The Detroit Lions Podcast

Late-Round Targets With Real Detroit Fits
The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on two late Day 3 options who match Detroit’s defensive profile. The focus stayed tight: an interior disruptor who penetrates and a defensive back with real slot juice and verified top-end speed. Both players project as developmental pieces who can fill defined roles in the NFL and compete for snaps in Detroit.
Penetration From the Interior: Cameron Ball
Cameron Ball, a defensive tackle from Arkansas, stands 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds and tested at the combine. His game is built on first-step quickness and backfield penetration. He wins by getting narrow through gaps and shooting into the backfield, not by anchoring and two-gapping. The production reflects a creator more than a finisher: three sacks and 13 tackles for loss across four seasons, with steady disruption and pursuit.
The motor runs hot. He tackles well and moves unexpectedly well in space for his size, getting outside the box to finish plays. Block shedding is inconsistent, and he is not a classic run stuffer. He must win early with quickness. The athletic profile is decent, not elite, and the projection lands late on Day 3, potentially the sixth or seventh round.
The fit in Detroit is clear. Ball profiles as a rotational rush tackle behind Alim McNeill, with insurance value when Levi Onwuzurike shifts. Detroit has dabbled with penetrators inside, including bigger bodies asked to knife and facilitate rather than rack up sacks. Ball can make quarterbacks hesitate on their step-up when edge pressure compresses the pocket. That kind of interior disturbance has value in this defense.
Slot Speed and Versatility: C.A. Wright
C.A. Wright, a Nebraska cornerback and former USC recruit, brings verified speed. GPS tracking has him over 22 miles per hour repeatedly. Nebraska kicked him inside to the slot, where his game took off, though he also saw time outside and some at safety. That inside-out experience matters for a secondary that values versatility and alignments that disguise intentions.
Wright turned heads in all-star settings, including a strong week in the Dallas area. The attraction is straightforward: true slot range with recovery speed, plus the ability to handle varied coverage assignments. He projects in the late rounds, with the speed and role clarity to compete right away for nickel work while developing boundary technique over time.
Why These Profiles Matter for Detroit
Detroit needs rotational defenders who do specific jobs well. Ball offers gap shooting from the interior to complement edge pressure and lighten the load on early downs with change-of-pace penetration. Wright brings slot athleticism and flexibility across multiple spots in the secondary. Both are realistic Day 3 targets for the Detroit Lions, with traits that translate and roles that fit the plan.

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Draft Runway and Roster Posture
The Detroit Lions Podcast turned spring break into roster talk as Jeff Risdon sat down with Nick Baumgartner two weeks before the NFL Draft. They opened with Michigan basketball’s national title and a nod to John Beilein getting his overdue moment. Then they pivoted hard to the Detroit Lions and the NFL calendar. The tone was steady. The message was clear. Detroit is in good shape.
Baumgartner said the front office did what it needed to do. The approach was careful. The only gripe raised was not giving Frank Regnal bonus money. Everything else from Brad Holmes and Dan tracked with the plan. The roster now lets Detroit enter the first round with freedom. Best player available is back on the table. That likely points to the trenches. An offensive lineman sits high on the board. It does not have to be a pure tackle. Guard or tackle both fit the current path.
Free Agency Adds Reshape the Board
The Detroit Lions Podcast highlighted several additions that tighten depth and raise the floor. Cade Maze drew praise as a value signing. Pacheco did too. Corrao landed as a swing tackle who can cover short term needs. He can start in a pinch if a rookie needs time. Those moves matter when the NFL Draft starts to slide. They buy patience. They keep the board honest. Detroit can wait for its guy instead of forcing a reach.
With those pieces in place, the Lions can let the draft come to them. If a tackle falls, they can pounce. If the board tilts to an interior mauler, they can plug that in and roll. Either way, the goal stays the same. Protect the quarterback. Keep the run game on schedule. Own the line of scrimmage.
Secondary Competition Tightens Inside
Risdon pushed a point he thinks the fan base has overlooked. Roger McCreary and Tyler Conklin were called out as signings who will play and help right away. They were framed as upgrades over the players they replace. The slot comparison was direct. McCreary was labeled a better cover guy than Amiek Robertson on the inside. The versatility note followed. McCreary can do more. That flexibility changes matchups and pressures route timing.
Chris Isiom came up as another under-the-radar pickup. The theme continued. Holmes keeps finding defensive backs off the scrap Wheat and making them fit. More bodies. More traits. More competition. It all stacks to a cleaner picture on draft night. Detroit can target the best player instead of scrambling to fill a hole. That is the difference between chasing and controlling. The NFL rewards control. The Detroit Lions Podcast made that point plain.

