With the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, the Detroit Lions have assembled their newest draft class.And, while the Lions will spend the offseason learning about their newest additions — a get-to-know-you process that won't include rookie minicamp — analysts have quickly weighed in with how they view the draft class. Shortly after the three-day draft wrapped up Saturday, the usual raft of draft grades rolled out. A sampling of those evaluations generally showed favorable reviews for the Lions' seven-person class, which is comprised of the following players:▶ Round 1 (No. 17 overall): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson▶ Round 2 (No. 44): Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan▶ Round 4 (No. 118): Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan▶ Round 5 (No. 157): Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State▶ Round 5 (No. 168): Kendrick Law, WR, Kentucky▶ Round 6 (No. 205): Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, Texas Tech▶ Round 7 (No. 222): Tyre West, DL, Tennessee.That included A-minus grades from the likes of Chad Reuter of NFL.com and Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News, and Bs handed out by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr., Sports Illustrated and USA Today NFL reporter Nate Davis.The class was led by Miller, a likely Day 1 starter tasked with offsetting the loss of former Lions first-round pick Taylor Decker, who was granted his release this offseason after 10 seasons in Detroit."It will be interesting to see whether the Lions move Penei Sewell to left tackle to accommodate Miller, who primarily played right tackle at Clemson," writes Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated.
"Selecting Miller and possibly tinkering with the lineup needs to pay off for this team because this star-studded roster struggled last year without a stout offensive line."More: Niyo: With Blake Miller pick, Lions can rest easy after tackling biggest needIn Moore, Lions could solve their need for a long-term edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. Al-Quadin Muhammad tallied 11 sacks last season, but left via free agency. Moore had 10 sacks last season for the Wolverines."Will a second-round pick in Derrick Moore get the job done?"
Kiper writes. "I might have gone with (former Michigan State and Missouri defensive lineman) Zion Young, who went one pick later, but I think there's upside for an eventual all-Michigan edge combo of Hutchinson and Moore."More: Better, not bitter: Michigan's Derrick Moore thrives after rough childhoodOther picks that seemed to catch analysts' attention were Rolder — Moore's teammate at Michigan — and Abney, who Yahoo Sports singled out as the Lions' "most interesting pick" in giving the team's draft class a B-minus."A feisty defender, I’m not shocked that Abney ended up a Lion," Nate Tice and Charles McDonald write.
He’s a physical player and a willing tackler whom I like playing best from the slot because he lacks the consistent ability to turn and stay in coverage, although he could stick on the outside in a more zone-heavy scheme (the Lions run a lot of man coverage, however). ..."Abney was a player I was comfortable taking at the end of round 3 because of his physicality and smarts, so this felt more than proper in the middle of Day 3."Grades from other outlets includes:▶ NBC Sports: C-plus▶ Pro Football Focus: B-minusWant to comment on this story? Become a subscriber today. Click here.This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions NFL Draft grades: See how national analysts view Detroit's haul