Lets rate the Lions 2024 draft class

[CuriousHusker]

I like Arnold. Think he would have likely taken flight this year if healthy. I also think 2025 was overall a fairly decent draft.

Overall 2024 leaves a bit to be desired. I wonder how the draft track record is in general for teams hosting the draft.

[GreggyJ]

@MyLions

For the record Rakestraw played in 36/49 games for Missouri. He tore an ACL in 2021 but had solid 2022 and 2023 seasons. Ankle snd hamstring issues caused him missed time in 2024 and a significant shoulder issue caused him to 2025. There is zero reason to think 2026 will be missed.

He missed most of his last two seasons yet there is no reason to think he won’t miss time this year? How often does that happen? And, when it does, how effective are those players?

[Nate]

If Branch is a goner due to his Achilles, that’s basically three consecutive drafts without a viable second-rounder (due to injury).

[JerseyJungle]

Yeah, but the trick for CB IS staying healthy. They have a short shelf life –especially outside corners. When you give up two years, there isn’t a long career left for a first round CB. When I think of the history of first round CB’s on this team (starting with Bryant Wesbrook, Terry Fair and continuing with Okudah and now Terrion?? (hopefully not) its not pretty.

[CuriousHusker]

At least TA hasn’t had any injuries that should impact his underlying attributes.

[MyLions]

Rakestraw played on 8 games as a rookie. Most snaps on special teams. Hernia/hamstring forced him to miss time.

I don’t know how durable or Davenport-like Rakestraw is but his injuries are not the same. A shoulder injury knocked him out in 2025. Many said similar things about Stafford. Injury prone? Yep, But he still might play a critical role for us going forward.

[edmunder]

@Air2theThrown

1: Terrion Arnold CB
2: Ennis Rakestraw CB
4: Giovanni Manu OT
4: Sione Vaki RB/S
6: Mekhi Wingo DT
6: Christian Mahogany OG

Are we back to Matt Millen?

Arnold is an average CB which means on our team he is amazing compared to the rest of the guys, even Reed who was expensive and we lost our 3rd round pick we could have gotten from Carlton Davis III. Or why not keep that guy, who actually could play?

Rakestraw - Millen

Manu - Worse than Millen, only Brad drafts Bromart and Manu. Seriously Millen on LSD.

Vaki - Traits pick, again. And we have Monte a certified ■■■■■■■ stud not getting any playing time. Why do we need Vaki too? Just pick up some free agent for the 3rd or 4th running back if you wont give them any carries. - Millen

Wingo - Could be good for a 6th round pick. Probably would have been as good as the rest of the DTs which is sad.

Mahogany - Seems like a great pick for his spot. Average starter in the 6th?

Overall - Millen

[MikeMcmahon]

@radiofriendly

@Air2theThrown

1: Terrion Arnold CB
2: Ennis Rakestraw CB
4: Giovanni Manu OT
4: Sione Vaki RB/S
6: Mekhi Wingo DT
6: Christian Mahogany OG

Oof…

1. Arnold / Rakestraw: The only thing worse than a rookie CB is 2 rookie CB’s. The only thing worse than 2 rookie CB’s is when 1 of them is always injured. Using 2 premium picks on CB’s is one of the worst things a team can do in the draft, imo. I highly prefer signing the Rock Ya-Sins of the world over trying to roll the dice on an oft-injured position with a low development success rate.
   1. Original Grade: D
   2. New Grade: F
2. Gio Manu: I liked the pick at the time because it’s a premium position and an intriguing player. I hated it at the time because I think trading better future picks for current lower value ones is a recipe for disaster. Right idea, wrong execution, and unfortunately it’s becoming abundantly clear that Manu is a total bust.
   1. Original Grade: C+
   2. New Grade: D-
3. Sione Vaki: It was a bit of a head scratcher at the time because I thought the RB room was solid and set for a long time (Gibbs / Montgomery / Reynolds). It’s always a bit odd to draft a guy who played one position in college and then convert him to another before ever seeing him on your own practice field. Vaki is yet another fuzzy projection with perpetual injury issues.
   1. Original Grade: C
   2. New Grade: D
4. Mekhi Wingo: I loved this pick at the time. I’m always a fan of adding OL and DL any time, any round, especially from solid schools. He flashed a ton of promise early on and then suddenly just kind of disappeared completely. It’s absolutely puzzling how this can happen when an injury isn’t to blame. Wingo is looking like he’s going to be a bust…at least for the Lions. Maybe someone else can find that potential similar to how the Cowboys did with James Houston.
   1. Original Grade: B+
   2. New Grade: C
5. Christian Mahogany: I loved this pick at the time. As stated, adding OL and DL help anywhere in the draft is always a good thing. Mahogany is proving to be a decent player for a late round selection. He might not be a starting quality player, but he certainly belongs on an NFL roster. Hard to beat that with a 6th round pick!
   1. Original Grade: B+
   2. New Grade: B+

Overall: D-

Holmes has earned a ton of leeway and deference from his first few drafts. There’s no denying that this class is looking like a real stinker though with only Arnold and Mahogany looking like they will / should even be on the roster next year.

