2026 NFL Draft Day 3: Lions add Michigan LB Jimmy Rolder in fourth round, corner and receiver in the fifth

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EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 25: Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30) celebrates a first half sack during a college football game between the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines on October 25, 2025 at Spartan Stadium in East Lan

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(FOX 2) - Another former Michigan Wolverine was drafted by the Detroit Lions on Saturday as the fourth round kicked off the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

The Lions selected linebacker Jimmy Rolder with the No. 118 overall pick in the fourth round, Keith Abney II, a corner from Arizona with the 157th pick and at 168 they took Kendrick Law, a receiver from Kentucky.

With Alex Anzalone having departed Detroit, the Lions needed to find a successor at the position.

The majority of the draft has been defense, prior to the Law pick. With their sixth round pick they added a defensive tackle from Texas Tech and in the seventh round they went with an edge rusher from Tennessee.

In 2025, Rolder played in 12 games for Michigan and led the Wolverines with 73 tackles. He also recorded two sacks, seven tackles for loss and an interception. He earned All-Big Ten honors, was a Butkus Award semifinalist and won the Roger Zatkoff Award, given to Michigan’s most outstanding linebacker.

It marks back-to-back selections of former Wolverines for the Lions. The team traded up to the No. 44 overall pick Friday night to select Rolder’s teammate, edge rusher Derrick Moore, in the second round. Moore had 10 sacks in 2025 and joins fellow Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson on the Lions’ defensive line.

Lions trade up to pick Michigan's Derrick Moore

The Lions on Friday traded up to the no. 44 overall spot and made their second-round pick, choosing Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore. Moore had 10 sacks in the 2025 season, joining fellow Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson on the Lions defensive line. According to his scouting report, Moore is effective with a bull rush, consistently generating pressure and sacks. In 2025, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, recording 10.5 tackles for loss.

Day Three Picks:

The Lions continued to bolster their defense by selecting Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II with the No. 157 overall pick in the fifth round. Abney recorded 44 total tackles, 21 passes defended, one sack, two forced fumbles and two interceptions last season.

Law, who spent three years at Alabama, caught 53 passes for 540 yards at Kentucky last year. He is expected to help in the return game and bolster one of the best receiver rooms in the NFL. Detroit traded picks 181 and 213 to move up to 168 and snag him. 

Skyler Gill-Howard, a defensive tackle from Texas Tech was the Lions pick at No. 205 in the sixth round. Gill-Howard also played at Northern Illinois and at Division II Upper Iowa. He had 13 tackles, 2.5 Tackles for loss, half a sack, two passes defended, and an interception  in six games last year before he was injured. 

With their final pick, No. 222 in the seventh round, they went with Tyre West, an edge rusher from Tennessee. West only started five games in his career at Tennessee, but is expected to compete for a spot on the roster as a depth piece. 

First Round Pick:

On Thursday, the Lions opened the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 overall pick.

Miller, from Strongsville, Ohio, played for Clemson from 2022-25 and set the program record for career snaps from scrimmage with 3,778 over 54 games.

One on one with Lions first round pick Blake Miller

On Thursday, the Lions picked Clemson University offensive tackle Blake Miller with their first round overall no. 17 pick. FOX 2's Jennifer Hammond talked with Miller as he comes to Detroit.