The Detroit Lions have a lot of hard work to do over the next few months. Detroit did not live up to their own expectations in 2025, finishing the regular season 9-8 and missing the playoffs. Now their focus should be on upgrading the roster ahead of what should be a crucial 2026 season for the organization.
ESPN's Field Yates released his first mock draft of the 2026 NFL offseason on Wednesday.
Yates made a surprising selection for Detroit, pairing them with Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling in the first round.
“With Taylor Decker's future uncertain, the Lions must shore up the left tackle spot,” Yates wrote. “Freeling is a player I'm higher on than most draft analysts, ranking him third among offensive tackles. I believe he has a real shot to skyrocket his draft stock between now and April. Freeling has only 18 career starts and under 1,600 snaps played, but the upside is massive. He stands at nearly 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds with 35-inch arms; those measurables combined with great pass protection skills are hard to find. Freeling allowed only two sacks last season.”
Freeling is an interesting draft prospect who could be a good fit for the Lions. But at this point in the pre-draft process, Yates is going out on a bit of a limb with this pairing.
The vast majority of Freeling's production in college came during his final season at Georgia. Freeling started 13 games and played 747 offensive snaps, which shows that much of his tape comes from the 2025 season.
But Yates is certainly correct about Detroit's need at left tackle.
Detroit is often paired with left tackles in early mock drafts this offseason. However, the actual player tends to be someone like Utah's Spencer Fano or Alabama's Kadyn Proctor.
Of course, the list of likely first-round picks is still going to change throughout the spring. The NFL Scouting Combine and college pro days will add valuable information for teams and the media alike.
Still, Lions fans may be wise to keep a player like Freeling on their radar heading into the offseason.
It will be fascinating to see how Detroit approaches the 2026 offseason after such a disappointing 2025 campaign.
