![Florida Gators defensive end Princely Umanmielen (1) sacks Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tate Rodemaker (18) during first half action as Florida takes on Florida State at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://statico.profootballnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/16165840/detroit-lions-7-round-mock-draft-aug-2024.jpg "Detroit Lions 2025 7-Round Mock Draft: Princely Umanmielen, Aidan Hutchinson Unleash Off the Edge")
This 2025 NFL Mock Draft showcases how the Detroit Lions can keep their current playoff window alive.
The foundation of Dan Campbell, Ben Johnson, and Jared Goff is strong, but continuous roster maintenance is needed to sustain it.
Who Could the Detroit Lions Draft in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Note: The draft order for the 2025 NFL Mock Draft was derived from my record and playoff predictions for the 2024 NFL regular season.
28) Detroit Lions: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss
The Lions improved in the 2024 offseason, but the team’s lack of focus on the EDGE position opposite Aidan Hutchinson could come back to haunt them.
A player like Princely Umanmielen could elevate Detroit’s D-line from good to elite. Umanmielen’s volcanic burst and gravity-defying bend are perfect complements.
2.60) Detroit Lions: Will Sheppard, WR, Colorado
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the central force. Jameson Williams is the speed threat. Sam LaPorta is the Swiss army knife at TE. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs buoy the ground game.
And Will Sheppard is the reliable WR3 with red-zone and chain-mover upside.
Rounds 4-7
4.119) Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
5.157) Armand Membou, OG, Missouri
6.170) Kain Medrano, LB, UCLA
7.206) Jared Brown, WR, South Carolina
7.221) Jacob Parrish, CB, Kansas State
Lions 2025 NFL Mock Draft Analysis
While the Lions’ performance in the 2024 NFL Draft was strong on paper, there were two needs that many onlookers felt were bypassed: Edge rusher and wide receiver. Those were the two positions I led off with in this Lions 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Late in Round 1, most of the first-round EDGE prospects were gone, but Princely Umanmielen was still on the board. Though Umanmielen needs to continue refining his power arsenal, he’s a hyper-elite burst and bend rusher with good run defense utility.
Adding in fourth-round pick Joshua Farmer, the Lions’ defensive line looks a lot stronger with Umanmielen. He joins Aidan Hutchinson off the edge while Alim McNeill stars in an interior rotation also inhabited by D.J. Reader, Farmer, and Mekhi Wingo.
Will Sheppard is the other early-round pick for the Lions in this mock draft. He was productive for years in a lackluster Vanderbilt passing offense, and now, he’ll get to showcase his skills catching passes from Shedeur Sanders.
Sheppard, in my opinion, is one of the most slept-on receivers in the nation. At 6’3″, 200 pounds, he’s a very fluid route runner with easy acceleration and natural catching ability. He can function as a chain-mover and a red-zone threat, and that’s a very valuable thing alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
On Day 3, the Lions added a developmental player with starting potential at guard in Armand Membou. They brought in another versatile playmaker, with particular electricity as a ball-handler in Jared Brown, and then they infused the second and third levels of the defense with coverage upside by adding Kain Medrano and Jacob Parrish.
