As the 2025 NFL Draft draws closer, the anticipation is building. For the Detroit Lions, even though they don’t have a super high pick in the draft, they’ll still be able to use the draft to shape their roster with rookie talent that fills some gaps left after last season.
One NFL analyst has a bold prediction for what the Lions might do with their upcoming draft picks. He sees them going with two players in the same position, back to back.
Detroit Lions Could Do Double Edge Rushers
The Detroit Lions have one of the best edge rushers in the league in Aidan Hutchinson. He’s a one-man show, but he does need some help and, of course, he’s coming off an injury. That’s where the NFL Draft comes in.
On the Thursday, April 10, episode of “Locked on Lions” hosted by Matt Dery, NFL draft analyst and expert Nick Baumgardner explains why he has the Detroit Lions drafting two edge rushers with consecutive picks in his most recent mock draft.
“In my last mock that I did recently, I did a three round mock, and I think I had J.T. Tuimoloau from Ohio State in the second round going to the Lions and then Josiah Stewart in the third going to the Lions,” he explained. “And to me, that’s exactly like what they did last year with that corner position – where guys are falling, they like these guys a lot, it’s still an area of need. Let’s just go take care of it right now. I really like the idea of getting two young guys who aren’t the same player.”
He added how he envisioned these guys working with Hutchinson, explaining that “J.T. would be kind of your edge setter who plays maybe on first and second down, cleans up against the run and works to get Aidan (Hutchinson) in favorable matchups opposite of him.” Then, “Stewart would be able to come in and just be a designated pass rusher…”
Talking the Lions’ Current Roster
Baumgardner also talked about the Lions adding Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw last season and what is has meant to the team.
“We saw this last year with Terrion (Arnold) and (Ennis) Rackstraw, those guys came in and were close,” he said. “They developed a bond there, they pushed each other. I think they’re going to grow together. And I like that idea of fostering sort of someone that a young guy can lean on a little bit on a roster right now that’s going to be really hard to come in and immediately make a huge splash.”
In the end, Baumgardner says that he believes “Stewart would be a really good fit here,” but that he doesn’t know “it he’s enough on on his own. I would worry that it would be too much like a James Houston – where you’re wondering if you’re getting enough out of him, just because he is small but a very good athlete, for sure.”
The Detroit Lions only have one pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, and that’s No. 28.
