In anticipation of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which kicks off this week in Indianapolis, NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has dropped his 2025 NFL Mock Draft 2.0. As you will see below, Kiper has our Detroit Lions making a big mistake with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round.
Detroit Lions Select Oluwafemi Oladejo With No. 28 Pick
Mel Kiper Has Detroit Lions Selecting Oluwafemi Oladejo, OLB, UCLA with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“On one hand, Detroit ran into bad luck in 2024 with an inconceivable number of injuries to its defense, seemingly dooming the otherwise dominant team. On the other, the Lions never really had a clear No. 2 pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson (who missed some time himself with a leg injury). Za'Darius Smith had four sacks over eight games after a midseason trade to Detroit, but no other edge rusher had more than three sacks,” Kiper wrote about the pick. “The rest of this roster is too good to ignore this, and GM Brad Holmes should be looking for answers in both free agency and the draft.
“Oladejo has steadily risen in this class, moving from Round 3 to the Round 2 conversation with a good Senior Bowl week. The jump to Round 1 is a bit of a projection, but Oladejo is getting buzz right now — I think he could be in this range after the combine. He should test well considering his burst and intensity. And while he had just 4.5 sacks in 2024, his tape is really good.“
Oluwafemi Oladejo By the Numbers (2024)
- Tackles: 57
- Sacks: 4.5
- Passes Defended: 2
Bottom Line
When watching the tape, Oluwafemi Oladejo seems like a decent player, but selecting him with the No. 28 overall pick, in my opinion, would be a HUGE reach by the Lions. In fact, I would not be surprised at all if Oladejo is available when the Lions are on the clock with the No. 60 overall pick.
