The Detroit Lions drafted seven players in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they are not slowing down yet. General manager Brad Holmes has already shifted focus to what comes next with the undrafted free agents. His job is far from over this offseason, with 16 vacancies on their 90-man offseason roster.

A clip shared by the Detroit Sports Podcast on X on April 27 showed Holmes speaking with Dan Miller.

“No, no, absolutely not,” Holmes said when asked about his plans to rest. “I'm actually excited about getting going next week, and looking at it, is there any guys that are still out there? There might be some guys that got invited to mini-camps that might not get signed.”

He pointed out that the process never really stops. The front office is already tracking players who could become available soon. It includes veterans who may be released or placed on waivers.

“You never know what's gonna come across the waivers,” he added. “We've already kind of identified guys already like free agents.”

Detroit has built a recent track record of developing overlooked talent. Lions veteran tight end Brock Wright was one of those players who went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2021. Wright hauled in two touchdowns, raising Detroit’s tight end scoring total to 12 on the season.

Running back Craig Reynolds led the Lions with six carries for 49 yards versus Buffalo, doing so just a day after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2021.

Cut to 2026, as reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Campbell and the Lions have already signed Illinois quarterback Luke Altmeyer. The Starkville, Mississippi native is set to join a quarterback group led by Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater.

According to Tri-Star Network, Holmes' Lions have also signed Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman as an undrafted free agent. While Holmes keeps track of more undrafted free agents they can sign, the Lions will not hold a mini-camp this season.

Brad Holmes Brings More Urgency to the Camp After Playoff Miss

The Detroit Lions entered the 2026 draft with a clear focus after last season. Missing the playoffs was still on their minds, and Holmes used it as motivation to rethink plans and fix what needed to change.

Holmes kept a reminder in his office about the team sitting at home during the postseason. That moment stuck with him and shaped how he approached this offseason and the draft.

“Not making the playoffs," Holmes said. "It was just a reminder that when the playoffs started, we were sitting at home watching.”

As Day 3 of the 2026 draft approached, it was reported that Detroit would not hold a rookie minicamp this year. Holmes is instead focusing on a more streamlined offseason and alternative methods to help rookies acclimate.

“I told you guys at the end of the season, me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) were going to take a long, hard look at every single thing from top to bottom, and that’s what we did,” Holmes said.

Even without a rookie minicamp, Detroit’s rookies are scheduled to report on May 11.

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Written by

Anjali Thakur

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar