Detroit Lions drafted 3 top sleepers, according to college coaches

A few weeks before the 2025 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke to several college coaches to figure out which draft prospects were being slept on. After his conversations, Rittenberg came up with a list of 28 total “sleepers”—draft prospects who are better than the attention they’re getting.

It turns out the Detroit Lions would end up drafting three of those 28 players—all on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Here are those players, and some outstanding quotes from their college coaching staff.

LSU guard Miles Frazier — selected in the fifth round (171 overall)

Rittenberg believes Frazier was overshadowed a bit at LSU by offensive tackle Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., who went in the first and third rounds, respectively. But an anonymous LSU staffer believes Frazier should have gone in the third round because after transferring from FIU, Frazier thrived in the SEC.

“He’s going to be a really good player. He’s smart. He did a really good job coming from FIU and for three years really guided himself into the SEC, showed development. They say maybe a third-round draft pick.”

Boise State edge defender Ahmed Hassanein — selected in the sixth round (196 overall)

By now, you likely know Hassanein’s story. He’s still relatively new to the game of football, but he’s got a drive and intensity that is not only unmatched in this draft class, but will fit like a glove with Detroit’s culture.

But beyond narratives, there’s real belief Hassanein could be a big contributor on the field. His production at Boise State is undeniable (32 tackles for loss and 22 sacks in his last two years), and Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson believes he’s going to be a productive player in the NFL for a long time.

“Wherever he goes, he will not only be a really good defensive player for them, he’ll change their culture. I honestly believe he’s a 10-year NFL guy. How he works, how he loves the game, how he’s a relentless learner, who he is, also athletically, who he is from a physical standpoint, there’s no way he wouldn’t be able to impact a team in his rookie year.”

Georgia safety Dan Jackson — selected in the seventh round (230 overall)

The Lions had a pretty significant need at safety, seeing as they lost Ifeatu Melifonwu in free agency and have no experienced players beyond their two all-star starters. In college, Jackson worked his way up from walk-on to special teamer to starter by his final year at Georgia. He’ll have to take a similar route in Detroit, but one anonymous staff member from Georgia believes he’ll do exactly that.

“He’ll be a guy who can be on all the [special] teams, can play safety or nickel. He’s smart. You tell him to do something different one time, he’ll do it. You never have to worry about him.”

Holmes has done a very good job on Day 3 of the draft since taking over in 2021. Not a single player taken on Day 3 has missed the 53-man roster in their rookie season, and several of those players (Amon-Ra St. Brown, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Mekhi Wingo, and Christian Mahogany) remain contributors to this day. Will we see another join the ranks this year? There’s plenty of optimism to think so.

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