The Detroit Lions got a lot of attention for their selections in the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft. The consensus was that the Lions reached for both Blake Miller and Derrick Moore. Even though they both filled clear needs, many wondered whether Detroit selected them too early. This overshadowed what the Lions did later in the draft. In fact, a few of their Day 3 selections may already be proving GM Brad Holmes right.
At the top of that list is the fourth-round selection, Jimmy Rolder. The 118th-overall pick, the former Michigan linebacker, was drafted without much fanfare. As a one-year starter, not much was known about Rolder. After the OTAs and minicamp, however, it's time for Lions fans to buy some Jimmy Rolder stock.
Jimmy Rolder's stock has been steadily rising since the draft
In the minicamp that the Lions just wrapped on Wednesday, the defensive unit shone bright. On the interception-happy defense, Rolder reportedly stood above the others. His leaping interception was noted by multiple insiders as one of the plays of the week.
Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network highlighted the play as "an exhilarating exhibition of Rolder’s high-end athleticism and playmaking potential." Tim Twentyman of Lions.com included Rolder in his list of the five most impressive Lions of minicamp and underlined his instincts in the passing game.
This comes on the heels of Derrick Barnes comparing Rolder's football IQ to when Jack Campbell arrived as a rookie. How quickly he was able to adapt to the scheme and make coverage adjustments throughout the practice stuck out to teammates, per Rogers.
The sentiment was shared by the coaching staff, as well. Linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton had a ton of positive words to say about Rolder and specifically highlighted the 'tremendous growth" he has shown.
DC Kelvin Sheppard praised the trajectory Rolder is on and expressed his satisfaction with where he is at the moment.
This can seem like usual offseason hype for newcomers, but this feels different. Head coach Dan Campbell warned against "pajama party" throughout OTAs and minicamp, where there can be needless praise and hype. There was far less of this this year compared to previous seasons.
Yet, Rolder still managed to earn praise. Compare the way the coaching staff and the players have talked about him to the other rookies who were selected this year, and you can see why Rolder stands out.
If Rolder continues this momentum, it will only be a matter of time before he takes over the starting role from Malcolm Rodriguez. The rookie will begin the season as a core special teamer, but he has a clear path to starting. With the way the offseason is going, this may be sooner than expected.
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