Lions 2026 Draft Day 2 Recap: Derrick Moore Medical Analysis
Plus trade details, Brad Holmes comments, & Day 3 players to target (and avoid)
On Day 2 of the NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions traded up to the #44 pick in the 2nd Round to grab Derrick Moore from Michigan. The aggressive move and the low injury concerns with Moore were consistent with Brad Holmes’ expected draft strategy this year.
Here is the full recap of Day 2 along with a preview of Day 3.
Derrick Moore, EDGE (23) - Michigan
Concern level 1/10. Post-combine 2/10.
2025: 12/13 games. Opted out of bowl game
2024: 12/13 games. Missed game with unspecified injury.
2023: 15/15 games. Won national championship.
2022: 14/14 games.
Moore was very clean and reliable in college. However, there was a slight concern during the pre-draft process due to a strained hamstring prior to the combine. Assuming that was just a minor hamstring, there would be no concern going forward.
But sometimes a “hamstring” can be a cover for something else. With the Lions picking Moore in the 2nd round, it reassures that the medical team ruled out anything more serious that could have been going on.
The other slight concern was age, which is 1-2 years older than ideal. After the 1st round, a slightly older age is less of an issue. The Lions drafted 24-year-old Tate Ratledge in the 2nd Round last year.
Moore had 24.5 TFL and 21 sacks in college, and he should provide the juice off the EDGE that the Lions have needed for years.
Lions Draft Strategy Analysis
As has been the pattern this entire offseason, the Lions continue to add players on the lower end of medical concern. Both Blake Miller (1/10 concern) and Derrick Moore (2/10 concern) fit the profile of reliable, low-risk players.
While there is no guarantee that any player will stay healthy, the Lions are trying to stack the odds in their favor. Expect them to continue to favor young, healthy, reliable players the rest of the draft.
Expected Contract Details for Derrick Moore
Last year’s #44 pick, Donovan Ezeiruaku, got a 4 yr / $10.2M contract with $8.8M guaranteed. Expect Moore to get a slight bump up.
The 2nd-round guaranteed money percentage is around 90%, which is why drafting reliable, healthy players is extra important in the 1st and 2nd rounds.
Lions-Jets Trade Details
Lions give up #50 and #128
Lions receive #44
Giving up a 4th-round pick to secure a player they really like at a position of high need seems totally worthwhile. They didn’t have to give up any high future picks which is good.
What did Brad Holmes say about Derrick Moore?
He did a nice job proving at the Senior Bowl versus top competition that he’s a real pass rusher.
Holmes acknowledges that pass rush is something that needs to improve with this team. Hopefully, this improvement involves not just better players, but better blitz packages as well.
I didn’t feel like it was any kind of reaching for positions or anything like that.
While it might be true that he didn’t reach for a position, he traded up so that he didn’t have to reach.
Hutch takes a lot of snaps, man. you know, so just to have another body that literally can spell Hutch in that, you know, in that in that rush rotation.
It’s great to see Holmes acknowledge the high snap count for Hutchinson, and that there are desires to lower his snap count. I’ve been advocating for lowering Hutchinson’s snap counts for years, and will post a snap count analysis article on Hutchinson later this offseason.
I would say he was part of that cluster. He was part of that cluster of guys that we were targeting today. It felt like just right in that area there was multiple edge rushers that were flying off.
This suggests that some of the Lions’ EDGE targets were taken before their pick. When looking at the board, three EDGE players with relatively low medical concerns were taken before the Lions #44 pick in the 2nd Round.
#35 TJ Parker - 3/10 medical concern
#40 R Mason Thomas - 3/10 medical concern
#41 Cashius Howell - 2/10 medical concern
The good news is that the Lions ended up with one of the cleanest players of the group in Derrick Moore.
Lions Successfully Fill Positions of Need
The debate of BPA vs positional need doesn’t have to be either/or. By trading up, you can get both - at a cost of course. The Lions have had an EDGE need for many years, even after the addition of Aidan Hutchinson, so the trade cost was worth it.
The Lions clearly targeted their top 2 positions of need in this draft, which means that Brad Holmes can finally stop pretending that he was totally fine with Larry Borom and DJ Wonnum as starters.
Players to Target on Day 3 of the NFL Draft
Here are prospects sorted by position and medical concern level from 0-10. Only players with concern levels of 2/10 or lower are included from my full Positional Need Medical Big Board.
As you can see, there are lots of good options at safety and RB - two positions where the Lions could use some healthy, long-term players.
Safety
Tight End
Cornerback
Running Back
Interior Offensive Line
1: Sam Hecht
EDGE
Defensive Tackle
2: Tyre West
Linebacker
0: Taurean York
Wide Receiver
Should the Lions take a chance on CB Jermod McCoy?
The huge fall of Jermod McCoy was not unexpected given the details of his knee. See McCoy’s full pre-draft medical analysis here. It’s highly uncertain what level of player you are going to get, as it’s likely he will not return to his pre-injury 2024 form.
In the 4th round, you are expecting to get a reliable, valuable 53-man player, and there is a decent chance that McCoy won’t be that. The earliest I would consider drafting him is the 5th round.
Players of Higher-Risk on Day 3 of the NFL Draft
In the mid-late rounds, the risk/reward balance starts to shift. A risk you wouldn’t take in an early round may be worth taking in a later round. The contract value is less, and the alternative options (healthy players) are not as compelling.
Here are players the Lions should still be wary of due to their concern levels of 5/10 or higher on my Medical Big Board. If the player ceiling is high, the risk may be worth it.
Mikail Kamara, EDGE (24): stinger, knee, bilateral multiple shoulder surgeries, multiple high ankle sprains
Mason Reiger, EDGE (24): leg surgery, knee surgery
Jalen Hunt, DT (25?): knee, foot, possible neck, other unspecified injuries, age
Devin Moore, CB (22): groin surgery, shoulder surgery, severe shoulder injury, concussion, back
Andre Fuller, CB (24-25?): core muscle surgery, age
Jadon Canady, CB (23): ACL & meniscus tear 2022
Jermod McCoy, CB (21): ACL January 2025. Bone plug to repair knee cartilage damage that may need additional surgery in future.
Jalen Catalon, S (25): multiple shoulder surgeries, knee meniscus, ACL, unspecified leg injury
Genesis Smith, S (21): active foot fracture?
Lorenzo Styles, S (24): shoulder surgery plus recurrent shoulder issues, age
Keionte Scott, S (25): recent foot/toe?, high ankle sprain surgery, age
Louis Moore, S (25): ACL, multiple unspecified injuries
Billy Schrauth, OG (23): recent MCL, bilateral ankle surgeries
Connor Lew, C (21): ACL October 2025
Deion Burks, WR (23): neck?, multiple concussions, thigh
Noah Whittington, RB (24): turf toe, ACL, age
Isaiah World, OT (22): ACL January 2026
Michael Trigg, TE (24): knee, multiple minor injuries
For the recap of Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft…
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