Lions draft: An offensive tackle prospect for each round of the 2025 NFL Draft

[ASFN Admin]

We're back with the annual series that spotlights draft fits a particular position for the Detroit Lions in each round of the draft. First up: the offensive tackles.

The Lions aren't going to draft an offensive tackle in each round, of course. The goal here is to show which types of talents are fits for the Lions in each round of the draft to help identify talents, and also the relative value that projects to be available for GM Brad Holmes in those rounds. As an example, this is the "a CB for every round" from last year that featured Ennis Rakestraw in the second.

State of the position​

The Lions have one of the best starting OT tandems in the league in Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker. The left tackle, Decker, turns 32 this summer and has battled injuries — including the removal of a bone in his foot. Veteran Dan Skipper re-signed to be the No. 3 tackle, but he's been more effective as a 6th OL in formations and also at playing guard rather than tackle in the base offense. Last year's 4th-round pick, Giovanni Manu, is a raw but freakishly athletic developmental project who was a healthy scratch his entire rookie season. Third-year project Colby Sorsdal has done little to ensure he makes the roster in 2025.

Detroit doesn't currently have a pick in the fifth round, but trades happen all the time, so it's included here. Prospects for the first three rounds here are skewed toward where the Lions will currently select in each round: No. 28, 60 and 102 overall, respectively.

1st round: Josh Simmons, Ohio State​

It's almost unfathomable that Simmons would still be available when the Lions pick at No. 28 if he were healthy, but the torn patellar tendon and an inability to work out makes it plausible. Simmons started one season at right tackle at San Diego State before transferring to Ohio State and playing both right and left tackle.

What I like:

• Great build for the position at 6-foot-5/310 pounds with big, powerful hands
• Has starting experience at both right and left tackle
• Outstanding quickness off the snap
• Great range and vision in run blocking
• Fluid hips and ankles allow him to stay engaged against more athletic defenders
• Best-in-class initial footwork and composed depth in pass protection
• Well-developed hand usage to foil pass rush counters

Negatives:

• Coming off a torn patellar tendon injury
• More of a steerer than a true people-mover in down blocks and the run game in general
• Has a tendency to catch-block on wide rushes
• Less experienced (especially at left tackle) than most other top OTs in class in facing high-level competition

2nd round: Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota​

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Ersery was often projected in the first-round range for the Lions earlier in the draft cycle, but his consensus stock has fallen into the second. It's debatable if the 6-foot-6, 331-pounder will last to pick No. 60.

What I like:

• Large-framed tackle with great proportional size and strength
• 3-year starter in the Big Ten at left tackle; won conference top OL award in 2024
• Outstanding upper-body strength and grip strength
• Decent "seek and destroy" open-field blocker in the run and screen game
• Can quickly reset his feet and balance when bulled
• Great initial punch/jab against wide rushers
• Plays with grit and palpable intensity

Negatives:

• Gives pass rushers too big of a target in his chest too often
• Athleticism declines as the play extends on
• Has issues with bend and pad level when his initial target isn't within immediate reach
• Footwork is sluggish when asked to pull or go across more than one gap
• Will get absorbed in his individual battle and lose track of the larger play at times

3rd round: Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College​

Trapilo played next to Lions guard Christian Mahogany at Boston College in 2023 as the Eagles' right tackle. The 6-foot-8, 316-pounder started one season at left tackle before moving to the right side for his last two seasons. His dad, Steve, was a starting guard for the Saints from 1987-1990.

What I like:

• Great length at 6-foot-8
• Good anticipation and quick reactions to pass rush moves and countermoves
• Excellent hand strength and ability to sustain blocks
• Allowed only 2 sacks in his final two seasons playing right guard
• Good first-step burst in any direction
• Tenacious, scrappy style that doesn't waste energy or motion

Negatives:

• Oddly short arms for a 6-8 guy at just 33.5 inches, which impacts his reach on his punch
• Poor anchor strength, can get bull-rushed backward
• High center of gravity even when he bends his knees
• Effective hole/crease sealer in the run game but doesn't create movement
• Will run past second-level targets; moves better than he actually engages out in space

4th round: Jalen Travis, Iowa State​

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Travis is a behemoth of a left tackle who played at Princeton before grad transferring to Iowa State for the 2024 college season. His work during Senior Bowl week, where he met with the Lions, showed some coachable upside for Detroit OL coach Hank Fraley to potentially work with. He was a better basketball player than football player until late in HS, and he had two brothers play D-1 college hoops.

