Four players the Lions could pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft
By Rhys Knott
Dan Campbell’s team has the 28th pick in the draft and seven picks in total. The Lions are $42 million under the salary cap, though, and should only have to spend $9.1 million to sign the draft class. They could sign a host of undrafted free agents with that money, or still bring in some veteran free agents.
Only their unprecedented injury crisis could derail the Lions’ 2024 season. Victims of their own success, both their coordinators became head coaches.
Dealing with the loss of both coordinators caused the 2023 Eagles a few issues. Sirianni’s team did win 11 games, but that’s three fewer than they managed in their 2022 and 2024 seasons.
After their stellar 15-win 2024 season, Detroit can afford a short transition period. Based on the 2024 NFC, they could feasibly lose their first six and still make the playoffs.
The Lions’ playing personnel remains largely the same as in 2024, but three cornerbacks have left. Carlton Davis is now a Patriot, Kindle Vildor joined the Buccaneers and Ifeatu Melifonwu signed with the Dolphins.
Luckily, there is a plethora of talented defensive backs in the 2025 draft class.
Shavon Revel Jr., Cornerback, East Carolina
Revel Jr.’s trajectory is more astronomical than parabolic. Five years ago he found himself playing NJCAA Division III football at Louisburg College. Now he’s touted as a first-round pick in the NFL after a stop-off working in an Amazon warehouse.
Louisburg College does have some NFL pedigree, though. Current Rams defensive end (a fifth-round pick by the Titans), Larrell Murchison, spent a season there before transferring to NC State.
If you’re looking for a lazy comparison for Revel Jr., he’s the FBS’s answer to Travis Hunter. Unlike Hunter, the 24-year-old didn’t play as a receiver in college (but don’t count anything out once he hits the big time).
However, as a high school senior, Revel Jr. played receiver and cornerback and represented the Ronald W. Reagan track and field team. He competed in the 55 metres, the 300 metres, and both the high jump and long jump.
It’s fair to say he’ll bring plenty of energy on and off the field. He’s also got the physicality synonymous with a Dan Campbell player. He recorded 70 tackles in 24 games for the Pirates, along with five tackles for a loss and a sack!
Defensive backs who can provide run support are like gold dust. They allow defensive coordinators to field their base defense. As a bonus, they can prevent too many men on the field penalties. Kelvin Sheppard would love to have four defensive backs who tackle like linebackers.
Revel Jr. isn’t quite “tweener” size, but he is in the 92nd percentile of the class for height (6-foot-2). He only falls into the 56th percentile for weight, tipping the scales at 194 pounds.
Unsurprisingly, for a former track athlete, he clocked a 4.40-second 40-yard time, ranking in the 84th percentile of this gifted cornerback class.
There are question marks over both the standard of football Revel Jr. played in college and his health, though. The Pirates play in the American Athletic Conference and went 10-14 in the 24 games Revel Jr. played. However, the North Carolinian’s size and athleticism are sure to translate to the NFL.
Some teams have concerns over Revel Jr’s health because he only played three games in 2024. The car crash survivor (he suffered a fractured skull) underwent surgery on a torn ACL in October. He suffered the injury at practice the week after the Pirates’ loss to Appalachian State.
The timing of the injury is even more cruel when you know that Revel Jr. made a tackle for a loss, defended a pass and returned an interception for a touchdown! But he’s as tough as they come, he’ll be back stronger than ever.
Revel Jr.’s doctor is so convinced his recovery is on schedule and he will be able to participate in training camp that he’s written NFL teams a letter.
The second-team All-ACC defensive back projects as a late first-round pick, with several experts expecting him to be the Rams’ pick at 26. He seems like the perfect Dan Campbell defensive back, though.
Shavon Revel in press to the bottom of the screen Gets into the WR in his stem and squeezes him to the sideline + cuts him off, then gets his eyes to the football & goes up for the PBU/attempted INT
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) March 26, 2025 at 1:13 PM
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Trey Amos, Cornerback, Ole Miss
Watching CB Trey Amos (#9, top of screen). Dude is a PBU machine—very savvy about using his long arms at just the right time. Can play both press man and reads QBs well in zone. I’m a fan.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes.bsky.social) April 12, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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Amos personifies the phrase “sticky coverage”. He doesn’t give receivers space to breathe, let alone make a catch. He’s a physical specimen who takes smart angles and extends his arms to disrupt the catch.
The 23-year-old has taken a winding road to arrive at the draft. He spent three years in Lafayette as a Ragin’ Cajun, then moved to Alabama for a season before settling in Jackson for his second Senior year.
