As of Friday, April 24, 2026, at 7: 00 p. m. ET, the Detroit Lions traded up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore. The move sent Detroit from No. 50 to No. 44 and cost the team No. 128 as well, giving the Lions a player they targeted to strengthen the pass rush. Derrick Moore now joins a defensive end group that needed more help opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Lions pay to move up for Derrick Moore
The Lions’ decision to move up six spots came in a draft night trade with the New York Jets. Detroit gave up its second fourth-round pick in order to land the No. 44 selection, then used it on Derrick Moore after identifying defensive end as a major need.
Moore enters a room that also includes DJ Wonnum, Payton Turner, and Ahmed Hassanein. The immediate competition appears to be between Derrick Moore and Wonnum for playing time opposite Hutchinson, and that is the clearest path to snaps for the rookie.
Detroit now holds Pick 118, a mid-fourth-round selection, as it continues through the draft. The team’s next steps will be watched closely after using its second-round capital on Derrick Moore.
Derrick Moore brings production and length
Moore was a two-year starter at Michigan and produced four sacks in one season and 10 sacks in the next. He served as a team captain in 2025 and fit Detroit’s preferred size at 6-foot-4 with an 81 1/4-inch wingspan. He also ranked among the Big Ten’s more productive pass rushers, posting a 17. 5 pressure rate in a draft preview by Dane Brugler.
His college résumé also includes 53 games played, 24 starts over the last two seasons, and a 2025 first-team All-Big Ten selection. In his final season, Derrick Moore recorded 30 total tackles, 10. 5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three passes defended.
Immediate reaction centers on the fit
The clearest reaction from the draft room is the logic of the fit: Detroit needed edge help, and Derrick Moore offers it. The addition also pairs him with Hutchinson, which gives the Lions a chance to build more pressure from both sides of the line.
That pairing is central to the move, and it is why the Lions’ willingness to spend draft capital mattered. The cost was meaningful, but the return was a player with production, experience, and the traits Detroit wanted.
What comes next for Detroit
Friday night’s second-round move leaves the Lions with less ammunition later, but the team clearly prioritized the front seven. The next chance to add comes with Pick 118, where Detroit can keep filling out the roster around Derrick Moore.
For now, the headline is simple: the Lions traded up, and Derrick Moore is the latest answer to a pass-rush question that had been hanging over Detroit. If the fit holds, Derrick Moore could become one of the draft’s most important additions for the Lions.
