The Detroit Lions are going to be an interesting team to monitor in the 2025 season given the fact that they lost a much bigger piece of their success than anyone may realize. Former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears and the Lions are going to have to keep things rolling without him.
As good as Johnson is as a play-caller, the Lions have to trust that the have built up the player personnel and culture to be able to remain Super Bowl contenders in the 2025 season.
How will they approach the 2025 NFL Draft to make that happen? What positions do they need to address early on? Let's take a look at a Detroit Lions-centric 2025 NFL mock draft, and we'll look at just their top four picks overall.
Detroit Lions land top offensive lineman in 2025 NFL Mock Draft
1st round: Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State
With the departure of Kevin Zeitler in NFL Free Agency, the interior offensive line needs to be addressed. Even if Zeitler would have come back on a short-term deal, the Lions would have probably been in the market for an early-round offensive lineman.
Grey Zabel might be the perfect addition to this roster.
At 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, Zabel posted a ridiculous 36.5-inch vertical jump, showing off his outstanding athleticism. He showed at the Senior Bowl that he's more than ready to play with top competition and I think he'd be able to slide right into a starting guard spot for the Detroit Lions from Day 1.
He's so strong and so quick, and he's already proven he can play four of the five positions on the offensive line. He's a model of versatility.
2nd round: Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
The Lions were absolutely decimated on the defensive side of the ball last season by injuries, and one of the areas that got hit harder than others was the defensive front. Losing Aidan Hutchinson might have been the one hit the Lions couldn't afford to take last year.
Even bringing in Za'Darius Smith as a trade deadline acquisition wasn't enough to keep things afloat. The Lions need reinforcements and they need to continue developing young talent on that defensive line. Getting a player like Jack Sawyer at the bottom of the second round would have blown people away a couple of months ago.
One thing you have to love about Sawyer is the way he showed up in big moments this past season for Ohio State. In the playoff run, he had 4.5 sacks. He lives for moments like that and steps up when the lights are brightest.
3rd round: Jamaree Caldwell, DL, Oregon
Adding more to the defensive line sounds good in general, but this year's rookie class is absolutely loaded on the defensive line. It would be roster malpractice to pass on this year's class of players, especially in the Lions' context.
A player who is a lot more impressive the more you do a deep dive on him is Jamaree Caldwell. He might not have statistics that blow you away, but he plays with such great quickness and leverage.
At 6-foot-2, 332 pounds, he's built like the traditional nose tackle, but you see him play multiple positions on the defensive front and he's capable of doing that at the next level.
4th round: Billy Bowman, DB, Oklahoma
This year's incoming crop of defensive backs is a "beauty in the eye of the beholder" type of class but I think the general consensus is way too low on a lot of guys. One of the guys the consensus is probably way too low on at this point, in particular, is Billy Bowman out of Oklahoma.
There have been some questions about Bowman's overall size, but he plays so fast and so instinctive with the ability to float all over the defensive backfield. The Lions have obviously done well with versatility in the secondary but as impactful as the departure of Ben Johnson was on the offensive side, you can't help but wonder how impactful the departure of Aaron Glenn will also be on the defensive side.
This draft needs to be about loading up on talent defensively and this pick helps fortify the back end. If Bowman is available on Day 3, he would be an instant contributor and role player in the Detroit defense.