weeks of 2026. What is a stellar tandem at full strength might be a real liability this year and beyond.

It behooves the Lions to target a safety at some point in the draft to, at the very least, build depth behind Joseph and Branch. Taking a Day 1 prospect is an aggressive but perhaps necessary move given the uncertainty. If they do target a safety on Thursday, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren will probably be the best available at No. 17.

Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman has top-10 upside and is likely to be off the board heading into the second half of the first round. McNeil-Warren is not a shabby consolation prize. He picked up All-American recognition despite playing outside the Power Four structure last year at Toledo and is a ferocious yet versatile strong safety who tallied nine career forced fumbles, two interceptions and 5.5 tackles for loss as a senior.

McNeil Warren’s 6-foot-4 frame is more enticing than the middling athleticism numbers he logged at the combine, and keeps him in play for a first-round selection.

2. Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami

One-half of the Lions’ edge rusher group is about as elite as they come. The other is in flux. Aidan Hutchinson anchors the pass-rushing scheme on the heels of a 14.5-sack campaign, but watched his running mate, Al-Quadin Muhammad, depart in free agency. In comes D.J. Wonnum, who should be a solid stopgap option but averages just five sacks a season and is on a clearly temporary one-year deal. Detroit will continue to search for someone it can pair with Hutchinson in 2027 and beyond.

This is a good year to have a need like that. The 2026 edge rusher class is so deep that there might even be a couple of enticing options available to the Lions in Round 2. That might make them content to wait and fill an even bigger need at pick No. 17, but few would bat an eye if they grabbed one of the best prospects in a stellar crop.

Multiple edge rushers will have already flown off the board through 16 picks, but Akheem Mesidor may very well be available when the Lions go on the clock. Mesidor already has experience playing on the other side of a standout as he did so at Miami with Rueben Bain Jr., and he thrived in that role to the tune of an ACC-leading 12.5 sacks. He commands defenses’ respect even when he is the second-best weapon on a defensive front, which makes him a perfect fit next to Hutchinson.

Mesidor is also an older prospect, having played six years of college football. His veteran nature makes him a plug-and-play option who can prove himself in Year 1 when Wonnum is off the field.

1. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

The offensive line was a problem last year, and that was before the Lions released Taylor Decker. Help is necessary in the form of competition at guard and a Day 1 starter at tackle, and the first round of this draft is almost perfectly designed to help Detroit fill the second of those two needs. Multiple ready-made starters should be on the board in the middle of the round.

At 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds, Kadyn Proctor has the frame of an NFL lineman and can step into the lineup upon arrival. The longtime Alabama starter comes with some consistency and motor concerns and will likely take some lumps as a rookie, but his ceiling is as high as there is in this class.

While he exclusively played left tackle for the Crimson Tide, Proctor is better suited for success on the right side of the line in the NFL, especially early in his career as he works through some of the kinks. That works in the Lions’ favor, given their stated interest in moving Penei Sewell to left tackle.