2025 Detroit Lions draft roundtable: What was the biggest surprise?

As we continue to dig into the Detroit Lions’ 2025 draft class, we wanted to give the entire staff a voice to share their overall thoughts on how Brad Holmes and company performed over the weekend.

This is the first installment in a seven-part series of Lions draft superlatives. Here are the seven questions we’re going to answer over the course of the next week.

Favorite Lions pick Least favorite Lions pick Most excited to see in training camp Best value pick Pick you wish they would’ve made UDFA most likely to make an impact Biggest surprise

In this article, we start at the bottom:

What was the biggest surprise of the Lions’ 2025 NFL Draft?

Jeremy: Not trading up in the top-50 picks.

Holmes is known for his aggression, and while he certainly showed that later in the draft, I thought there was a very good chance he was going to do it early. I believed he may take a stab to climb 10-12 spots in the first round, and when players like Donovan Ezeiruaku, JT Tuimoloau, and Nic Scourton were available in the 40s, I fully expected Holmes to go get one of them.

Brandon Knapp: Trading up for Isaac TeSlaa

Brad trading up wasn’t the surprise, it was the trade up for TeSlaa specifically. I was hoping for a defensive end or a different WR there.

Ryan Mathews: Trading up for Isaac TeSlaa

The Lions had a need at wide receiver, X-receiver specifically, and hosting Matthew Golden for a top-30 visit did nothing but stoke those flames. Trading two additional third-round draft picks in 2026 to move up to No. 70 for a player ranked the 171st consensus player in the draft was by far the biggest surprise of the draft.

Max Gerber: Doubling up on guards

Let me preface this by saying that I love the Miles Frazier pick and think he will be a great addition to the offensive line group in Detroit. I saw guard as a major need for the Lions and thought that box was checked with the selection of Tate Ratledge in the second round. For them to trade two picks to move up and take Frazier as well was a welcome surprise. I’m interested to see how he’ll fit in a crowded and versatile offensive line room.

John Whiticar: Not trading up in the first round

In a draft with a perceived weak first round, I really expected Brad Holmes to make a trade up to secure one of his “guys.” They ended up staying put and selecting Tyleik Williams, but it is unclear if he was one of those select prospects with a first-round grade or whether that list had already been plucked clean. Holmes has made numerous trade ups, both this year and in previous drafts, and he strikes me as someone very eager to get his wish—almost to a point of impatience. Did the board truly fall his way where he felt comfortable staying at 28, or did his wishlist get poached before he could materialize a trade?

Hamza Baccouche: Doubling up on guards

After the Lions didn’t draft a guard in the first round, I thought this would be one of those drafts where Brad Holmes doesn’t address a need and we all tell ourselves to trust the process. But with a second-round pick invested in the position in the form of Tate Ratledge, that changed quickly. Guard suddenly became a position of strength. Add Miles Frazier into the mix, who is a talent worthy of much more than a fifth-round pick, and it’s suddenly a very crowded room.

Erik Schlitt: Ahmed Hassanein’s willingness to die for Dan Campbell

Sitting and watching the draft for three days straight can wear you out, so when a player with Hassanein’s intensity explodes through the screen on a Zoom conference call, it certainly grabs your attention. It was easily one of the most passionate player interviews I’ve ever been a part of, and when he said, “I am ready to die on the football field because he (Dan Campbell) believes in me,” I fully believed him. My heart is speeding up just reflecting on that moment.

Al Karsten: Trading up for Isaac TeSlaa

The Isaac TeSlaa decision was my biggest surprise. Brad Holmes is the same GM who pounded the table for the Rams to draft Cooper Kupp. While TeSlaa’s college production pales in comparison to Kupp’s video-game numbers, his 2022 Hillsdale season was quietly prolific. Now, he’ll lean on Scottie Montgomery, John Morton, and David Shaw to develop into a true X-receiver. TeSlaa checks every box but the box score. It’s another Holmes heat check—and one that comes with real risk.

Morgan Cannon: Trading up for Isaac TeSlaa

Analysts were all over the place as far as where they had TeSlaa ranked in this class, so I think more than a couple people were shocked when the Lions made the move to 70 to draft him. And even those that were fairly high on him, I don’t know that many predicted that he would go as early as he did.

What surprised you the most from the Lions’ 2025 draft? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!

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