MichiganCardinal

Good thing we learned from Manu and aren’t setting unrealistic expectations.

2026 Post-Draft Depth Chart I put a line ( | ) where it felt like a general "no sweat training camp" ended. Everyone to the right is likely fighting for a job, though some (like Rakestraw and Frazier) may have an inside track relative to others, and certainly a 7th round (and maybe even a 6th round) rookie can easily fall to the right of that line with a bad camp. Underline is a veteran addition, bold is a draft pick, italics is a UDFA signing. QB (2/3): Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater | Luke Altmyer RB (3/6): Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki | Jacob Saylors, Jabari Smalls, Kye Robichaux WR (5/9): Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Kendrick Law | Dominic Lovett, Tom Kennedy, Jackson Meeks, Malik Cunningham TE (2/6): Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright | Tyler Conklin, Zach Horton, Thomas Gordon, Miles Kitselman OT (3/5): Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Larry Borom | Giovanni Manu, Devin Cochran IOL (4/11): Tate Ratledge, Cade Mays, Christian Mahogony, Juice Scruggs | Ben Bartch, Miles Frazier, Michael Niese, Colby Sorsdal, Seth McLaughlin, Mason Miller, Melvin Priestly EDGE (3/8): Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Moore, DJ Wonnum | Payton Turner, Ahmad Hassanein, Tyler Lacy, Eric O'Neill, Anthony Lucas IDL (5/9): Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard, Tyre West | Mekhi Wingo, Myles Adams, Chris Smith, Aidan Keanaaina LB (4/7): Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder | Damone Clark, Trevor Nowaske, Erick Hunter CB (5/9): DJ Reed, Terrion Arnold, Roger McCreary, Rock Ya-Sin, Keith Abney | Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey, Nick Whiteside, De'Shawn Rucker DB (3/9): Kerby Joseph, Christian Izien, Avonte Maddox, [Brian Branch-PUP] | Chuck Clark, Loren Strickland, Dan Jackson, Thomas Harper, Aamaris Brown ST (3/3): Jack Fox, Jake Bates, Hogan Hatten Initial look with 85/90 spots filled says there's a lot of turnover, but not a lot of glaring holes. It wouldn't hurt to have more security in the defensive backfield, but Kerby is such an unknown to us. If he's 100% it's probably fine until Branch gets back. If he's not, that looks like a hole. Additional linebacker depth wouldn't hurt either, since the Lions tend to use linebackers on special teams quite a bit. The camp battles will mostly come in the trenches and the defensive backfield. Currently 42 spots are already filled by my rough estimation, leaving 11 spots for 48 guys.

Martin was more disappointing than Hooker. They traded three picks to go get him and most analysts had him as a late day three prospect. He was just supposed to be a Snacks Harrison type, plugging holes and absorbing blockers. But he was never even strong enough to win a one-on-one. Hooker was in the Heisman conversation before his ACL injury, and wouldn’t have whiffed the 3rd round without the injury. Holmes also traded down twice before making the pick. And, we hadn’t yet extended Goff and needed something of leverage in those negotiations, because there was nothing behind Goff at the position. I’ll take Hooker and Martin all day if it brings me those first four picks though. Easy A draft. Maybe A+.

I’d like to see Joseph be more than “trending” in the right direction by now.

Not to mention he’s lost thousands of dollars on betting the last few years. I only visit the site nowadays for Charlie Campbell. If he broke off into his own site I’d jump ship in a heartbeat.

Still available: - Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee - Connor Lew, C, Auburn - Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina - Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State - Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt - Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State - Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas - Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama - Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M - Kamari Ramsey, DB, USC - LT Overton, DT/DE, Alabama - Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee - Anthony Lucas, EDGE, USC - Jalen Farmer, OG, Kentucky - Billy Schrauth, OG, Notre Dame - Anez Cooper, OG, Miami - Drew Shelton, OL, Penn State - Isaiah World, OT, Oregon - Deonte Lawson, LB, Alabama - Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State - Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas

The worst I’ve seen was one from a Twitter doctor (who are very hit and miss because they’re literally providing medical opinions on individuals who are not their patients). The good ones tend to merely make informed opinions based on video. This seems like nonsense based on media reports to maximize engagement. Only the team docs know for sure I guess.

My understanding wasn’t that he would miss 2026. It was more that there were concerns the knee was a ticking time bomb and would eventually shorten his career.

