Sports

Mock Draft Roundup: Lions Set Sights on Georgia Offensive Tackle

It's time for the 16th and final Detroit Lions OnSI mock draft roundup for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Over the last week, the Lions have set their sights on strengthening the offensive tackle position at No. 17 overall.

Let's take a look now at who the draft analysts have Lions general manager Brad Holmes selecting in the first round.

Blake Miller, Clemson

Miller is presently being selected by the following:

FOX Sports (Rob Rang); NFL.com (Adam Rank); NFL.com (Gennaro Filice)

As Rang writes, "At the NFL Annual League Meeting, Dan Campbell suggested that the Lions were "ready" to move their All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell back to the blindside role he played in college, if necessary. Doing that would put Larry Borom in position to start on the right side, but I think there are several candidates in this class who would be better. Miller hasn't generated as much buzz as some of the other offensive tackles of this class, but he's a relatively sure thing with 54 career starts and an ideal combination of size, athleticism and technique."

Offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

Iheanachor is presently being mocked by the following:

Sports Illustrated (Justin Melo)

As Melo opines, "Iheanachor has been a fast-rising prospect over the last couple of weeks, and those close to the Lions have grown louder lately about the possibility of him landing with Detroit. The Lions haven't been shy about their openness to moving Penei Sewell to the left side, and Iheanachor is also relatively new enough to football to potentially be developed as a left tackle. He needs technical refinement, but the physical tools are legitimate first-round caliber, and I really think he'll be selected much higher than most are projecting."

Offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, Utah

Lomu is presently being selected by the following:

Pro Football Network (Alec Elijah)

Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Freeling is currently being mocked by the following:

ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr.); NFL.com (Mike Band); The Athletic (Dane Brugler); The Draft Network (Jaime Eisner & Frankie Taddeo); CBS Sports (Mike Renner);USA Today (Ayrton Ostly)

As Kiper explains, "Freeling has a huge 6-7, 315-pound frame and long 34¾-inch arms, and he can erase pass rushers with his quickness and handwork. His 18 starts of experience might worry some teams, but I'd bet Detroit would be happy to land Freeling in this range. He has a ton of potential, and the Lions were 31st in pass block win rate last season (55.5%). Because Freeling played left tackle at Georgia, Penei Sewell could stick on the right side, too. Freeling would replace Taylor Decker at LT, with new signee Larry Borom also getting plenty of reps. It'd be a key move in getting this team back to the postseason."

Offensive tackle Spencer Fano, Utah

Fano is presently being selected by the following:

Pro Football Focus (Bradley Locker); NFL.com (Chad Reuter; trade up to No. 13 overall)

As Locker opines, "Detroit has a sneakily big need along its offensive line after cutting veteran Taylor Decker, plus experiencing an underwhelming season from Christian Mahogany. Whether playing on the perimeter or inside, Fano and his great run-blocking (13.6% impact run-block rate) are perfect for Dan Campbell's bunch."

Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Proctor is presently being selected by the following:

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); FOX Sports (Geoff Schwartz); CBS Sports (Jared Dubin); WalterFootball (Charlie Campbell)

As Edwards pens, "Giovanni Manu is set to start at left tackle with Taylor Decker and Detroit parting ways. One would imagine Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes seek an alternative at the position. Kadyn Proctor is a big body who does a good job executing some of the blocks in space that the team has executed in the past."



This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Mock Draft Roundup: Lions Set Sights on Georgia Offensive Tackle.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 11:15 AM.

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