Learning Lessons:

CB Lessons:

• Never draft a CB. Nearly every CB takes 2-3 seasons to develop. Most don’t turn into special players. Let other teams waste draft capital on figuring it out.
• Never pay a CB big money. Most CB’s end the season on IR or miss significant time. Most teams are fielding DB’s that barely made their practice squads back in September by this time of the year.
• Stick to signing FA’s like Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin. You can pay an entire CB room full of these guys the same amount as 1 “star” CB who ends the season on IR anyhow.

Draft Lessons:

• Never trade future draft picks for current ones
• Never trade up
• Always be open to trading down and accumulating more picks
• Always be open to trading picks for players who have shown who they are / will be
• Don’t be afraid to continue to “reach” for players like Manu, but trade down to do so - never, under any circumstances, should Holmes trade up for prospects like this. We’ve seen enough evidence with Martin, Manu, and TeSlaa at this point to know.

Just my 2, or maybe 3 cents.

This is a great post

[BubbaBaker-60]

@JerseyJungle

The fact that he doubled up on CB was………dumb.

We actually tripled up on the CB position because we traded our 3rd for Carlton Davis. In general I’m not a fan of drafting CBs in the 1st round but I have no problem drafting a couple every year. I really hope Rakestraw can stay on the field next year because I love the way he plays.

[Snags]

Mahogany doesn’t have the feet to pass block.

[HiFidelity]

@radiofriendly

Never draft a CB

I like what you wrote about this topic a lot.

But disagree with absolutes.

Generally I agree with this with some caveats. I think it is fine to use a Top 10 pick on a Top 10 corner (not Jeff Okudah). These guys typically have a great hit rate and solid careers. Oddly (but not really) the two worst Top 10 corners drafted in the last 30 years were Bryant Westbrook and Okudah. Honorably Mention to Pacman who carved out a decent career eventually

But yeah, between 10 and 50 there isn’t a lot of value to be had drafting corners. Wait till the late 2nd and onward to find some guys who might develop, or till pick #47 if it’s Will Johnson

[Lyonfan1]

It’s safe to call him a bust.

[Thats2]

I wouldn’t say that. The odds are much better now that he won’t pan out given the injuries and time. constraints, but I really don’t like to call players who get hurt busts.

[Lyonfan1]

As a second rounder you’d expect a rookie who contributes maybe 500 snaps. A second year as a productive starter, then an above average starter in years 3-4 and then decide to sign or not.

[Thats2]

I get it, but if they can’t play they can’t play. Stafford missed most of his first two years too, remember. True, he’s a QB who likely had a longer career in front of him, but the decision timeline was the same.

[GermanLion]

@appeasethefblgods

guys like tyrone tracy, aurdric estime, and kimani vidal went later.

yeah, but afterwards it works in both directions - Jonathan Brooks went earlier in 2nd round and actually earned 22 yards total. Trey Benson 3 rd pick did play four games this year due to injury etc pp.

Actually our 2024 class looks not as impressive as our classes before but I believe at least Arnold and Mahogs will contribute at a high level.

[Air2theThrown]

@NowFromTN

Now, that is not saying he won’t become a solid contributor (to you point) but the OP was just about rating them after 2 years

To clarify I’m about rating them on their contribution over the past on this seasons record and success…. Not their future contributions to team record and success. .

@Thats2

Well I believe we don’t have enough info to rate it

Well after Sunday you’ll have every game over the season to rate them on their contributions to the season. I am curious what insight you hope to gain after Sunday.

Let’s just assume the entire draft class plays on Sunday and they all have a good game.

How would you rate their contribution to this seasons record/success then?

[Thats2]

@Air2theThrown

Well after Sunday you’ll have every game over the season to rate them on their contributions to the season. I am curious what insight you hope to gain after Sunday.

Let’s just assume the entire draft class plays on Sunday and they all have a good game.

How would you rate their contribution to this seasons record/success then?

I honestly don’t understand.

You want to know what I would think if our injured guys magically became uninjured and played? But not how I think they’d be doing if they were magically uninjured the rest of the time? Just this one game?

What the hell is the point of that?

Obviously, the answer is they wouldn’t have contributed much.

But how much they contributed is a very different ask than “Lets rate the draft class.” Because if you really wanted to know how much they contributed, well you can just go to the list of games played and realize the answer is “on the whole, not much.” Rating contributions when a good chunk of the class literally couldn’t contribute is an odd ask, and realistically, unnecessary. It’s all laid out in black and white.

But your original post was full of insinuations that the class is a whiff and set us back and on and on and on, and that is just very much TBD at this point. Because as I said in my original response, it’s too early to tell.

[Air2theThrown]

@Thats2

What the hell is the point of that?

The entire premise of the thread is on evaluating what the 2024 draft class has done to contribute to the Lions success or failures in the 2025 season.

You say you haven’t had enough information to make that judgement….. well there’s only one more game left to gather information to make your evaluation.

I’m not sure what one more game will do to change your view. Especially considering almost the entire class is injured or inactive.

So I proposed you should just assume they start if that helps you to make an evaluation.

But to say you can’t form an opinion because you need more information is odd since the season is pretty much over.

[TNutZz]

@najacks

I thought for sure dejean would be a lion.

I did too. I remember Amon ra praising dejean, on one of his podcasts before the draft