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The Detroit Lions Podcast

The Detroit Lions Podcast

Written by: The Detroit Lions Podcast
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The Detroit Lions Podcast is an independent, fan-run show covering the Detroit Lions every day — and has since 2015. Hosted by Chris with co-host and managing editor Jeff Risdon, the show breaks down every game with live post-game call-in shows, works through the roster and the schedule, and goes deep on the NFL Draft. Over 1,000 episodes in, it's one of the longest-running Lions podcasts anywhere: no corporate desk, no borrowed takes, just people who have only ever covered this one team. Whether the Lions are rebuilding or contending, we're on it — win, lose, or heartbreak. One Pride. Daily Football (American)
Episodes
  • Daily DLP: Rookie expectations for Lions 2026 Draft class Detroit Lions Podcast

    Daily DLP: Rookie expectations for Lions 2026 Draft class Detroit Lions Podcast
    Jul 24 2026
    Can Blake Miller make the Detroit Lions' Week 1 starting lineup at right tackle? Week 1 is possible, but the baton passes by Week 5. That's the expectation. Blake Miller profiles as the right-side version of Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, mostly steady with an occasional rookie hiccup. How big is Derrick Moore’s Year 1 role opposite Aidan Hutchinson? He plays a lot, even if he does not start Week 1. Moore will push for snaps opposite Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, with Detroit Lions edge rusher DJ Wonnum offering baseline run defense and Detroit Lions edge rusher Payton Turner starting if healthy. Moore’s versatility from Michigan translates and his impact will be steady instead of streaky. The depth is better, so rotation trims the top-end stat ceiling, but Moore’s down-to-down consistency earns meaningful work immediately. Will Jimmy Rolder jump Malcolm Rodriguez for LB3 snaps? He can, if the coverage he showed in minicamp holds. Detroit Lions linebacker Jimmy Rolder is competing with Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez for the third linebacker role behind the top duo, with special teams also in the mix. Michael Grey stressed that Rolder’s Michigan tape did not feature standout coverage, but in minicamp he showed range and zone feel, and he is a reliable tackler and a smart run defender. Detroit will not live in three-linebacker sets, so this is about quality rotational downs plus teams work. Expect Rolder to push hard through camp, with the door open if the coverage gains are real. What is Keith Abney’s path to snaps, and which defensive rookies stick? Detroit Lions cornerback Keith Abney forces the issue. Pick 157, he challenges for slot work while also fitting outside thanks to his traits. As Michael Grey said, the question is special teams, which often dictates early roles for Day 3 corners. If injuries or underperformance hit, Abney is ready for inside or outside reps. Competition also includes Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Detroit Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey. Up front, Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyler Lacy is a safe 53-man bet, which squeezes Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyre West toward the practice squad as a longer-term project. Skyler Gill-Howard brings real pass-rush juice and is battling Mekhi Wingo for the same interior role. Detroit Lions wide receiver Kendrick Law, a developmental return and special teams candidate, is out for the year. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #blakemiller #derrickmoore #aidanhutchinson #djwonnum #paytonturner #larryborom #jimmyrolder #malcolmrodriguez #jackcampbell #keithabney #kendricklaw #tylerlacy #makaiwingo #tyreewest #khalildorsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • Daily DLP: Ranking the Lions rookie UDFA chances Detroit Lions Podcast

