The Grit Index returns for the 2026 NFL Draft, marking the fourth iteration since its inception in 2023. For the Detroit Lions, “grit” is a defining role of the organization, and this metric attempts to quantify how a prospect’s character, intelligence, and intangibles can help them stand out.
As important as Grit is to the Lions, it can be difficult to fully contextualize in the evaluation process. Objective grit analysis—team captain, walk-on to starter path, academic standing—can be easily found,
but subjective grit analysis is much harder to qualify, as most analysts are not privy to the level of information an NFL team gathers on players. Three years ago, my buddy Anthony (@Btwn_TheNumbers on Twitter) and I set out to create a system to quantify what grit means for the Lions.
Over the years, we have gone from a broad system that looked for keywords in NFL Draft profiles to a more complex system that expanded our search qualifiers, applied different levels of credit to sources based on reliability, and produced a scoring system for ease of understanding.
Updates for 2026
In our ever-expanding attempt to understand what “grit” means to the Lions, Anthony and I reviewed general manager Brad Holmes’ pre- and post-draft press conferences since he joined the Lions, looking for patterns in his descriptions of acquired players and in what the team was seeking. As we focused on the traits Holmes sought, we used those new key terms to help finesse our previous versions of the Grit Index.
For example, here’s a small sampling of things we look for when scoring players:
Next, we noticed that previous editions of the Grit Index tended to favor certain “grittier” positions, giving them an advantage in our system. Therefore, we created a hybrid position scale to adjust the scoring, allowing players in inherently less-gritty positions to have a level playing field.
Lastly, we upgraded the 0-100 scoring system to a more user-friendly 0-10 range, designed to align more closely with other evaluation systems, such as RAS (Relative Athletic Score).
Grit Index: Tiers
For this year’s exercise, we assigned a Grit Index score to over 400 players. Of this group, 30 achieved an Elite Tier 1 score of 9.0 or better, with just six breaking the 9.5 mark. Another 70 landed in Tier 2 (8.0-8.99), roughly 90 in Tier 3 (7-7.99), 85 in Tier 4 (6-6.99), 65 in Tier 5 (5-5.99), and 70 in Tier 6 (0-4.99).
We also saw a nice distribution of players in each tier, spread across their projected draft slots. For example, of the 30 players with Tier 1 status, five are expected to be selected in the first round, six in the second, six in the third, five in the fourth, two in the fifth, four in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one is not expected to be drafted.
Let’s take a look at the players who achieved a Tier 1 status, starting with the top-six elite of the elite.
Top 6 Grit Index prospects
- Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: 9.95
- Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech: 9.95
- Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona: 9.82
- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: 9.75
- Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech: 9.7
- Blake Miller, RT, Clemson: 9.67
There’s a tie at the top of the Grit Index this year, as projected top-10 pick Caleb Downs and rising linebacker Jacob Rodriguez achieved near-perfect scores. Downs represents an ideal prospect for the Lions, as he not only matches them on the field, but in character as well. I suspect he could be the top player on their draft board this cycle. As for Rodriguez, grabbing him with pick No. 17 may feel a bit too high, but he won’t last until pick No. 50, and he is reportedly getting first-round consideration. If the Lions start to move around within the top 50 picks, he’s a name to watch.
The name most Lions fans should be watching is Blake Miller, as he would not only fill a significant need at right tackle but also be an incredible character fit. Despite starting 54 games for Clemson, Miller started the offseason low on many draft boards, but he’s seen a steady climb as analysts have watched his game film. Several highly respected draft analysts now rank Miller as their OT3, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Lions also had him as a top option on their draft board. He’s very much in play at pick No. 17.
Stukes is another prospect rising up draft boards as we approach the draft. If the Lions land a player like Miller, Stukes could be a sleeper pick for the Lions in the second round. If the Lions don’t end up taking an offensive lineman in the first round, Rutledge could be in play for the Lions on Day 2, if the Lions want to bolster their interior.
Now, let’s look at the entire group, based on the round they’re projected to be selected.
Round-by-round Tier 1 Grit Index distribution
Round 1
- Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: 9.95
- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: 9.75
- Blake Miller, RT, Clemson: 9.67
- Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon: 9.41
- Makai Lemon, WR, USC: 9.13
While Downs is the ideal candidate and Miller is the realistic one, Thieneman could be the sleeper pick at No. 17. A rangy safety with slot experience, Thieneman could make a lot of sense for the Lions if they plan on shifting their defense to more subpackage sets.
Round 2
- Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech: 9.95
- Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona: 9.82
- Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech: 9.7
- CJ Allen, LB, Georgia: 9.4
- D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana: 9.22
- Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois: 9.14
Jacas has been a player I have talked up for most of the offseason, and scoring as the top Grit Index edge rusher has further cemented him as a realistic option with pick No. 50 in the second round. My sleeper pick for the Lions from this group is Ponds, who has some Mike Sainristil to his game.
Round 3
- Sam Roush, TE, Stanford: 9.31
- Logan Jones, C, Iowa: 9.22
- Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: 9.17
- Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State: 9.11
- Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State: 9.07
- Gennings Dunker, G/T, Iowa: 9.05
Without a third-round pick, the Lions may just be staring at this group as they come off the board, but there’s some great value here if they decide to trade into the third. Roush is exactly the type of tight end that would feature well in Drew Petzing’s offense, while both Iowa offensive linemen would be fun fits in Detroit. Hecht is my top-rated center in this draft class.
Round 4
- Chandler Rivers, NB, Duke: 9.42
- Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon: 9.34
- Jake Slaughter, C, Florida: 9.17
- Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State: 9.06
- Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington: 9.00
This is a fun “upside” group, as they represent player who would immediately push a starter for playing time. Rivers is a press-man nickel corner with starting potential, while Boettcher and Elliott are dynamic special teamers with long-term promise on defense. Slaughter could be the best zone-blocking center in this class, while Coleman is stylistically very similar to David Montgomery.
Round 5
- Febechi Nwaiwu, G, Oklahoma: 9.43
- Albert Regis, NT, Texas A&M: 9.06
Nwaiwu and Regis are both upside prospects that the Lions may consider earlier than this spot in the draft. Regis gives off Poona Ford vibes as a smaller nose tackle with great run-stopping ability, and would fit in nicely in the Lions’ defensive tackle rotation.
Round 6
- Michael Taaffe, S, Texas: 9.32
- Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana: 9.18
- Taurean York, LB, Texas A&M: 9.17
- Adam Randall, RB, Clemson: 9.09
Another group where all the players would fit well in Detroit. Taaffee is a split-safety with single-high range and special team promise. Nowakowski is a versatile tight end with positional range. York is another special teamer who can challenge at the WILL linebacker spot, while Randal is one of the most physical runners in this class.
Round 7
- Skyler Gill-Howard, DL, Texas Tech: 9.42
Gill-Howard is a high-effort pass rusher who could fill a rotational role early in his NFL career.
UDFA
- Mark Gronowski, QB, Iowa: 9.41
At this point, the University of Iowa is close to becoming Grit U.
