As a lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Detroit Lions.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2024 NFL Draft Hub.
Who Did the Detroit Lions Select in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Detroit Lions selected Terrion Arnold (CB, Alabama) with the No. 24 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Lions also drafted:
- Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (CB, Missouri)
- Giovanni Manu (OT, British Columbia)
- Sione Vaki (S, Utah)
- Mekhi Wingo (DT, LSU)
- Christian Mahogany (OG, Boston College)
Detroit Lions Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2024
- EDGE
- Defensive Back
- Wide Receiver
What Picks Do the Detroit Lions Have in 2024?
The Detroit Lions have 7 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (29)
- Round 2 (61)
- Round 3 (73)
- Round 5 (164)
- Round 6 (201)
- Round 6 (205)
- Round 7 (249)
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Detroit Lions Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Lions Sharp Draft Value Rank: 29 of 32 teams
- Lions AV Model Draft Value Rank: 29 of 32 teams
- Lions OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 29 of 32 teams
Detroit Lions Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Lions’ draft value is 25% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 28 other teams have more draft value entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions Draft Prediction:
Brendan Donahue has the Lions selecting Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB, Alabama) with the 29th overall pick in his most recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Mock draft expert Ryan McCrystal believes the Lions could target a defensive lineman like Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri) with their top pick at No. 29 overall in the first round.
Detroit Lions Strength of Schedule, 2024
The Detroit Lions have the 12th-hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
Detroit Lions Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Detroit Lions, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Lions:
- Jared Goff
- Hendon Hooker
- Nate Sudfeld
The Lions got a great season out of Jared Goff in 2023.
He completed 67.3% of his passes, the highest rate of his career.
He posted a 5.0% touchdown rate, his highest since 2018.
Goff was seventh in EPA per dropback (0.11) and seventh in success rate (45.9%) among passers last season.
Goff now enters this season in the final year of his current contract.
The marriage of Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a good one, so it will be interesting to see if the pair stays together moving forward and at what cost.
With Goff, there has always been the concern that he is in the same boat that the NFL handled Alex Smith.
He is an above-average bus driver, but when tasked to take the vehicle off-road, limitations have cropped up.
Detroit does not have a lot of outs if they want to upgrade on Goff after the season, however.
They selected Hendon Hooker in the third round last season, but he had a redshirt rookie season due to a knee injury entering the league.
Running Back Depth Chart, Lions:
- David Montgomery
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Craig Reynolds
- Jake Funk
- Zonovan Knight
- Jermar Jefferson
The Detroit run game was stellar in 2023.
As a group, their running backs ranked:
- 3rd in yards per rush (4.8 YPC)
- 2nd in EPA per rush (0.01)
- 8th in success rate (39.2%)
- 4th in the rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards (12.2%)
- 5th in the rate of runs that failed to gain yardage (14.9%)
- 5th in the rate of runs to result in a first down or touchdown (25.2%)
- 3rd in yards before contact per rush (1.76)
- 9th in yards after contact per rush (3.05)
David Montgomery turned 235 touches into 1,132 total yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.
Montgomery has now gone over 1,100 total yards in all five of his NFL seasons.
Detroit took some flak for selecting Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall last spring, but Gibbs turned 234 touches into 1,261 total yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie.
Both Montgomery and Gibbs missed time over the front half of the season.
From Week 10 on, the Lions had both available and utilized both in creating one of the best tandems in the league.
Detroit RBs After Week 10:
| Running Back | Snaps | Touches | Scrimmage Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbs | 338 | 130 | 697 | 9 |
| Montgomery | 241 | 135 | 681 | 7 |
Gibbs had the edge in overall snaps due to his role in the receiving game. He ran 191 pass routes over that span compared to 91 for Montgomery.
Outside of Gibbs having a lock on running routes, this was a true 1A and 1B backfield with interchangeable parts.
Inside of the 10-yard line over that span, Gibbs totaled 17 touches while Monty had 15.
Inside of the five-yard line, Montgomery had nine touches to seven for Gibbs.
In spots where the team needed only 1-3 yards for a first down, Gibbs and Montgomery each had 24 touches.
Both backs are locked up for multiple seasons.
Behind them, no other running back on the roster is signed beyond 2024.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Lions:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Jameson Williams
- Kalif Raymond
- Donovan Peoples-Jones
- Daurice Fountain
- Tre’Quan Smith
- Tom Kennedy
- Antoine Green
- Maurice Alexander
Amon-Ra St. Brown was sensational again in 2023.
St. Brown pulled in 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His targets, catches, yards, yards per catch, and receiving touchdowns have all risen from the year prior in each of his years in the league.
St. Brown was targeted on 28.5% of his routes, fifth in the NFL.
The Lions did not have the luxury of a fifth-year option with St. Brown, so they signed him to a four-year, $120 million contract this offseason.
After St. Brown, Detroit has question marks at wide receiver.
After losing Josh Reynolds in free agency, Detroit will need Jameson Williams to take on a large role for the first time since drafting him 12th overall in 2022.
Williams has only played in 18 regular season games through two seasons, limited by injuries, suspensions, and Dan Campbell asking for the young receiver to earn his playing time.
Williams has just two career games with more than two receptions.
Last year in the playoffs, Williams ran a route on 86.7% and 81.4% of the team dropbacks versus the Rams and 49ers, the two highest rates of his early career.
Before that, he had only hit 70% in one other career game.
If Williams can take a step forward, the team still has him on the books for two more seasons with a fifth-year option available for 2026.
Only Williams, Kalif Raymond, and Antoine Green are under contract beyond this season.
Raymond has had his targets drop from the season prior in each year with the Lions.
The team retained Donovan Peoples-Jones after trading for him at the deadline last season.
Peoples-Jones only ran 43 total routes over 11 games with Detroit, but he had 61 catches or 839 yards in 2022 with the Browns. He will be drawing live to take on a larger role with Reynolds no longer on the roster.
Given that Detroit has unproven assets after St. Brown paired with the potential that they will be paying a huge contract to St. Brown himself, Detroit could add a rookie contract to the fold here.
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don't miss out on Warren Sharp's 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.