Five Players Detroit Lions Cannot Draft

The NFL Draft is less than a month away, and anticipation for the event is leveling up.

General manager Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions have plenty of capital to be active over the three days of the draft, and can be selective on the talent they bring in.

Detroit has several urgent needs that need to be addressed, but Holmes added some intriguing veterans in free agency that could help alleviate some of these roster holes.

Here are five players the Lions should stay away from drafting in this year's draft.

Clemson DT Peter Woods

Woods is an interesting prospect with some versatility, but there are legitimate concerns about his lack of production in 2025. A defensive tackle with some pass-rush ability, Woods' statitistics dropped fairly significantly in his final collegiate season.

After recording 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2024, Woods notched just 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2025. He has some upside due to his athleticism and a quick first step, but lacked consistency last year which has called into question just how much he'll bring at the next level.

The Lions have a need for some interior depth, but should focus those efforts on securing a true nose tackle rather than another hybrid interior lineman like Woods.

Penn State QB Drew Allar

The Lions could be in the market for a young quarterback in this year's draft, with Teddy Bridgewater back as the backup behind Jared Goff. Those are the only two quarterbacks who are currently on the roster, and as a result the Lions could see some value in adding young depth.

Because Bridgewater is back, the Lions can afford to be picky about which quarterback they elect to take and shouldn't feel pressured to reach for a passer who doesn't fit their scheme. Allar is an intriguing quarterback prospect based on traits, but had just one year of solid production in his time at Penn State.

Allar could develop into a solid prospect, but the Lions should be wary of some of the accuracy inconsistencies he had as well as the injury concern he has after suffering a season-ending ankle injury last season.

Oregon TE Kenyon Saddiq

Detroit focused some of its efforts in free agency on the tight end position, with Tyler Conklin joining a room headlined by Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has an affinity for multi-tight end packages, and depth will certainly help the offense's creativity.

Saddiq was one of the top performers at the Combine and has certainly helped his stock over the course of the pre-draft process. He's expected to be a first-round pick, and could be available when Detroit's first-round pick rolls around.

However, the Lions should stay away from drafting another tight end in the first-round with a trio of solid contributors already in tow at the position.