Detroit Lions trade up to select Michigan football star Derrick Moore with No. 44 pick in NFL draft

PITTSBURGH – The Detroit Lions traded up to select University of Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore with the No. 44 pick in the second round of the NFL draft.

To acquire Moore, Detroit sent the New York Jets’ pick No. 50 (second round) and No. 128 (fourth round) for the 44th pick on Friday (April 24), placing him on the same line as fellow Wolverines alum, Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions selected offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick in the first round on Thursday (April 23).

The College Football Playoff national champion developed into one of the Big Ten’s most productive pass rushers during his career with the Michigan Wolverines, emerging as a team captain and first-team all-conference selection by the end of the 2025 season.

Moore saw action in all 14 games as a reserve in 2022, finishing with eight tackles and two sacks while beginning to carve out a role on the defensive line.

He took a significant step forward in 2023, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors while appearing in all 15 games for Michigan’s national championship team.

Moore recorded 34 tackles, including six for loss and five sacks, along with two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

In 2024, Moore again earned honorable mention all-conference recognition and moved into a starting role, starting 12 games. He totaled 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks, adding two pass breakups.

Moore’s breakout came in 2025, when he was named first-team All-Big Ten and served as a team captain. He led the Wolverines with 10.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, starting 12 games and finishing with 30 tackles, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

At 6-foot-4 with long arms and a powerful frame, Moore is regarded as a physical edge defender who excels as a pass rusher. He relies heavily on a bull rush, using strong hands and lower-body drive to collapse the pocket and generate pressure.

Scouts note Moore’s ability to build momentum through his rush and overwhelm blockers once he gains leverage.

His combination of size, technique, and timing allows him to finish plays effectively, whether pursuing quarterbacks or ball carriers.

While Moore has shown the ability to set the edge against the run, evaluators say he can be inconsistent in that area and will need to bring greater urgency on early downs to become a complete three-down defender.

Even so, Moore’s production and skill set project him as a starting-caliber edge rusher at the next level, with the potential to consistently generate pressure and sacks.

--> Detroit Lions introduce first-round pick Blake Miller after ‘whirlwind’ draft night

Lions’ recent playoff history

The heartbreak stretches back further.

In the 2023-24 postseason, Detroit reached the NFC Championship Game but squandered a 24-7 halftime lead, ultimately falling to the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.

General Manager Brad Holmes addressed the team’s offseason evaluation process with candor, acknowledging inconsistency as a defining issue of the 2025 campaign.

“You always have to evolve,” Holmes said. “And when you don’t get the desired results, you’ve got to just look at everything.”

Holmes emphasized that the organization will examine all offseason decisions and processes, but that the foundational identity and type of players sought will remain the same.

→ What Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes said during NFL Scouting Combine

Holmes and Dan Campbell are looking to replenish the roster and return to their winning ways with the No. 17 pick, which was the highest draft slot they’ve had since drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall selection in 2023.

--> Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes explains trading up for Michigan football’s Derrick Moore

Lions’ 2026 draft capital

Detroit enters the draft with nine total picks: one in the first round, one in the second, two in the fourth, two in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh.

Notably absent is a third-round selection.

The Lions traded two third-rounders, including a compensatory pick tied to former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s departure to become head coach of the New York Jets, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in order to move up and select wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 draft.

Detroit also received an extra 2026 sixth-round pick in that deal.

The Lions’ extra fourth-round pick came via a trade that sent running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans during the offseason.

Detroit also received a compensatory fifth-round pick after offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler departed in free agency ahead of the 2025 season.

An additional sixth-round pick came in the deal that sent wide receiver Tim Patrick to Jacksonville.

Detroit’s seventh-round pick came from the Cleveland Browns as part of a 2024 trade deadline deal that moved pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to Cleveland.

Lions first round picks by Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell

• 2025 (No. 28 overall): DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State.
• 2024 (No. 24 overall): CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama.
• 2023 (No. 12 overall): RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama.
• 2023 (No. 18 overall): LB Jack Campbell, Iowa.
• 2022 (No. 2 overall): EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan.
• 2022 (No. 12 overall): WR Jameson Williams, Alabama.
• 2021 (No. 7 overall): OT Penei Sewell, Oregon.

Lions 2026 NFL draft picks

Here’s the complete list of the Lions’ remaining picks in the 2025 NFL draft:

• Round 1: Offensive tackle Blake Miller, No. 17 overall.
• Round 2: Edge rusher Derrick Moore, No. 44 (from Jets)
• Round 4: No. 118.
• Round 5: No. 157.
• Round 5: No. 181 (compensatory pick).
• Round 6: No. 205 (from Jacksonville).
• Round 6: No. 213 (from Seattle).
• Round 7: No. 222 (from Cleveland).