I want an OT in the first round. I want this line to get back to being the elite offensive line it was back from 2022-2024. I also think they very well COULD draft an OT in the first round. But could is different than will. I maintain that I think Brad and Dan's plan is to take the best player available on their board, who fits what they are looking for, at a position of relative need. Which means I don't think it is certain they will draft an OT in the first round. They aren't going to reach for an OT just to take one. They also aren't doing something absurd like ranking Ty Simpson or Jeremiah Love on their board and drafting a QB or a RB either. I do believe they will have certain position groups (OT, DE, DT, LB, CB, S) that they look at as core needs and then rank the players from there.
Once they do put their final big board together and rank those players, I think like always, they're going to stick to their board and not reach on a player just for the sake of filling a position need. Some Lions fans seem to think it is an open and shut case that they will take an OT and that other positions groups are absolutely out of the question. Myself and others aren't so certain about that being the case. If they have a DE, DT, LB, CB, S on their board that they like more and have rated higher than one of the available OT prospects, they will take their player over the OT. They are going to draft for the talent, scheme, and culture fit they like over just taking an OT because we think they need one.
Based on what Brad has said thus far this offseason I do think they look at Larry Borom as their starting RT. Maybe that's all just a deflection and Brad has to say that so as not to tip his draft had or whatever. Though, I don't see how Brad saying anything one way or the other about Borom at all tops his draft hand. But some here seem to think it does. But I think Brad meant what he said about Borom and that it is highly probable he ends up their starting RT and they don't draft one in the first round.
Again, I want them to draft a tackle in the worst way. I want a Monore Freeling, Blake Miller, or Caleb Lomu. But if they have a Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane, Kendrick Faulk, Zion Young, Jacob Rodriguez, whoever ranked ahead of a OT prospect who is available when they pick, I think they could draft that player from that particular position group.