The Lions drafted seven players in the 2025 NFL Draft, trading up for three of them on an active weekend. And while it's not clear which of them we'll be seeing on Sundays in the upcoming season, each rookie potentially brings a lot to tell the story of the franchise.

Howard's standing isn't as drastic. At best, he was viewed as a Day 2 pick. When the Browns drafted Gabriel with the 94th overall pick, many had to do a double-take and make sure they heard the announcement correctly since he's such a limited prospect and projected long-term backup.

The Bears selected speedy linebacker Ruben Hyppolite in the fourth round, but was it a reach? Here is our initial grade of the selection.