Detroit, MI
Mock Draft Roundup: Lions Beef Up Trenches
Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft has finally arrived.
In recent mock drafts, the Lions have strengthened their defensive and offensive lines, plus have upgraded the cornerback position at No. 28 overall.
With that said, let’s look at who the draft analysts have Detroit selecting in this draft season’s final mock draft roundup.
EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
Green is presently being mocked by the following:
NFL.com (Lance Zierlein)
Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Harmon is currently being drafted by the following:
The Draft Network (Jaime Eisner)
Defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Nolen is presently being selected by the following:
The Draft Network (Mason Johnstone)
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Egbuka is presently being drafted by the following:
Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante)
As Infante writes, “Rumors have swirled that the Detroit Lions could look to trade star receiver Jameson Williams, rather than pay him a contract extension. Should they do that, they’d need to add another weapon to pair up with Amon-Ra St. Brown in this 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
One could argue that Emeka Egbuka is the most well-rounded wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has a nice frame with good hands, a high route-running IQ, solid athleticism, and the ability to work himself open, both as a ball-carrier and as a route-runner.”
EDGE Jalon Walker, Georgia
Walker is presently being mocked by the following:
Pro Football Focus (analysts; trade-up with the L.A. Chargers to No. 22 overall)
As PFF pens, “Walker — a pass rusher with elite potential who can also play off the ball and, by all accounts, is of extremely high character — is an obvious Lions target. He recorded a 17.2% pass-rush win rate at Georgia last year and is expected to be selected much earlier than 22nd overall in the actual 2025 NFL Draft.”
Defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Williams is currently being projected by the following:
Pro Football Focus (Trevor Sikkema)
Cornerback Will Johnson, Michigan
Johnson is presently being mocked by the following:
ESPN (Peter Schrager)
As Schrager opines, “Johnson’s stock has slipped a bit. He had a foot injury last season and was inconsistent for the Wolverines. He also sat out Michigan’s pro day because of a hamstring injury.
He’s a top-level talent, though, and he’d be the perfect corner to complement Terrion Arnold.”
Cornerback Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Hairston is presently being selected by the following:
The Draft Network (Justin Melo), FOX Sports (Geoff Schwartz), The Athletic (Dane Brugler)
Wide receiver Matthew Golden, Texas
Golden is currently being projected by the following:
The Draft Network (Daniel Harms)
Wide receiver Luther Burden III, Missouri
Burden is presently being mocked by the following:
The Draft Network (Ryan Fowler)
EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Stewart is currently being picked by the following:
Yahoo! Sports (Charles McDonald), CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson), The Draft Network (Keith Sanchez), Pro Football Network (Mark Stolte), Detroit Free Press (Rainer Sabin)
As Stolte expresses, “This could end up being one of those picks where everyone looks back and clowns the rest of the league for allowing the Detroit Lions to get him. Shemar Stewart is an absolute specimen of an athlete at 6’5″ and 280 pounds (playing weight). He is perhaps the most athletic person to play the position: 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 10’11” broad jump, and a 40-inch vertical.
The one thing he lacks is college production. While some of that could be the scheme and role he played with the Texas A&M Aggies, playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson with Alim McNeil and DJ Reader on the interior is about as perfect an opportunity as you’re going to get. He would be almost guaranteed 1-on-1 situations where he would get to really show off that elite athleticism.
This is practically like the Lions getting both Travon Walker and Hutchinson.”
EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
Williams is presently being mocked by the following:
NFL.com (Eric Edholm), The Athletic (Colton Pouncy; trade-up with Seattle Seahawks to No. 18 overall)
As Pouncy pens, “For a GM who’s all about drafting the right player, not position, this checks out. If you love a guy, don’t hesitate to get him — especially when you have one of the NFL’s most complete rosters.
So, then, does Williams fit the description? In this mock, he does.
Historically, Williams is almost everything the Lions like from their edge rushers. He’s got ideal size at 6-foot-5, 261 pounds, has 34 3/8 anoconda arms, can defend the run and maintains discipline, plays with power and a motor and is viewed as a high-character individual. Here’s what Georgia coach Kirby Smart had to say of Williams, per The Beast: ‘He’s very versatile for us in terms of on the field, but there is no greater value than what he does in the locker room. … (He’s a) great leader for us).’”
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Ezeiruaku is currently being drafted by the following:
The 33rd Team (Kyle Crabbs), CBS Sports (Pete Prisco), Detroit Free Press (Dave Birkett)
Offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Jackson is currently being mocked by the following:
NFL.com (Bucky Brooks), NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah)
EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Pearce is presently being drafted by the following:
The 33rd Team (Ian Valentino), Pro Football Network (Brentley Weissman)
As Weissman writes, “James Pearce Jr. is one of the most underrated edge rushers in this class with exceptional speed, bend, and body control. He’s one of my top players in this class who falls a bit in the mock draft.
