NFL Draft 2026 Review: Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions (9-8) finished in last place of the NFC North Division last season after winning the division two seasons in a row. This drop in wins was solely due to allowing for former Lions offensive Ben Johnson to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

When you thought that the Lions organization would have put their bad decision making in the past, then they went ahead and let a former coach become a head coach in the same division. Now, Detroit is stuck by making their own division way harder to win over the next few years. Let's hope that this mistake did not carry over into who the Lions selected in this year's NFL Draft.

Round 1, Pick 17: Blake Miller - OT - Clemson. 6'6", 317 lbs.

Miller was a four year starter at tackle for Clemson. He will more than likely end up starting at right tackle as a rookie for the Lions.

Round 2, Pick 12: Derrick Moore - DE - Michigan. 6'4", 255 lbs (30 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble).

Moore started for three years at defensive end for the Wolverines. He will definitely see time on passing downs because most of his plays are high-impact plays. Rotating him out of games will make him the most effective when a big play will be needed on defense.

Round 4, Pick 18: Jimmy Rolder - LB - Michigan. 6'2", 238 lbs (73 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery).

Rolder adds depth to the team at inside linebacker. It looks like Detroit watched plenty of Michigan tape on defense.

Round 5, Pick 17: Keith Abney II - DB - Arizona State. 5'10", 187 lbs (44 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 INT, 12 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery).

Abney will add depth to the secondary going up mostly against second or third wide receivers on opposing offenses. He is strong at breaking up passes at the right moment.

Round 5, Pick 28: Kendrick Law - WR - Kentucky. 5'11", 203 lbs (53 rec, 540 yds, 10.2 yds/rec, 3 TD, 53 rush yds, 177 return yds).

Law will have to fight to see the field at wide receiver or as a returner. Detroit loves to use trick plays on offense, so he has the type of versatility that could be used on these plays.

Round 6, Pick 24: Skyler Gill-Howard - DT - Texas Tech. 6'1", 280 lbs (13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 1 INT return for TD, 1 pass deflection).

Gill-Howard missed half of the season due to injury. His draft status dropped due to the injury, but the Lions are hoping that he returns to his form from two years ago when he had 8 tackles for loss and five sacks. He is undersized, but he could see some time on passing downs.

Round 7, Pick 6: Tyre West - DE - Tennessee. 6'3", 290 lbs (23 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble).

West adds depth on the defensive line as a strong-side defensive end or as a defensive tackle on passing downs.

Overview: The Lions really needed to add depth because the main reason Detroit lost more games than expected was due to so many injuries to three of the four starters in the secondary along with TE Sam LaPorta missing 11 games on the offense. In this draft, the Lions found some players that will potentially add to their overall team draft. Grade: C.