The Draft Pick That Has Everyone Talking
The Detroit Lions finally got themselves an edge defender, but the jury is still out on whether the team capitalized on their second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Michigan’s Derrick Moore is considered a well-rounded player, but maybe one without a clear calling card.
His pass rushing production was ridiculous in 2025, but his technique is a little unrefined, and his bag of moves is relatively shallow. As a run defender, there is no issue with effort or power, but there’s just a desire to want more out of him given his athletic profile.
When it comes to 2026 NFL Draft grades, experts are all over the place with this pick. Some love the pairing with Aidan Hutchinson, noting that his physical play style should help complement the team’s pass rush perfectly. Others believe there was better talent on the board, and Moore didn’t warrant a trade up.
Though it’s worth noting the local analysts seem to like the pick a lot more than the national writers. Funny how that works.
National Media Gets Mixed on Moore
The Athletic gave Detroit an A grade, praising how the Lions moved up six spots and jumped Moore’s former college defensive coordinator, new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, to snag the explosive, long-armed edge rusher. They called it a pick that “makes so much sense.”
CBS Sports handed out an A-, noting that Moore is nothing if not a culture fit for the Lions. “The man treats every rep like he’s upset at the offensive lineman in front of him,” they wrote. While he’s a middling athlete, he maximizes his traits through sheer force and effort.
The Sporting News went with a B, acknowledging the Lions add some needed quickness and power for a pass rusher to better complement fellow former Wolverines star Aidan Hutchinson. Sports Illustrated also gave a B, noting Moore’s perfect size at 6’4″ and 255 pounds for a sturdy edge rusher.
Bleacher Report matched that B grade, pointing out that the Detroit Lions have been searching for a bookend defensive end since Ziggy Ansah played for the franchise. Now into the fourth year of Aidan Hutchinson’s career, the Lions may have found the solution with another former Michigan Wolverine.
The skeptics weren’t silent though. SB Nation dropped a B-, questioning what the Lions saw on the board that made them feel the need to trade up. Moore was much lower on the consensus board than a lot of guys still available.
NFL.com gave a B-, but noted the Lions traded a fourth-round pick to the Jets to move up for Moore, and believed Moore would have been picked by someone else if GM Brad Holmes had not traded up. Yahoo Sports went C+, saying Moore doesn’t play with great technique but doesn’t get moved much off the ball.
USA Today landed at C-, noting that Dan Campbell certainly has a type. Moore is ultra-physical and persistent, but might not be sufficiently dynamic to finish off plays in the backfield beyond clean-up work. They felt it was a bit high for him, especially in a trade-up scenario.
Local Writers See What Brad Holmes Sees
Detroit Free Press gave the pick an A, pointing out the Lions had a gaping hole to fill with the departure of Al-Quadin Muhammad and the 11 sacks he produced last season. This is an assertive attempt to make up that crucial production and take some of the pressure off Hutchinson.
The Detroit News went A-, praising how Holmes identified the player he wanted and decisively made the move to land him while filling a need. According to the Rich Hill trade chart, they got exactly even value on the move.
Sports Illustrated’s Lions coverage gave a B+, noting Moore still has room to refine his game, specifically as a run defender. If he improves his ability against the run, he will become an edge capable of playing all three downs at a high level.
Pride of Detroit also handed out a B+, calling it a good choice by the Lions to give them another pass rusher to pair with Hutchinson. The team doesn’t have another powerful pass rusher who can push the other side of the offensive line.
And yes, I know what you’re thinking. The local guys always grade Lions picks higher than the national media. But maybe, just maybe, they see something in Allen Park that the talking heads in Bristol don’t.
Is this finally the edge rusher we’ve been waiting for, or are we just setting ourselves up for another developmental project that takes three years to figure out? Drop your grade below.