What I like:

• Naturally large-framed at 6-foot-8 and 339 pounds that he carries quite well
• His basketball background shows in his footwork and short-range movement
• Initial punch packs real power
• Finishes every play like he's trying to punish the defender
• Has shown he can envelop bull rushes with his size and length
• Decent run blocker within one gap of his initial alignment
• Allowed just one sack in his one season in the Big 12
• Showed improved hand placement and shoulder-hip alignment during Senior Bowl week

Negatives:

• Hands and elbows still need more consistent placement
• Looks deliberate in dropping his pads and doesn't always remember to sink his weight when engaged
• Footwork after his initial step can be sluggish and too narrow
• Tested better athletically than he shows on game film

5th round: Jack Nelson, Wisconsin​

A four-year starter for the Badgers with experience at both guard and tackle, Nelson was a player the Lions met with at the Senior Bowl. Nelson was a 5-star recruit who was also a very good high school basketball player at 6-foot-7. He could remind the Lions of former practice squad OT Connor Galvin, though Nelson is shorter.

What I like:

• Good length and hand/shoulder usage in his punch and inside sets
• Consistently quick and balanced off the snap
• Quick feet and above-average range in outside zone
• Moves well in the run game
• Decent recovery blocker with surprising reload quickness for a taller tackle
• Very good at picking up stunts, twists and loops in the pass game

Negatives:

• Game film is littered with Nelson oversetting and being too flat in his drop against wide rushers
• Raises up his pad level while engaged or being bull-rushed
• Below-average anchor strength
• Winds up on the ground more than desired
• Appears to be maxed out athletically already; not a lot of developmental juice for a later-round pick

6th round: Hollin Pierce, Rutgers​

A four-year starter for the Scarlet Knights, with two years at right tackle before kicking to the left side for his final two years, Pierce dropped quite a bit of weight to get to his current 341 on his 6-foot-7 frame. The loss of unnecessary bulk--he reportedly played at over 390 at times--proved to be very beneficial for his NFL chances.

What I like:

• Took a big step forward technically and athletically in his final season, finally looking comfortable in his smaller body
• Might be the physically strongest run blocker in the draft; can steamroll heads-up defenders and clear wide paths on gap pulls and down blocks
• Steadily improving punch and pad level
• Considerable experience at both right and left tackle offers more immediate value as a potential swing tackle--which is the role the Lions need in 2025 (and perhaps beyond)
• It's over for bull rush/power-to-speed rushers if he gets both hands on them

Negatives:

• Despite the improvements late in his Rutgers career, his punch and hands are still often too high
• Heavy-footed player that can be out-quicked on the edge
• Depth and foot angles on outside pass protection sets are a struggle
• Must learn to better protect his inside shoulder and not allow outside-in rushers to cross his face

7th round: Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Oregon State​

Aside from skin tone, Christian-Lichtenhan is a physical dead ringer for longtime Lions OL Dan Skipper. A transfer from Colorado--he followed his OL coach--the 6-foot-8.5, 329-pounder was one of the most improved LTs in college football in 2024. Though he was a Scouting Combine snub, Christian-Lichtenhan impressed during Shrine Bowl week.

What I like:

• Outstanding size and length, with arms over 36 inches long
• Strong initial punch
• Found his groove in run blocking in Oregon State's duo/gap-oriented scheme, which is what the Lions use a lot relative to other teams
• Proved he can overcome adversity and shake off rough times; mentally tough
• Has the potential to kick inside to guard to fill the old Kayode Awosika reserve role on the Lions depth chart

Negatives:

• His final-year tape playing LT at Colorado in 2023 was B-A-D, notably in pass protection technique and footwork
• Very slow reload to his arms and shoulders, a downside of his length
• Gets too tall in his wide pass sets, allowing faster EDGEs to cross inside
• Engages too high at the second level and on screens/quick passes
• Has more of a guard's game in a tackle's body

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions 2025 NFL draft: An offensive tackle prospect for each round

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