Pearce’s ability to effortlessly navigate around offensive tackles would perfectly complement Aidan Hutchinson’s skills, creating a formidable pass-rushing duo for the Detroit Lions and establishing them as a dominant force.”
Offensive guard Tyler Booker, Alabama
Booker is currently being drafted by the following:
NFL.com (Charles Davis), NFL.com (Chad Reuter), Tankathon
As Reuter pens, “Booker’s powerful presence would help fill the huge hole left by Kevin Zeitler on the Lions’ offensive line. Though he played primarily on the left side, Booker logged time at left and right guard at Alabama, and veteran Graham Glasgow has started on both sides, setting the team up to find a combination that maintains the strength of Detroit’s top unit.”
EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Scourton is presently being mocked by the following:
Pro Football Network (Ryan Gosling)
As Gosling writes, “Nic Scourton might be the most aesthetically pleasing pass rusher in the class. He’s wise beyond his years regarding his arsenal of rush moves, and his well-developed frame is NFL-ready despite only being 20 years old. Unfortunately, gaining unnecessary weight for the 2024 season likely hurt his NFL Draft stock.”
Offensive lineman Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
Zabel is currently being projected by the following:
ESPN (Jordan Reid), DetroitLions.com (Tim Twentyman), CBS Sports (Josh Edwards)
As Twentyman writes, “Zabel showed at the Senior Bowl he can handle the step up in competition. He started at four different spots along the offensive line in college and when he moved to center at the Senior Bowl he was probably the most consistent of the bunch. The Lions love that kind of versatility upfront.
Zabel could compete for a starting spot at guard right away and could be a plug-and-play piece at a number of different spots, if needed. Zabel’s skillset, versatility and play style fits perfectly in Detroit.”
DETROIT – What started as a seemingly routine home repair quickly unraveled into something far more troubling for one Detroit family.
A man appeared to be posing as a contractor — arriving in construction gear and accompanied by two teens — showed up April 7 at a west side Detroit home, offering to do brick work for about $300. But according to the homeowner’s daughter, the situation started to seem fishy — and expensive — fast.
Tameka Kelly said the trio told her 76-year-old mother they were with “State Line Construction” and began working almost immediately.
“I just felt used and taken advantage of,” Kelly said, looking back at the situation.
“They kept working — kept putting cement down, I said, ‘you might want to tell them to stop.’ He said, ‘well right now it’s $1129.’ I said, ‘my mother‘s not paying you $1000,’” Kelly said.
At one point, the man even offered to repair the bottom of the home’s wheelchair ramp — something Kelly said her sister, who lives with her mother, relies on daily. But she refused because something just didn’t sit right.
“I gave him the $300,” Kelly said, hoping they would just leave. “I thought, well, he knows where my mom lives. I don’t want him coming back trying to do something to my mom‘s house or something to our vehicles.”
Kelly later tried to confront the man, who identified himself as Brian Lopez, and called the number on the invoice.
“When I called he was like, ‘no no no brickwork no brickwork’ I said, ‘yes you did. You were just here. I said I don’t forget a voice,’” she said.
But the biggest red flag came when she looked closer at the address listed on the invoice.
The address — 70 West Maple in Troy — turned out to be a McDonald’s.
“I really got upset when I found out that address was to a McDonald’s,” Kelly said.
Initially, Kelly said when she tried to file a report with Detroit police, she said they told her the situation was a civil matter and she could not file one. She then filed a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Now, Detroit police tell Local 4 they will be taking Kelly’s fraud report, and once that is completed, an investigation will follow.
State Line initially told Local 4 they were not familiar with a Brian Lopez, then an attorney for State Line construction told Local 4 that, after checking the company’s records, there is no Brian Lopez that works for the company. As a matter of fact, the attorney said, State Line Construction does not do cement or residential construction. He said they focus on electrical work.
Attempts by Local 4 to reach the man going by the name Brian Lopez with the number given were unsuccessful.
Kelly said she felt compelled to speak up to prevent others from falling victim.
“I’m really upset about it, and I don’t want it to happen to anybody else,” she said.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Pistons vs Magic Game 1 reaction, lessons learned and what must change
Omari Sankofa II, Shawn Windsor and special guest Bryce Simon react to Detroit Pistons’ Game 1 NBA playoff loss to Orlando Magic, April 19, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena.
How in the world did things get so bad so fast for the Detroit Pistons?
In just one outing in the 2026 NBA playoffs, they went from top-seeded darlings of the Eastern Conference to punching bags punked by an 8-seed short on rest but long on resilience and toughness.
“I would say they ‘outphysical-ed’ us today,” Pistons wing Ausar Thompson said after the Orlando Magic stole Game 1 of the first-round NBA playoff series, 112-101, at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, April 19. “One, because they got more rebounds than us. They forced more turnovers.”
Yes, this was always going to be a physical series. Though you would think the Pistons, owners of the NBA’s second-best defense and playing at home, would have a sizable advantage.
