The Detroit Lions had just one selection on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft, trading up to select Michigan edge rusher, Derrick Moore. The 23-year-old projects as a safe prospect and was the 14th-ranked edge rusher according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
After collecting 10 sacks in his final year with the Wolverines, he’ll join fellow Michigan alum Aidan Hutchinson to add some juice to the Lions’ pass rush, but is the latest in a string of offseason additions at the edge rusher position. With D.J. Wonnum and Peyton Turner also joining the Lions in free agency, the room is getting crowded ahead of the offseason program, and it’s enough to turn up the heat on Ahmed Hassanein after coming to Detroit in last year’s draft.
Ahmed Hassanein Suddenly Running Out of Time After Lions Add Derrick Moore in NFL Draft
It’s easy to see what the Lions like from Hassanein. A sixth-round pick out of Boise State, Hassanein was born in Anaheim, California, but moved to Cairo, Egypt, at age six. He didn’t start playing American football until his late teens, but he still worked his way up to a scholarship with the Broncos.
That proved to be money well spent by his university as Hassanein broke out with 12.5 sacks during the 2023 season and collected 9.5 more sacks in his final collegiate season in 2024. With limited experience, Hassanein was a project with upside and had the added benefit of being part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program that allowed the Lions to carry him without burning a roster spot during the offseason and without using a practice squad spot during the regular season.
But Hassanein’s rookie season didn’t go as expected. He was injured during the preseason and waived with an injury settlement. While he returned to the Lions in November, he never appeared in a regular-season game, basically going through a “redshirt” year on the team’s practice squad before signing a futures contract.
While he still can enjoy the benefits of being an IPP player this season, it will also be difficult for him to do more this season. Wonnum figures to be a key reserve for the Lions, and Turner has upside as a former first-round pick even though he has a lengthy injury history. If both those bets cash out, Hassanein will spend another year in development, which may be a problem entering his age-24 season.
Hassanein has a cool origin story and one that Lions fans would love to see through. But by adding Moore to the group on Friday night, he’ll have to accelerate his development if he wants to be a long-term component of Detroit’s defense.
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