The Detroit Lions are rolling into the back half of the 2026 NFL Draft with a stack of late-round picks and a pretty simple directive: find defenders who can cover ground, fly down on special teams, and grow into bigger roles without crushing the budget. With Day 3 on deck, Detroit's front office is hunting for high-upside, plug-and-play role guys.
The Lions still hold selections at Nos. 118, 157, 181, 205, 213, and 222, according to CBS Sports, which gives general manager Brad Holmes plenty of darts to throw. As noted by The New York Times, Holmes put it bluntly: "I know we still have a lot of picks tomorrow." Translation: Detroit is leaning into volume and value on Days 2 and 3, so versatile mid-round types who can cover, blitz and tackle on special teams are very much in play.
Kyle Louis: A Hybrid Blitzer With Coverage Chops
Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis has been tagged as a classic hybrid "STAR" type, the kind of defender who can shoot gaps as a blitzer and still hold up in space. The Lions' own prospect breakdown lists Louis with 182 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and roughly 50 pressures over his final two college seasons, a stat line that screams multi-down disruptor, per the Detroit Lions.
On the traits side, draft profiles highlight a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and a 6-foot, 220-pound frame, numbers that point to Louis fitting best as a sub-package linebacker who can hold his own in coverage, according to PlayerProfiler. For a team that mixes and matches personnel on passing downs, that is the kind of athletic profile that tends to get circled on the board.
Jalon Kilgore: Ball Skills And Position Flexibility
South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore checks a lot of the boxes Detroit has been chasing in its secondary. He comes with proven production, including eight career interceptions and 21 pass breakups, plus a Senior Bowl showing that helped push him up evaluation lists, as outlined by Mile High Report.
Kilgore also brings a 6-foot-1, roughly 210-pound frame and a 40 time in the low 4.4s, traits that let him move between safety and corner looks, per Mile High Report. His pre-draft circuit included multiple team visits and private workouts that helped solidify his standing in the Day 2 and Day 3 range, according to local coverage from Click2Houston. For a club drafting late and looking for someone who can slide into different roles, that flexibility is gold.
What This Means For The Lions
Louis and Kilgore both speak to the same set of questions in Detroit. Who can help in nickel packages, bring extra juice as a blitzer, and still cover kicks and punts from Day 1? With a healthy stash of Day 3 capital, taking a swing on a hybrid linebacker like Louis or a multi-spot defensive back like Kilgore is a low-risk way to add immediate depth with real starter upside down the line.
Keep an eye on the 118th and 157th picks in particular; if either prospect starts to slide, they look like clean schematic and roster fits for what the Lions need right now. The New York Times draft notebook has already flagged Louis and Kilgore as plausible best-available options for Detroit on Saturday, and with six selections still in hand, the Lions have the flexibility to take those calculated swings.
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