As attention shifts from free agency to the NFL Draft, every team—including all with a first-round pick—is eager to add young, affordable talent.

For Detroit Lions fans, this draft class is particularly exciting, as general manager Brad Holmes acknowledged the strong depth of defensive linemen available.

“Me and Ray Agnew were just kind of looking at the totality of, ‘Yeah, it’s a lot deeper than what we can remember,’ at least in the past couple of years. That’s both inside and out for sure,” Holmes noted at the NFL Combine last month.

With Detroit signing only a backup nose tackle in free agency, defensive line remains a key focus in mock drafts.

That was evident in two major projections this week from NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., though they approached the pick differently.

Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft has the Lions selecting Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams. “Williams is another player with a wide range of potential destinations.

The production has trailed the athleticism, but there’s a ton of upside here,” Jeremiah explained. However, Williams’ output has raised concerns, as he tallied just 14 sacks over three seasons, never exceeding 5.0 in a year.

His 11.1% pass rush win rate in 2024 lags behind top prospects like Donovan Ezeiruaku (18.2%).

Still, Williams excels in run defense and fits the Lions’ preferred style for a closed-end role. Meanwhile, Kiper took a different approach to bolstering Detroit’s pass rush.

At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Pearce stands out with his elite athleticism, posting the best combine results among defensive ends—including a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and a 1.56-second 10-yard split.

Pearce’s college film is among the most exciting in this year’s defensive end class.

He was a disruptive force, amassing 17.5 sacks over two seasons with a 23.0% pass rush win rate in 2024 (per PFF), ranking ninth nationally.

However, his smaller frame raises concerns about his fit in Detroit’s system.

He might be better suited for the SAM linebacker role, but the Lions recently extended Derrick Barnes, who could shift to another linebacker spot if needed.

What stands out in both mock drafts is the differing views on this EDGE class.

In Kiper’s projection, Mykel Williams was gone by the 10th pick to the Bears, whereas in Jeremiah’s, James Pearce didn’t even make the first round.

This highlights the depth of the EDGE group and how availability at pick 28 will depend on individual evaluations. Outside of the top few pass rushers, there is little consensus among analysts.