Detroit Lions 2024 NFL Draft pick-by-pick review

The Detroit Lions entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a clear mission: fortify the secondary and keep building the kind of rugged, versatile depth that has defined Brad Holmes’ roster philosophy.

Without the need for headline-grabbing trades or splashy offensive additions, Detroit went to work filling long-term needs with calculated swings -- from investing back-to-back picks at corner to unearthing unique, high-upside athletes deep into Day 3.

Now, with more than a full season’s worth of returns trickling in, it’s time to take stock of how this class is shaping the Lions’ future.

Round 1, Pick 24 – CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)

Detroit’s top selection entered the league with high expectations, and while his early career has featured some ups and downs, Arnold has flashed the instincts and physicality that made him a first-rounder.

Even through inconsistency and allowing nearly 800 yards as the primary man in coverage as a rookie, he’s settled in as a reliable outside corner and remains firmly entrenched as a long-term starter in Dan Campbell's secondary.

Round 2, Pick 61 – CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri)

The Lions doubled up at corner with Rakestraw, but his impact has been limited, appearing in just eight games so far with 46 TOTAL snaps. While the athletic tools are still intriguing, he’s yet to carve out any type of consistent role, and remains a miss so far from Holmes.

READ MORE: Dan Campbell issues a thinly-veiled warning to Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 4, Pick 126 – OT Giovanni Manu (British Columbia)

One of the biggest surprises of Detroit’s draft, Manu entered the league as an unheralded small-school prospect. After not appearing in 2024, he earned his first NFL start in Week 5 this year against the Bengals at left tackle. At 6-foot-7, over 350 pounds, he touts a rare physical profile as a true developmental swing tackle with immense upside.

Round 4, Pick 132 – S/RB Sione Vaki (Utah)

A true Swiss Army knife out of Utah, Vaki has appeared in 18 games while moonlighting across roles --- taking carries and contributing heavily on special teams. He hasn't recorded a snap on offense yet in year two, but there's a time for everything and he'll be ready to roll should his number get called.

Round 6, Pick 189 – DT Mehki Wingo (LSU)

Wingo has carved out a nice role as a rotational interior defender. He provides physicality and quickness to the defensive line rotation, and has shown flashes as an early-down contributor in his 214 total snaps to date.

Round 6, Pick 210 – iOL Christian Mahogany (Boston College)

Part of Boston College’s well-regarded offensive line pipeline, Mahogany missed most of 2024 due to injury but quickly emerged as a core piece at the back end of last fall, and into 2025. A player that was looked upon as a top 75 lock in the draft pre-injury (ACL), Detroit got one of the steals in the class late on Day 3.

Detroit’s 2024 class was unconventional in structure -- two corners early, then a string of developmental and versatile pieces. But that's how Holmes has always approached things.

Although different, he simply drafts good football players.

Arnold looks like a long-term starter, as does Mahogany. Manu is one of the more fascinating long-term projects in the league, while Rakestraw's career arc remains up in the air as a young player (23 years old). Not flashy, but full of hidden roster value.