To finish off the 2026 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions drafted EDGE Tyre West out of Tennessee in the seventh round. Not only did Lions general manager Brad Holmes draft an EDGE early, but he also took another one late, giving them more options and competition. The thing about West is he’s projected to be a big EDGE type, something the Lions already have in Levi Onwuzurike, so how West fits on this team will be interesting.
With this being the final pick of this year’s draft, did Holmes end with a bang
or more to be desired?
Roster impact
West is projected to slide on the inside of the defensive line in the NFL. If the Lions agree with that and see him strictly as a defensive tackle, the battle for DT4 is getting more and more crowded. If he can be versatile and play on the inside and outside, this could be the team’s replacement for Onwuzurike for 2027.
College career
West played all four years at Tennessee, playing in 48 games and getting five starts. West grew as a player every year, and 2025 was his best season yet. In the end, West finished with 65 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection.
Strengths and weaknesses
West’s ability to play at defensive end and defensive tackle is right up the Lions’ alley. They love players who can do more than one thing, and if he can confuse defenses by lining up inside and outside, that’s great. While he’s a fine run defender, his pass-rushing skills are what help him stand out a bit. According to PFF, he has 61 pressures in his career, averaging a 71.2 pass rush grade.
One of his biggest issues is his ability to wrap up tacklers, having a missed tackle percentage of 22.9 percent in his career. To be fair, his worst years of tackling were back in 2022 and 2023, so while it’s improved, it’s still a weakness he’s gotta work on. His lack of starting experience will put him in an uphill battle to make the roster. While he does have two positions he can try and make the team in, if he can’t win one of them, he’ll be pigeon-holed on the other.
Overall
Overall, I think this is a fine way to end the draft for the Lions. They got more help on the defensive line and a chance to find a replacement for someone who could be off the team after the 2026 season. West being versatile gives him a leg up over the other defensive linemen who are stuck at one spot.
I’m glad the team kept going after defensive players because that side of the ball needed the most help. The defensive line needed more bodies to rotate and give them fresh legs to try to generate pressure on the quarterback. This team has good run defenders, but when you struggle at times to pressure overall, you’ll do anything to help fix that problem.
Grade: C+
