This was another typical Brad Holmes draft. He traded up twice (without dipping into the 2027 picks!) and didn’t trade down at all. He targeted players from strong programs in the power conferences. He filled needs even though he would surely say he just took the best player available. There wasn’t a ton that will move the needle from a fantasy standpoint. The total was 7 picks, with just 2 on offense and 5 on defense. Let’s look at the picks:

1.17 (17) OT Blake Miller, Clemson. I felt like the Lions almost had to take a tackle in round one. They stayed put at 17 and went with Miller over Monroe Freeling, Max Iheanachor, and Caleb Lomu. Miller seems like he should be a perfect fit. He has size, athleticism, and is experienced, starting four years as the right tackle at Clemson, and he is durable. All indications are that he will step in and start from day one, with Penei Sewell moving over to left tackle to replace Taylor Decker. It remains to be seen if he has Pro Bowl upside but he is a very high floor player who you could easily see as a 10 year starter for the Lions. Quite simply the line must do a better job of pass protection due to Jared Goff’s lack of mobility. And if that happens, it is good news all around for the Lions skill position players.

2.23 (44) DE Derrick Moore, Michigan. In my report last month I wondered if they could find edge help at 50. Well they traded up to 44 to ensure they were able to get Moore. I’m not sure if he will be a starter right away but he will play a large role in the rotation. He should play on passing downs to give the pass rush more juice as he rushes along with Aidan Hutchinson. They was also some talk of maybe trying to reduce Hutchinson’s snap counts just a bit to keep him fresh and Moore will help with that.

4.18 (118) LB Jimmy Rolder, Michigan. The Lions went back to Ann Arbor and picked another Wolverine in round 4. Losing Alex Anzalone in free agency opened up playing time at linebacker. Rolder projects as a backup linebacker for now, with the potential to be a maniac on special teams.

5.17 (157) CB Keith Abney, Arizona State. This could be the best value pick out of this group of rookies as he was rated higher than this on most rankings I saw. He will probably begin his career competing for playing time as a slot corner. The Lions seem to go through a rash of injuries in the secondary every year so adding depth here was a wise move.

5.28 (168) WR Kendrick Law, Kentucky. Law is an interesting prospect, listed at just under 6 feet and about 200 pounds. He was a big time YAC guy at Kentucky and has some kick return experience as well. There aren’t a lot of targets available offensively, but he will try to earn a role as a backup receiver who could be used as a gadget player on offense, and contribute on special teams as well. He should get plenty of chances in the preseason to show what he can do.

6.24 (205) DT Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech and 7.6 (222) DE Tyre West, Tennessee. I’m lumping these two picks together as these are late round picks that will add depth to the defensive line and there isn’t much else to add.

UDFA (skill positions only): QB Luke Altmeyer, Illinois. TE Miles Kitselman, Tennessee. Please note that as of this writing the Lions have not officially announced their UDFA signings so these have been compiled based on various sources. The Lions have actually been very quiet since the draft ended. They aren’t even having a traditional rookie minicamp so there could be more UDFA signings once the Lions get around to signing their draft picks and making an official announcement. Right now even counting the reported UDFA players the Lions 90 man roster is not full. I would think they could still add a UDFA running back and receiver. The depth behind RB Jahmyr Gibbs won’t wow anyone so even with Gibbs projected to handle a huge workload this season, what if he gets hurt? Altmeyer will be the third quarterback but I would think it’s a longshot that the Lions would use a 53 man roster spot on him. He could be destined for the practice squad.

That’s it for this month. I will be back next month with a new report including a look at the schedule and any other news that develops from OTAs and minicamps.

End.