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A 1,200-Player Lens on the NFL Draft
Jeff Risdon welcomed Emery Hunt to the Detroit Lions Podcast for a focused draft conversation. Hunt outlined how his process starts in January after a season spent covering the NFL and college football. He hits nine to ten all star games, including the combine, to form first looks on prospects. Then he stacks twelve hour film days from February until the guide publishes. His draft guide includes over 1,200 individual scouting reports, one page per player he has actually watched. Buyers since 2020 would now hold more than 6,600 reports. It is built for draft weekend, camp cuts, and the regular season when rosters churn. The guide lists a clear grade for everyone he studied and costs $25.
What Fits at Pick 17 for Detroit
The discussion turned to the Detroit Lions at pick 17. Detroit added help on the edge in free agency. Inside, McNeil anchors a sturdy interior with capable help next to him. Hutchinson gives them a proven outside presence. That context points to two prime pathways. One is getting younger at edge if the board cooperates. Hunt said he would feel comfortable taking Reed Mesa in that range. He stressed a modern expectation for first rounders. Three productive years is success in a league where even top picks move quickly.
The other path is the offensive line. If early action at the top reshapes the tackle market, Detroit could find a true left tackle on the board. The Browns’ choices at six and twenty four could influence that flow. In that scenario, Monroe Fraley fits as a clean left tackle projection. He offers the flexibility to keep him on the left side or cross train him on the right, depending on how Detroit wants to arrange the room. Interior offensive line was also mentioned as a viable consideration.
Secondary Swing and a First-Round Wild Card
Cornerback remains a live option if the medicals break right. If Manu McCoy checks out and slides, that would be a strong pickup at value. The show also floated a first round wild card. Anzalone Ponds of Indiana profiles as an outside corner who matches the physical, competitive edge the Lions prioritize. That type of player fits the team’s identity and adds matchup flexibility on the perimeter.
However the board falls, Detroit has leverage. Free agency work on the defensive line gives room to target value. The roster’s core pieces create options rather than needs. At seventeen, the Lions can credibly choose edge, tackle, interior offensive line, or corner. With multiple workable lanes and a deep pool of scouted prospects, they can trust the grades and take the cleanest fit.

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Tackle Takes the Lead at 17
The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on the NFL Draft board. Episode 607 asked the question that matters: what should the Detroit Lions do at 17? The table leaned offensive tackle. A fresh sweep of recent mocks all pointed to a tackle at that spot. Names floated included Procter, Manu, Holmes, Fraley, and Venga. The reasoning was simple. At 17, need meets value. If the Lions stick at that pick, a tackle fits the board and the workload in front of them. The draft room math favors it.
Edge Help and the 50 Pick
Edge at 17 did not land the same conviction. The group questioned whether an edge would be worth that selection. The hope is that a pass rusher slides to 50. If not, trade flexibility stays on the table. Up for a target. Back for a pocket of value. The expectation laid out was clear: across picks 17 and 50, come away with an offensive tackle and a pass rusher. There was also talk that the front office is weighing defensive end as strongly as tackle. Either way, the path was set. Protect the quarterback. Hit the quarterback. Do both by the end of Day 2.
Tight End Talk and a Big-Board Curveball
First-round tight end? No. That was the blunt answer. The crew would be stunned if the Detroit Lions opened with a tight end. A twist came from the show’s consensus big board. The 17th-ranked player there is a tight end. But that is a ranking, not a Lions projection. The board explains talent tiers. It does not predict Detroit’s card. The Podcast kept circling back to need and value. In this NFL, tackle at 17 tracks with both.
Roster Notes, Anzalone Chatter, and What’s Next
There was a sidebar on Alex Anzalone’s recent comments. He discussed returning, with the head coach wanting that outcome, while ownership and the front office reportedly felt otherwise. Quarterback talk surfaced too. A first-round quarterback did not feel imminent. That room is heavy, and health for the young pieces matters before any verdicts. Late in the segment, a pair of names came up as unlikely options at 17, with the belief that one of them might be gone anyway. The show closed with a programming note. A bigger draft roundtable is planned for early next week, with a full mock on deck. The Detroit Lions Podcast will line up the scenarios and run them, pick by pick.

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Russell Brown and Scott Bischoff returned to the Detroit Lions Podcast after a week off and put the focus squarely on pick 17. Fifteen days out from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions’ board and one Alabama offensive tackle dominated the run-up: Proctor. National chatter says he will not get past Detroit at 17. That includes a high-profile voice saying, "there's no way Proctor gets past the Lions." The room wrestled with whether that is smoke or a signal.
Proctor at 17: Plan or Smokescreen?
The Lions need clarity on value at 17. Proctor brings size and traits. He played left tackle at Alabama and could be asked to move inside. Brown graded him as a late second-round player on film. He did not love three of four games studied, pointing to Wisconsin, Georgia, and Oklahoma as uneven outings. The size is undeniable at roughly 6-foot-7 and 352, with reports he played closer to 370 last season. He can reach. He can pull. He transfers weight from his post foot to his set foot with ease. The issues show up in balance. Oversets. The game speeds him up and knocks him off course. He needs to find a comfortable playing weight.
Detroit’s decision at 17 might hinge on whether the front office sees a guard conversion, a future left tackle, or a developmental swing who buys time. There is also top-10 buzz for Proctor. Cleveland at six, Kansas City at nine, and Cincinnati at ten were floated as tackle-needy spots. If even one of them prefers him inside, his market shifts. If they see a long-term tackle, he may never reach 17.
Arizona’s Leverage Over the First Round
The conversation kept circling back to Arizona at three. The Cardinals, in their view, want out. If a team jumps Tennessee at four, the ripple could blow up every mock draft. A move down to the mid-first would let Arizona collect capital and still target another tackle later. That single trade could push a run at offensive line and change Detroit’s choices. If tackles come off early, the Lions may face a decision on a player they like less than the number on the board. If the run stalls, options expand.
What It Means for Detroit
If Proctor reaches 17, the Lions must weigh traits against tape. They can bet on a rare frame, movement skills, and coaching up balance. They can pass and pivot to another position. Or they can trade the pick. The NFL is about fit and timing. On this week’s Detroit Lions Podcast, the debate was simple and sharp: if Proctor is there, is he the right kind of bet for Detroit at 17?

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