It's been over a week since the NFL draft wrapped up, and the Detroit Lions have even more players on their roster to patch the holes they are attempting to fix before the 2026 season.
The Lions did a good job for the most part to beef up their top positions of need, selecting offensive tackle Blake Miller and defensive end Derrick Moore with their first two picks. Both of those players will be counted on to play big roles immediately in order to boost the neediest parts of Detroit's roster.
In the case of Moore, the Lions will hope he can inject some life into a pass rush that has needed a big boost in recent years. Even though Moore is likely to play a huge role, there's still a question revolving around whether or not he can actually be a starter.
Coming out of the draft, that question is still a major issue for the Lions. It's possible that Detroit still needs to make additions along the defensive front at pass rusher in order to get through next year. According to some, that's still an issue to watch the rest of the offseason.
NFL.com analyst Kevin Patra put together a to do list for the rest of the season, and one of the top missions left for the Lions was to figure out whether Moore can be a starter right away opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
"On defense, the lingering question is whether second-round pick (Derrick) Moore can start from Day 1 opposite Aidan Hutchinson and provide a consistent rush the Lions have lacked."
The Lions likely wouldn't have drafted Moore in the second-round unless they felt as if he could be an immediate difference maker. For this reason, it's likely that the Lions give him all the runway possible to make a big difference very quickly, if not start. If he can't, the Lions do have DJ Wonnum around to play a role, but ideally, Wonnum is more of a rotational piece.
There is the opportunity for the Lions to add additional help on the edge the rest of the offseason, but it doesn't seem like an emergency relative to what they decided to do immediately after the draft. Moore's abilities could be the reason that's the case.
Brad Holmes thinks Moore can play a variety of roles for Detroit's defense
The Lions expect Moore to play a big role immediately, and based on what Holmes has said, there is going to be plenty for the defender to do. While his specific tasks aren't yet clear, Moore will be in the mix to rush the quarterback from plenty of different slots as well as figure in significantly for the pass rush.
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Holmes admitted that the Lions are going to try and maximize all of Moore's unique talents in his rookie season along with the help of defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and his specific scheme.
"What Derrick (Moore) is going to bring to the defense is, first of all, (Aidan) Hutchinson takes a lot of snaps, so another body that literally can spell Hutchinson in that rush rotation. When you line up in nickel and sub-defense, a guy that can line up on the opposite, a guy that can line up inside. (Kelvin) Sheppard is just going to put guys in the best position to do what they do best. That's what he showed on tape is he can set edges in the run game. He can rush outside, he can rush inside. And I'm quite sure that's how Sheppard's going to utilize him."
Whether this means Moore starts is likely anyone's guess, but it's clear that the Lions want to see him on the field a ton as a rookie. The hope is that he slots in as a first-year starter and earns the right to see the field plenty right off the bat.
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