Exec Pours Cold Water on Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft

NFC executive does not believe Lions draft made the team that much better.

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, bottom, is sacked by Michigan Wolverines defensive end Derrick Moore | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The reviews are still pouring in regarding how each NFL team fared in the 2026 NFL Draft.

By all accounts, many pundits believed the Detroit Lions had a productive draft haul, adding players that filled key areas of need, including at offensive tackle and defensive end.

In a recent Athletic piece that features executives speaking unfiltered about every NFC team, the Lions were not perceived as improving all that much as a result of the draft.

One executive expressed he was unsure if first-round pick Blake Miller would end up playing right tackle for his whole career.

“Sewell will be good wherever he plays, but I’m not sure Miller will end up being a tackle, depending what they ask of him,” one exec expressed. “I do not think they got a lot better. Derrick Moore is steady, a doubles hitter. Good player, nothing dynamic about him.”

Another expressed positivity about the team being able to land defensive back Keith Abney in the fifth-round.

The executive explained, 'They know who they are and who they want to be, so it’s more about, ‘What can you do to enhance what we already bring to the table?’ They needed a tackle. We have all been burned by the Clemson helmet, but Blake Miller is a good player. And I really like Keith Abney."

The 21-year-old defensive back was considered among many pundits the steal of Day 3.

"Abney has some scrappiness to him. He is like a better Mike Hilton. Chippy, aggressive, physical. He can play in the slot. He can be competitive on the outside despite his size. You’ll have to move him around to help him, but he’s a good player who is wired the right way for them.”

Detroit's class has been graded as being average by the majority of pundits evaluating the team's seven overall picks.

Draft analyst Dane Brugler ranked the draft 14th and the Lions were ranked 19th based on overall draft capital metrics.

The team's first-year players are set to report to the Allen Park Performance Center this weekend, but the plans have yet to be reported, as the Lions are the only NFL team this year not conducting a rookie minicamp.

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