The Detroit Lions have gotten off to a fast start in 2024. The team is sitting at 3-1 entering Week 6 and looks well on the way to making the playoffs again.
While most are thinking about how far the Lions can go in 2024, some are already looking to the 2025 NFL draft.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has released an early mock draft for 2025 and has the Lions picking 24th, which implies the Lions are a playoff team, but not a Super Bowl team.
The Lions don’t have many glaring needs, so Sikkema decided to future-proof the offensive line. The draft analyst has the Lions taking LSU’s Emery Jones Jr. Regarding that selection, Sikkema offered the following:
The Lions are a team with few glaring needs, but they could follow the Howie Roseman approach by investing premium capital in the offensive line to keep it a strength before it becomes a need.
Jones has played right tackle for LSU over the past three seasons but may be best suited as a guard in the NFL. His versatility fits perfectly with Detroit's draft plan, especially as Kevin Zeitler is 34 years old, though they also have Christian Mahogany.
This wouldn’t be the sexiest pick, but it would make sense. The Lions have a great situation at both tackle spots, so adding a longtime starting guard who can play multiple spots upfront would be wise.
Of course, much could change between now and the 2025 NFL Draft. For example, wide receiver could be a need for the team as nobody behind Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams has stepped up in 2024. However, the team could make a move at the trade deadline to fix that.
