The Holmes Lottery Tickets: Scouting the Lions’ UDFA Class
Brad Holmes just wrapped up another draft, and now it’s time to dig into the names you didn’t hear called over three days. The undrafted free agents. You know, those guys who sometimes end up being the best stories on the roster.
The Lions have pulled together a solid group of UDFAs, and a few of these players have legitimate shots at making the 53-man roster. Let’s break down what Holmes and his scouting department found in the bargain bin.
De’Shawn Rucker, CB, USF
Rucker fits the mold of defensive backs Detroit has targeted before. Versatility is the name of the game here. He played both cornerback and safety at USF, and while his safety sample size is smaller, that’s where he really shined with USF’s highest coverage grade in those games.
You can see the vision. Holmes loves players who can do multiple things, and Rucker might project better as a safety anyway.
Miles Kitselman, TE, Tennessee
This signing makes a lot of sense. Kitselman is the kind of tight end who could push Brock Wright for a roster spot, and here’s why: he can actually run block consistently.
The Lions haven’t locked down that aspect at tight end as much as they’d probably like. Tennessee used him sparingly in the passing game but handed him the ball a few times too. There might be some secret fullback potential here, which would be very Dan Campbell of them to explore.
Luke Altmeyer, QB, Illinois
Don’t get carried away and think Altmeyer is the future franchise quarterback. He’s not. But he has a real shot at making the roster as a game manager type.
Think Andy Dalton or Marcus Mariota. A guy who can come off the bench, make short passes, and not lose you games. That kind of quarterback has value, especially if he can potentially work his way into the QB2 role down the line.
Eric O’Neill, Edge, Rutgers
O’Neill is a head-scratcher, and not in a bad way. At James Madison in 2024, he looked elite with 59 pressures and 13 sacks, grading in the high 80s across the board. Then he transferred to Rutgers for the 2025 season and everything went sideways.
41 pressures, four sacks, and grades dropping to the mid-70s. But here’s the thing: Rutgers had a historically bad defense. Sometimes that makes good players look worse than they really are. There might be something to work with here.
Anthony Lucas, Edge, USC
Lucas has legitimate roster potential. He’s a solid run defender, which fits exactly what the Lions want to do on defense. The pass-rush ability is there too.
You can see the vision with this player, but he hasn’t put it all together yet. Once he does, he could carve out a role in the rotation. This might be the year it clicks.
Melvin Priestly, OT, Illinois
Four years as a starting tackle between two years at Illinois and two years at Grambling. The resume is solid: just 14 pressures and two sacks allowed in 2025. In the two years at Illinois, he allowed just four sacks.
He’s played both tackle spots but projects more as a guard at the NFL level. It’ll be interesting to see where Detroit slots him during camp.
Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State
Hunter got a fairly large UDFA contract from Detroit, so people want to know what the deal is. He dominated at the HBCU level as a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Despite being listed as an edge rusher in some places, he primarily played Will linebacker or middle linebacker in college. In 2025, he had a huge year with 102 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, a pass breakup, an interception, and a 90-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown. That contract makes more sense now.
Aidan Keanaaina, DT, Cal
A run stuffer who had 44 stops over two seasons at Cal. There’s not much pass-rush ability, but he can eat space and let others take advantage of the chaos he creates.
He projects as a nose tackle option, and since the Lions don’t really have that right now, he has a legitimate shot at making the roster. Sometimes it’s that simple.
Aamaris Brown, CB, UNLV
Brown played slot corner for UNLV in his one season there after transferring from USF, where he was teammates with Rucker. So there’s a little reunion happening in Allen Park.
He was a ball hawk in 2025 with four interceptions and six pass breakups while allowing a pass rating of 64.0. Not bad at all for a guy who could compete for special teams work and depth snaps.
Think any of these guys have what it takes to stick around, or are we just setting ourselves up for another batch of camp casualties? Drop your take below.