    Daily DLP: Ranking the Lions rookie UDFA chances Detroit Lions Podcast
    Jul 23 2026
    Undrafted quarterback Luke Altmyer is the only Detroit Lions rookie free agent with a realistic path to the 53, and he profiles as a practice-squad lock while the staff decides on carrying two or three quarterbacks. Roster spots are scarce, so most UDFAs are competing for developmental roles on the practice squad. Is Luke Altmyer a lock for the Detroit Lions roster? Luke Altmyer, quarterback, Detroit Lions, locks down the practice squad and stays in the QB pipeline, while the 53 hinges on whether Detroit carries a QB3. As Jeff Risdon noted on the Detroit Lions Podcast Daily DLP, there are only three quarterbacks in camp and Altmyer ‘wins from the pocket,’ mirroring the style of quarterback Jared Goff stylistically, and has enough arm and toughness to run the offense. Altmyer absorbed some hellacious hits at Illinois, so taking fewer hits is a growth point. The staff will decide between keeping two on the 53 with Altmyer as the emergency elevation, or rostering three. Either way, he stays in Detroit. What must defensive end Anthony Lucas show to make the 53? Anthony Lucas must add a Plan B move and finish plays he already wins to crack the 53. Lucas’ all-or-nothing first move on college tape and the need to raise his floor will augment his chances. The finishing mandate is explicit: he posted three sacks in four years of college football, and that production must jump to justify a roster spot in a deep edge room. Technique, sequencing rushes, and converting pressures into sacks decide his fate. Practice squad is the baseline, with upward mobility if he stacks finishes in preseason. Which UDFAs look like immediate practice-squad value? Several fit clear developmental lanes. Eric O'Neil, edge rusher, Detroit Lions, is a compact power rusher with outsized production, logging 35 sacks and 110 QB pressures across four-plus college seasons at LIU, James Madison, and Rutgers. He sets a sturdy edge for his size and profiles as a situational rush piece to cultivate. DB Amaris Brown brings ball skills and a my-ball mentality after six years of college, flashing takeaway instincts in camp. He must prove he can play special teams consistently to earn that slot or reserve corner spot. Eric Hunter, linebacker, Detroit Lions, was deployed like a do-everything attacker at Morgan State, blitzing and flowing downhill at 220 pounds. As Risdon detailed, he is an athletic, aggressive fit for a developmental hybrid linebacker role, tracking as a prime practice-squad stash for 2026 with an eye on contributing in 2027. Who are the longest shots and what numbers define their uphill climb? Miller Kitselman, tight end, Detroit Lions, must fix the hands and length concerns to stick. He recorded five drops on 27 targets and has arms under 32 inches despite being 6-foot-5, which shows up in blocking and catch radius. With tight ends Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Tyler Conklin ahead, Kitselman needs a standout camp to seize the practice-squad TE spot. Martin Priestley, offensive lineman, Detroit Lions, is transitioning inside after over a thousand snaps at both left and right tackle at Illinois and sits just under 6-foot-3. The critical stat from Jeff Risdon: 54 assessed penalties in four years, including 24 in one season, a habit he must correct to advance. De'Shawn Rucker, cornerback, is an aggressive tackler whose size was misperceived by fans; he measured 5-foot-9 and a quarter at USF’s pro day. He needs to win on special teams and in slot reps to earn a developmental look. Depth at defensive tackle also matters, with defensive tackle J.R. Tufele, Detroit Lions, and defensive tackle Tylik Williams, Detroit Lions, shaping the interior competition. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #lionstrainingcamp #udfa #lukealtmyer #anthonylucas #erico'neil #amarisbrown #erichunter #millerkitselman #martinpriestley #shawrucker #jaredgoff #teddybridgewater #samlaporta #brockwright #tylerconklin #j.r.tufele #tylikwilliams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Daily DLP Training Camp Preview: Tight ends Detroit Lions Podcast

    Daily DLP Training Camp Preview: Tight ends Detroit Lions Podcast
    Jul 22 2026
    The Daily DLP previews the Lions' tight end room, which could already be set ahead of training camp. Is Sam LaPorta fully cleared and what does it mean for the Detroit Lions offense? Yes. Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is fully cleared to participate in training camp after a microdiscectomy for his back. As Jeff Risdon noted, the procedure carries some recurrence risk, but LaPorta’s efficient production, route versatility and red-zone finishing restore a core option for quarterback Jared Goff in Detroit’s NFL-best skill group. LaPorta is the clear number one tight end in Detroit. He functions as the offense’s chain mover and a red-zone target alongside Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Game plans will flex week to week, with some games funneling to LaPorta near the top of the pecking order based on coverage. Who is TE2 right now, Tyler Conklin or Brock Wright? Tyler Conklin holds the higher receiving ceiling and overtakes Brock Wright if Detroit gets the New York Jets version of Conklin. If Conklin mirrors his Chargers stint, Brock Wright retains the role. As Jeff Risdon put it, Conklin’s upside as a mover and flex option can bump Wright to TE3 if Conklin is right. Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright’s last three seasons tell a consistent story: 13 catches, 91 yards, 1 touchdown; 13 catches, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns; and last year 14 catches, 108 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He is 27, smart and crafty, but lacks athletic dynamism. Risdon added that Wright’s run-blocking has graded around the bottom of the top tier to the middle tier range for tight ends. Detroit Lions tight end Tyler Conklin, 30, is listed at 6-3, 248. Risdon relayed that Conklin’s absence from minicamp appeared excused after conversations with the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Conklin thrived as a pass catcher with the Jets but struggled with the Chargers under Jim Harbaugh, including one bad early day that soured the fit. When right, Conklin can split out, motion, and complement LaPorta in two tight end sets, even if inline is not his strength. Which depth tight ends have a real path to the 53 or practice squad? After the top three, the group is chasing one realistic practice squad spot. Risdon gave Horton the early edge because he has been in the building and can also play some fullback. Detroit also has Miller Kitselman as a UDFA and Thomas Gordon in camp. Detroit Lions wide receiver Jackson Meeks is practicing at tight end, but at 6-2, 218 he is undersized for NFL in-line work and, per Risdon, visibly smaller than Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. TeSlaa is a big-bodied wide receiver, not a tight end, and remains a wide receiver assignment despite his frame. Will Drew Petzing feature two or three tight end sets in Detroit? Expect frequent two tight end looks, with three tight end packages possible even though none appeared in minicamp. Petzing used three tight ends in Arizona, and in Cleveland he deployed two tight ends as window dressing to feed Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Nick Chubb. That history fits with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s strength in distributing to the best matchup. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #samlaporta #jaredgoff #amon-rast.brown #jahmyrgibbs #brockwright #tylerconklin #isaacteslaa #jacksonmeeks #drewpetzing #lionstrainingcamp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
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