The Detroit Lions have a roster filled with Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent on both sides of the football with Super Bowl aspirations in 2026. There's an established, young core of veterans general manager Brad Holmes is building around.
Detroit's roster is at a point where it can be difficult for late-round draft picks or undrafted free agents to crack the initial 53-man roster out of training camp. Detroit will also establish a 16-man practice squad before the start of the regular season.
Sixth-round draft pick Skyler Gill-Howard (Texas Tech) and seventh-round pick Tyre West (Tenn) are hoping the versatility and athleticism they showed in college can translate to the NFL level and help them earn roster spots out of camp.
View photos from Day 1 of Detroit Lions OTA practice on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed (4) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Myles Adams (96) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors (25) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey (30) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive back Christian Izien (27) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive back Avonte Maddox (29) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kendrick Law (88) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyler Lacy (93) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Damone Clark (11) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jimmy Rolder (41) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors (25) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (10) and Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors (25) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
"We'll just see how far it goes but they both have the right stuff," Holmes said of Gill-Howard and West after the draft.
Gill-Howard was a former Division II walk-on linebacker who was asked to gain 50 pounds to become an impact defensive lineman at Northern Illinois and eventually Texas Tech. Despite the weight gain, Gill-Howard never lost his athleticism and that was clear in his college tape the last three seasons.
An undersized defensive tackle (6-0, 280), Gill-Howard can slice through gaps as a three-technique, utilizing his leverage advantage. He has a nice toolbox of pass-rush moves that might allow him to to be an interesting sub-package player upfront on pass-rush downs.
He had five sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2024 in his final season at Northern Illinois. An ankle injury ended his season after just six games last year at Texas Tech after recording a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception he returned 55 yards for a touchdown.
"I've only been playing defensive line for three years," Gill-Howard recently said on the Twentyman in the Huddle podcast. "I still have a lot to learn and I feel like I've still come a long way. I just don't believe in having a ceiling."
In Gill-Howard, Holmes said the film study showed a player with unyielding effort who won playing mostly inside in college because of his quickness, toughness and athleticism.
"We saw a relentless football player that can win inside," Holmes said of Gill-Howard after selecting him on Day 3. "He'll grind it in there and do the dirty stuff at the point of attack because he has leverage."
West was a rotational player mostly on the edge at Tennessee and saw his playing time increase every year. As a senior last season, West averaged just under 25 defensive snaps per game and notched 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Primarily an edge rusher in Knoxville, West has the type of frame (6-1, 278) that could also lend itself to some inside snaps as a penetrating three-technique on passing downs.
"Tennessee had all those defensive lineman rotating so you're looking at a lot of them and then it's like every time this No. 42 comes in the game he's winning a rush and getting back to the quarterback, so we're really excited," Holmes said of West.
West hopes to show Lions coaches that he's position versatile and has the ability to play multiple spots, increasing his chances of earning a role.
"Just how Tennessee had me, playing everywhere," West said. "I feel like my versatility and explosiveness can bring a lot to this defense."
Detroit spent considerable resources this offseason trying to strengthen their defensive front, especially along the edges. The Lions return Aidan Hutchinson, drafted Derrick Moore in the second round, and signed veterans DJ Wonnum and Payton Turner. Veteran Levi Onwuzurike has also shown the ability to play both inside and the big end.
Inside, Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams are the expected starters with Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo and others in reserve. There's room inside for a player in Kelvin Sheppard's defensive tackle rotation who can show some pass-rush ability with the versatility to shift outside and play the big end or affect the quarterback in sub-package pass downs.
Both Gill-Howard and West are hoping to show that ability and versatility as a way to earn a spot on Detroit's roster as late-round draft picks.
