Over the course of his Detroit Lions tenure, general manager Brad Holmes has done a pretty good job on the final day of the NFL Draft. Through five drafts, he’s found the following talents in Round 4 or later: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston, Chase Lucas, Sione Vaki, Christian Mahogany, and Miles Frazier. While the start of that list is certainly better than the end of it—perhaps partially because of how NIL has increasingly thinned out the drafts—Holmes has certainly proven
he can find contributors during Saturday’s final draft day.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions Day 3 pick will go on to have the best NFL career?
My answer: As a reminder, here are the Lions’ five Day 3 picks from the 2026 NFL Draft:
- Round 4, pick 118: Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan
- Round 5, pick 157: Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State
- Round 5, pick 168: Kendrick Law, Slot WR, Kentucky
- Round 6, pick 205: Skyler Gill-Howard, DL, Texas A&M
- Round 7, pick 222: Tyre West, DL, Tennessee
Of those five, I think I have to jump right to Keith Abney. Abney has two things working in his favor. One, he plays a position that is both a short and long-term need. There’s a very good chance Abney could see early playing time on defense, which should help his development and give him a chance to become a potential starting nickel in this league with the versatility and tenacity to also contribute on the outside (and on special teams).
Additionally, he was widely considered a much better talent than a fifth-round pick. While NFL media analysts don’t necessarily reflect reality, some of the most-respected minds believed Abney to be a Day 2 talent. Here’s where some prominent draft analysts ranked him among the 2026 NFL Draft class:
I wouldn’t count out Rolder, either. While I think he likely begins his NFL career primarily as a very good special teamer, his inexperience at linebacker (just a one-year starter at Michigan) could mean there’s a lot of growth and potential there. Still, I like Abney ceiling a little more.
Which Lions Day 3 pick from the 2026 draft do you think will have the greatest NFL career? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and vote in the poll, as well:
