The NFL Draft season is starting to heat up with the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Panini Senior Bowl now in the books.
Those are the two big All-Star events that showcase some of the top draft talent ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine later this month that really kicks off draft season.
NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his initial Top 50 prospects available in this year's draft which gives us a good primer of the top names available in this year's class.
Jeremiah will update his list a couple times before April's NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, especially after all the measurements and workouts are completed in Indianapolis at the Combine. An early takeaway is the Lions should be able to find plenty of help at some current positions of need.
View photos of Detroit Lions players at 2026 Pro Bowl practice in San Francisco.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) and quarterback Jared Goff (16) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0), and Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) with Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) and Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) with Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) and Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) and Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
NFC finishes practice at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0), Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16), Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) and Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) take a group photo at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0), Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16), Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) and Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) take a group photo at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) visits with the German youth flag team at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) visits with the German youth flag team at Pro Bowl Games practice on Feb. 1, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Stuart Zaas/Detroit Lions)
His Top 50 list is split evenly with 25 players on both sides of the ball, but the top 10 leans slightly toward defense with six players.
Jeremiah's top-ranked player is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, with the rest of his Top 5 consisting of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese, Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
The Lions currently have seven picks in this year's draft, starting with No. 17 in the first round.
Where does Jeremiah view this draft being particularly strong?
- He's got 11 wide receivers ranked in his Top 50, led by USC's Makai Lemon at No. 7.
- Next is edge rusher with eight. Jeremiah has five edge rushers ranked in his Top 20, led by Ohio State's versatile defender Reese at No. 3.
- A good chunk of Detroit's depth at edge rusher is scheduled for free agency in March, a list that includes second-leading sacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had 11.0 sacks this season, along with Marcus Davenport and Tyrus Wheat. Detroit could certainly be in the market for an edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson in this draft depending on what happens in free agency ahead of the draft.
- Tackle is another position the Lions could look to add, whether veteran Taylor Decker, 32, decides to retire or not. Utah's Spencer Fano (No. 12) and Miami's Francis Mauigoa (No. 13) are Jeremiah's top two tackles in the class.
- Only two interior offensive linemen made the list — Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane (No. 11) and Texas A&M's Chase Bisontis (No. 49).
- There are also five cornerbacks and three safeties on the list if the Lions are looking to add depth and talent to their secondary in the first couple rounds of the draft.
Jeremiah also released his first 2026 NFL mock draft, where he has the Lions adding Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor to pair with Hutchinson at No. 17.
"Mesidor would thrive opposite Aidan Hutchinson," Jeremiah wrote of Mesidor to Detroit. "Going from one dynamic pass-rush duo (with Rueben Bain Jr. at Miami) to another."
