The Detroit Lions' 2026 draft class has plenty of reasons for optimism, but no draft is ever perfect—and even the sharpest general managers, like Brad Holmes, can leave fans scratching their heads. Our team at Pride of Detroit recently sat down for a roundtable discussion to pick out the one selection that gave us the most pause. While we're far from professional scouts, we wanted to hold ourselves accountable and share our honest takes.

Let's start with the good news: most of us agree that this year's draft was solid overall, with no obvious "bust" picks. But when pressed to choose a least favorite, a few names came up repeatedly.

One staff member pointed to defensive tackle West, but reluctantly. "I hate this category in general, especially this year," they admitted. "I don't think any of the Lions' picks were necessarily 'bad.' I went with West because I think his role will be limited, and there were a few other defensive tackles on the board that I liked better during the scouting process."

Linebacker was a hot topic, and the selection of Rolder drew some skepticism. "Linebacker was a spot the Lions could have stood to improve heading into the draft, but even after drafting Rolder, nothing about that sentiment has changed," one analyst noted. "He'll be a special teams contributor this season, and he'll have every chance to prove himself in training camp, but there's notable projection required to see him develop into a starting weakside linebacker."

The receiver position also raised eyebrows. "The receiver position was not something I expected the Lions to add to in the draft overall," another staffer explained. "Law is going to be a special teams player from the looks of it, as he can play gunner and kick returner. What I don't like is that the team doesn't have any tight ends under contract in 2027, so the need at that position is more dire in my opinion. Plus, the team signed Greg Dortch in free agency to help with punt returns, so I figured he would be the kick returner as well."

Rolder's name kept coming up. "I've already talked about my skepticism with Rolder," one writer said. "I'll fully admit I expect him to be a good and immediate special teams contributor—which is fine value for a fourth-round pick—but I thought there were players available with more potential for a defensive role to help replace Alex Anzalone. I don't hate the pick, I'm just not as bullish on Rolder's upside as some are."

At the end of the day, the Lions' draft class is strong, and these critiques are more about fit and potential than outright failure. But in the NFL, every pick matters, and it's worth keeping an eye on how these players develop. Whether you're stocking up on Lions gear to support the new rookies or just debating the draft with fellow fans, there's plenty to look forward to this season.