It also should have helped them that they were coming off six days’ rest, as opposed to the Magic coming off winning a play-in game just 47 hours earlier.
It didn’t help that Pistons star Cade Cunnigham was playing in just his fourth game since suffering a collapsed lung and missing 11 games. He scored a game-high 39 points, but he didn’t operate as smoothly as usual, with just four assists (far off his 9.9-assist season average) while committing three turnovers.
Another indictment of the Pistons’ worrisome play: Tobias Harris (19 points) was Cunningham’s only teammate who scored in double digits. Meanwhile, all five Magic staters did so, led by Paolo Banchero’s 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
And just like that, the Magic came out firing, scoring 35 points in the first quarter and never trailing.
“Yeah, just that we came out a little too tight, lax, whatever the word is, maybe both for some of us, but just didn’t come out with the right energy,” Cunningham said. “Gave them life further on. And then, you know, we had to deal with that for the rest of the game. We were better in stints, but can’t dig a hole like that.”
He’s right. The Pistons can’t dig a hole like that in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Because if they do, and they lose, the Magic would not only have homecourt advantage – they got that with Sunday’s victory – but could close out the series without another win in Detroit, with three of the next four games coming in Orlando.
That’s precisely what makes Game 2 a must-win game for the Pistons. It’s bad enough they lost the opener at LCA, where they were 31-9. But now they’ve let the Magic set a hard-edged tone in the kind of the game that could lead them to steal the series.
“I know that they feel great about this game,” Cunningham said. “This was a big win for them. They came in, they handled their business and stole one on the road. That’s what you want to do in the playoff series.
“So I’m sure that they feel great about that. Obviously, we’re sick about losing this one. It’s a long series, though. There’s no confidence dropped from us. We know that team. They know us. So it’ll be a long, fun series.”
Cunningham might be right, because the Pistons are arguably the better team. They have enough talent and more depth.
What the Pistons don’t have is the advantage of desperation. They had an excellent season from start to finish, closed with a 60-22 record, and wrapped up the East’s top seed on April 4.
The Magic, meanwhile, have been playing with fire (and not always the good kind) down the stretch, while their fifth-year coach, Jamahl Mosley, entered the postseason on the hottest of hot seats after his squad went 0-7 in road playoff games over the past two seasons.
To make things even worse, the Magic lost the regular-season finale to the Boston Celtics – well, their reserves, at least – to blow their chance at the 7-seed and homecourt in the play-in tournament. Then Orlando lost to the Philadelphia 76ers (on the road, of course) in the first play-in game before beating the Charlotte Hornets (in Orlando) to advance to a best-of-seven series – featuring four road games – vs. the Pistons.
Now, it looks like the Magic have found their form, as they routed the Hornets, 121-90, and stunned the Pistons. And just like that, Mosley went from hot seat to just plain hot.
Banchero wouldn’t go so far as to say the victory set up his team to steal the series, but he didn’t deny it was exactly the kind of start Orlando needed.
“It’s just a good win for us as a team getting it on the road against a great team and 1-seed,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we got to come back Wednesday, you know, reciprocate it, you know?
“They’re not going to lay down. They’re going to turn it up. So we’ve got to be ready for that. And it’s just one-game-at-a-time mentality, you know? That’s what it’s got to be. It’s the first of four.”
Yes, it’s just the first of four wins the Magic needs to advance. If the Pistons don’t find an answer quickly, the math – and hardly anyone else – won’t be on their side when they head to Central Florida this weekend.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
After getting absolutely annihilated in his previous start on Monday in Minnesota to the tune of 11 runs in just 1.2 innings, Garrett Crochet is set to retake the mound today and convince us all that everything will be fine as far as he and his health are concerned.
Unfortunately, he won’t just be battling the Tigers. Mother Nature is once again destined to play a roll in today’s match up, and here’s how the radar looks inside of an hour from first pitch:
The good news is the initial batch of heavier precipitation has moved out and east of Boston, but more unsettled weather still lurks to the west ahead of a slow moving front. That mess will push through eastern Massachusetts over the next several hours, filling in the current dry slot. While this incoming precipitation won’t be as heavy as what fell at times earlier today, it will come attached with colder and windier conditions, so a miserable weather game lies ahead (if they even try and play through it at all — The Yankees did not and waited around for three hours before starting their game against the Royals at 4:20pm). The other option will be to just wait until after sunset when it will be dryer, but still very cold and windy.
When they do get started, today’s lineup includes Roman Anthony leading off in leftfield, Andruw Monasterio at first base, and Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Marcelo Mayer all starting on the bench with an opposing left-handed starter on the mound in Framber Valdez for Detroit.
OTM’s own pitching guru Jacob Roy will be around later to handle the postgame wrap and tell us if we should should be freaking out or breathing a sigh a relief when it comes to Crochet.
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