I still think Brad wants McCoy. If we get into the 90s, 118, one of our 5ths, and a 2027 day three pick would probably get it done. Hard to imagine he falls all the way to 118. The 4th round is the beginning of the lottery.

Dammit I liked Sam Roush a lot. Highly athletic tight end. Could have done a lot of good as a Brock Wright replacement.

The whole military complex the NFL has absorbed is so ridiculously over the top. I’ll stay off the soap box for now, but I’m like a step away.

I’m not sure the Lions are done tonight but it’s probably going to be a while still. They have 118, plus two 5ths, two 6ths, and a 7th. Lots of capital but none of it good. We do have our own 2027 3rd, the 3rd we traded for TeSlaa was the comp pick we got for Glenn.

Jags took a 25-year-old blocking tight end. First name I didn’t recognize.

I’m a bit over McAfee’s schtick

Minter was playing 4D chess underutilizing him at Michigan.

Packers take Cisse over McCoy. If they took McCoy I’d have been worried he was going to be our Brian Branch (the taking him in the second round part, not the flipping off the fans part)

Moore is the kind of high floor, low ceiling prospect I like in the 3rd round, not the 2nd. I haven’t seen film on him yet but my impression from what I’d read was actually opposite of that that Reisman posted from dpbrugler, whoever that is. At 6’3/255 he’s a little smaller than other Holmes defensive linemen. There was some concern that he would get pushed back by larger NFL offensive linemen and lose contain in the run game. To the extent the hope was for a pass rusher, I think this is as close as Holmes is going to get.

The trade itself was whatever, I’m not upset about turning the Montgomery 4th into an 8-spot jump. But I’d probably have preferred an extra 3rd at the bottom, and Moore probably would have been there anyway.

Brad Holmes’ infatuation with underwhelming defensive linemen will be studied by historians one day.

Related to McNeill, they also played him out of position a lot when AQM wasn't on the field (and Davenport was injured). He's not designed to be setting the edge. Hopefully they'll have the personnel and health this year to put him back where he belongs at the 3-tech.

I thought about including him on that list I made, but even though he's athletic, he's closer to a 1-tech than a 3-tech, and it's hard to see him getting significant playing time behind Tyleik and Alim. Intuitively, it feels like even the Lions can have too much of a good thing if you've got Levi and Miller riding the pine while a no name gets their ass handed to them by a tight end across from a double team on Hutch.

I think you can be creative with the direction (adding a nickel, safety, or corner), but I'd be surprised if they go into week one with the defensive backfield they currently have. Feels like you're depending a lot on Kerby, who's a question mark, Branch, who probably won't be back until at least October, and even Rakestraw, who's struggled to see an NFL field.

Lots of first round talent still available at Best Need Available (BNA): - Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee - Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee - Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, DB, Toledo - Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri - CJ Allen, LB, Georgia would all be home run picks. If they aren't satisfied with Mahogany, they could even go back-to-back OL with one of: - Jake Slaughter, C, Florida - Chase Bisontis, OT/OG, Texas A&M - Gennings Dunker, OT/OG, Iowa - Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon - Connor Lew, C, Auburn And then there are plenty of solid 2nd round picks there too, enough to justify moving back if those top five are already gone. - Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina - Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson - Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona - Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina - Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois - TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson - Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State - Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn - Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech - Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas - Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt I'd be surprised if Holmes only picks once tonight. Whether that's moving down from #50 and picking up a mid-3rd or sending both #118 and #128 to move back into the 90s, I think he finds a way to pick up a later pick tonight. Some guys that make sense but probably not with our second pick and probably later than #50 might include: - Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State - Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas - Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama - Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M - Kamari Ramsey, DB, USC - LT Overton, DT/DE, Alabama - Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee - Anthony Lucas, EDGE, USC - Jalen Farmer, OG, Kentucky - Billy Schrauth, OG, Notre Dame - Anez Cooper, OG, Miami - Drew Shelton, OL, Penn State - Isaiah World, OT, Oregon - Deonte Lawson, LB, Alabama - Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State - Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas - Sam Roush, TE, Stanford - Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia

Wonder if Thibedeoux will be on the move today. Would have to be a creative package money wise to make sense for Detroit

If Jermod McCoy makes it to 40, Holmes will be on the phone.