Throughout the offseason, SB Nation will host surveys for NFL fans, sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook. For Pride of Detroit, we are tasked with fielding questions from Detroit Lions fans, and with OTAs/minicamp behind us, let’s predict which undrafted rookie could make an impact on the Lions roster in 2026.
This offseason, the Lions signed nine undrafted rookie free agents, and we broke down their on-field skill sets and potential, explored the guarantees in their contracts, and our
staff even picked our favorite UDFA rookies immediately following the draft.
However, we have yet to get Lions fans’ opinions on this year’s UDFA class, which brings us to this week’s question:
Which UDFA is most likely to make an impact on the Lions roster in 2026?
For this exercise, we have provided fans with five players to vote on, or they can choose the “other” option and expand on their selection in the comment section. Here are the five options the Pride of Detroit staff previously nominated:
Quarterback Luke Altmyer has impressed during OTAs and minicamp with his arm, confidence, and ability to pick up on the Lions’ scheme quickly.
“I think he is unflappable, I guess, would be the word that comes to mind,” Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said during OTAs. “Every day he’s the same guy, he puts in the same process, he works. He never seems overwhelmed by what we’re asking him to do or how we’re asking him to do it, and he’s willing to learn and to work at it, which has been great.”
If Altmyer can continue to develop and impress, it’ll be interesting to see how much he pushes Teddy Bridgewater for the QB2 role, or potentially force the Lions to consider rostering three quarterbacks.
Tight end Miles Kitselman was one of Jeremy Reisman’s “winners” from OTAs and minicamp, as he has already climbed up the depth chart and is firmly in “roster bubble” range. With Sam LaPorta and Tyler Conklin dealing with injuries, Kitselman was getting some run with the first and second team, illustrating how quickly an opportunity could show up for him.
Defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina didn’t stand out in OTAs/minicamp, but that was to be expected for all trench players with no pads on during this portion of the offseason. Once the pads come on in training camp, Keanaaina should have a chance to stand out more, especially at a position with questionable depth.
EDGE AnthonyLucas stood out this spring due to his length, high energy level, and willingness to mix it up, even drawing praise from defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. While the Lions invested in the edge rusher position to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson–selecting Derrick Moore in the draft and signing DJ Wonnum and Payton Turner in free agency–, there could still be an opportunity for a player to grab snaps in a situational pass rushing role with room to grow.
Linebacker Erick Hunter grabbed NFL Draft analysts’ attention with his production and coverage skills during the evaluation process. While he’s yet to stand out at practice, he should get plenty of opportunities in a linebacker room that typically rosters at least six players and currently only has eight on the active roster.
And with that, it’s time to vote in the survey, share your feedback in the comment section, and check back with Pride of Detroit this weekend for the results.
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