Over the course of his career, he amassed 121 tackles in 61 games! The former high school quarterback also made eight tackles for a loss, three interceptions and defended 31 passes in his last four seasons.
At 6-foot-1, he is in the 81st percentile of this cornerback class, but he’s only in the 60th percentile for weight, at 185 pounds. The former high school long jump champion, Amos, performed reasonably well at the combine.
His 4.43-second 40-yard dash time is the same as Ravens’ cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and ranks in the 75th percentile of the class. His 126-inch broad jump is in the 76th percentile, but he whiffed on the vertical jump. Amos’ 32.5-inch attempt only lands in the 11th percentile!
Amos isn’t as physical as Revel Jr., but he won’t be pushed around by receivers. His ability to break up passes is almost innate. He times interventions so well that he’ll rarely draw any attention from officials.
He projects as the 30th overall pick for the Bills, but some believe the Packers will take him at 23. If he makes it past Green Bay the Lions should definitely be interested.
Kenneth Grant, Defensive Tackle, Michigan
Kenneth Grant (78) over the Center & Mason Graham (55) in a 4i over the LT, each playing through multiple blockers and meeting at the QB
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) April 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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The last time the Lions drafted defensive linemen from Michigan, it went pretty well. Aidan Hutchinson is a cult hero and has 28.5 sacks in just 39 games in Hawaiian Blue! In draft terms, this is as close to a no-brainer as it gets.
In college, Grant lined up next to everyone’s new favourite Wolverine defensive tackle, Mason Graham. Subsequently, he’s been somewhat overlooked by experts. Everyone thinks Grant is a first-round pick, but nobody ranks him in the same half of the draft as Golden Graham.
During his three years in Michigan, Indiana native Grant recorded 69 tackles in 41 games. He also sacked the quarterback 6.5 times, made 12 tackles for a loss and defended 10 passes.
The former high school shot putter recovered three fumbles and even made an interception. But it’s not so much the numbers he put up as the work he did, allowing those around him to do their thing.
Grant’s ability to occupy blockers is one of the reasons everyone expects so much from Mason Graham. Grant’s drive and effort have even attracted the attention of Jon Gruden.
Defensive tackles at the combine are very much like a dolphin with a Hoover; everyone’s glad to see them, but has no idea what they’re doing.
Weighing 331 pounds, Grant ranks in the 91st percentile of this generational defensive tackle class. And standing 6-foot-4 tall he’s in the 74th percentile for height.
Grant performed fine testing-wise, but his 5.11 40-yard time is only in the 49th percentile (who wants their defensive tackle sprinting 40 yards, though?).
The former four-star recruit ranks in the 72nd percentile with a 31-inch vertical jump, that is why he defends so many passes.
Most experts see Grant being drafted either 21st or 22nd overall. But if there is some trade action at the top of the draft, he could well slip down.
Maybe the Lions should even trade up to ensure they get one of the hardest-working prospects in the draft? It’s not like Dan Campbell is backwards in coming forwards.
Darien Porter, Cornerback, Iowa State
Even Porter’s Wikipedia page says he didn’t become a starter until 2024. That’s why he isn’t projected to be one of the top prospects in this class. His athleticism and varied experience suggest he should be.
Porter is a very big cornerback, so big he could eventually line up at safety or linebacker.
He spent six years at Iowa State, but he redshirted after three games as a freshman. Then he played as a receiver for two years. Suffice it to say, he has some pretty abstract numbers from his college days.
The 24-year-old made 51 tackles in 36 games as a defensive back, with two tackles for a loss. A former state 400-metre record holder, Porter made three interceptions and defended six passes.
He turned plenty of heads at the combine, though. Porter is in the 97th percentile for height because he’s 6-foot-3! Unsurprisingly, Porter falls into the 86th percentile for arm length, and his 79-and-a-half-inch span is in the 74th percentile.
Porter also dominated the testing, running a 4.30 40-yard time that ranks in the 98th percentile! His 10-yard split is in the 91st percentile, and his 6.71 three-cone drill ranks in the 87th percentile.
But his pièce de résistance is a 131-inch broad jump that ranks in the 94th percentile. NexGen Stats ranks him as the second-most athletic defensive back in the class.
Not many experts have Porter being drafted in the first round, but maybe they should. In mock drafts, he appears anywhere between the 14th overall and the fifth round! Kelvin Sheppard would love to have a player whose mere presence can confuse quarterbacks on his defense.
Darien Porter with an INT from a soft shoe press at the bottom of the screen -eyes on the near hip -doesn’t get into the WR or cut him off, but stays in phase & hand fights -reads the WR’s eyes, locates the football, & makes a nice pick
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 5:08 PM
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RHYS KNOTT
NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST
Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes