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Detroit Lions DST

Player Outlook
The Lions DST should be avoided on draft day, as there are much safer options with more upside attached. While Detroit's offense remains one of the NFL's best, the defense struggled with consistency in 2025, allowing 24.3 points per game, which ranked near the bottom half of the league. The unit generated some production through splash plays, recording 39 sacks, 12 interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns, but it cannot be relied on as a starting option outside of matchup-based streaming.

Fantasy News

  • Lions' Derrick Moore: Exits practice with groin injury

    Rotowire
    Moore left Sunday's training camp practice early to be evaluated for a groin injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. The results of that evaluation will determine the next steps for Moore, who was a second-round selection of the Lions in the 2026 NFL Draft. The rookie out of Michigan is competing for rotational snaps at defensive end behind starters Aidan Hutchinson and D.J. Wonnum, with Tyler Lacy, Tyre West and Trevor Nowaske serving as Moore's main competition.
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  • Lions' Alim McNeill: Back at practice Sunday

    Rotowire
    McNeill (neck) participated in Sunday's training camp practice, Ben Raven of MLive.com reports. McNeil was held out of Friday's practice due to a neck injury, but the sixth-year defensive tackle was cleared to participate in Sunday's session. He's coming off a 2025 campaign in which he missed seven regular-season games due to knee and abdomen injuries, finishing with 14 tackles (five solo), including 1.0 sacks, one pass defense and one forced fumble over 10 games.
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  • Lions' Alim McNeill: Avoids major injury

    Rotowire
    McNeil's neck injury isn't considered to be serious, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports. McNeil suffered a neck injury during Friday's practice but is believed to be OK. The 26-year-old is expected to serve as one of Detroit's starting defensive tackles during the upcoming campaign.
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  • Lions' Jimmy Rolder: Avoids major injury

    Rotowire
    Rolder (leg) will miss some time but avoided severe injury, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports. The promising rookie left Friday's practice due to the issue. If Rolder can return before the start of the regular season, he could yet prove he is a reliable depth option at linebacker for the Lions. The recent signing of Devin White makes the competition tougher, but the team is always looking for depth at a position it has been notoriously injury-prone with.
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  • Lions' Jimmy Rolder: Tending to leg issue

    Rotowire
    Rolder left the Lions' training camp practice early with a leg injury Friday, Kory Woods of MLive.com reports. It's not the start the rookie would have hoped for, but the severity of Rolder's injury is still not clear. Until he's ready to resume practicing, Joe Bachie could see an uptick in practice reps at linebacker.
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  • Lions' Alim McNeill: Dealing with neck issue

    Rotowire
    McNeill left the Lions' training camp practice early with a neck injury Friday, Kory Woods of MLive.com reports. It's not clear exactly what happened, and there's no timetable for McNeill's return to practice at this point. As long as he remains unavailable, Levi Onwuzurike will be a candidate to take the leftover reps with the first-team defensive line.
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  • Lions' Ennis Rakestraw: On field in camp

    Rotowire
    Rakestraw (shoulder) is participating during training camp, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports. The cornerback suffered a shoulder injury during a training camp practice last August and had to undergo season-ending surgery. Rakestraw played in eight regular-season games as a rookie two seasons ago, seeing more action on special teams than defense. A 2024 second-round pick, Rakestraw should be able to compete for playing time now that he's healthy again.
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  • Lions' Levi Onwuzurike: Involved at training camp

    Rotowire
    Onwuzurike passed his conditioning test and is participating in the Lions' training camp activities, John Maakaron of SI.com reports. Onwuzurike missed the entire 2025 season with an ACL injury he suffered last July. The starting defensive tackle's return alongside a healthy Alim McNeill means the Lions' defensive interior just got significantly stronger for the 2026 season.
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  • Lions' Alim McNeill: Ready for training camp

    Rotowire
    McNeill (abdomen) passed his conditioning test and is participating in training camp, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports. McNeill ended the 2025 season with an abdominal issue that caused him to miss the final game of the regular season. The starting defensive tackle missed the first six games of the campaign while he finished his recovery from a December 2024 ACL tear. If the 26-year-old can maintain his current health throughout the 2026 season, the Lions' defensive line should be able to generate more consistent interior pressure.
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  • Lions' Christian Izien: Placed on NFI list

    Rotowire
    The Lions placed Izien on the active/non-football illness list Tuesday. It's unclear how severe of an illness Izien is dealing with, but he'll be eligible to participate in practice once he has fully recovered from his ailment. Izien signed a one-year contract with the Lions in March after spending the first three years of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, where he mostly operated on special teams while occasionally working in the secondary in 2025. He finished last year with 25 tackles (16 solo) and one forced fumble across 14 regular-season games.
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  • Jay Tufele: Cut loose by Detroit

    Rotowire
    The Lions released Tufele on Tuesday. Tufele signed with the Lions in late April after appearing in 12 regular-season games for the Jets in 2025, logging 12 tackles (five solo). He'll look to catch on with a team in need of a veteran who can serve in a rotational role on the defensive line.
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  • Lions' Kerby Joseph: Moved to PUP

    Rotowire
    The Lions placed Joseph (knee) on the active/PUP list Sunday. Joseph is continuing to battle a lingering knee injury that forced him to miss Detroit's final 13 games of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old could now be in danger of missing time during the upcoming campaign if he's unable to progress in his recovery.
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  • Lions' Brian Branch: Opening training camp on PUP

    Rotowire
    The Lions placed Branch (Achilles) on the active/PUP list Sunday. Branch's move to the PUP list doesn't come as a surprise, as the 24-year-old is continuing to recover from a torn Achilles suffered last December. While there's currently no concrete timeline on his return, he should resume his role as Detroit's starting strong safety once healthy.
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  • Terrion Arnold: Arraignment scheduled for August

    Rotowire
    Arnold has an arraignment hearing set for August 13 on the felony charges of robbery and kidnapping he's facing after his June arrest, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. Arnold is still a free agent after he was waived by Detroit in June and was meeting with other teams earlier this month. If any club is willing to sign him, he seems healthy enough to take the field after undergoing a procedure on his shoulder back in December.
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  • Terrion Arnold: Logs visit with Texans

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) visited with Houston on Thursday and took a physical, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Arnold has cleared waivers after being cut by Detroit in late June, and Schefter reports the third-year pro has two upcoming visits scheduled with NFL teams. The 2024 first-rounder appears healthy enough to sign with a new squad after having undergone shoulder surgery last December. Arnold is awaiting trial on felony kidnapping and robbery charges.
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  • Terrion Arnold: Let go by Detroit

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) was cut by the Lions on Monday. The news comes shortly after an Associated Press report that a Florida judge has set a $1 million bail in connection to Arnold's ongoing felony trial for charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. Arnold is unlikely to resume his NFL career until his legal proceedings conclude.
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  • Lions' Terrion Arnold: Appears at hearing

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder), who faces felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, appeared at a hearing Thursday in Tampa, Fla., ESPN.com reports. Per the report, Arnold was ordered held without bail until a pretrial detention hearing, which is scheduled for Monday. In a statement, the Lions said they were aware of the cornerback's situation but declined to comment "out of respect for the ongoing legal process." Arnold, who the team selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, recorded 31 tackles and an interception while playing in eight games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
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  • Lions' Terrion Arnold: Arrested on multiple felony charges

    Rotowire
    Arnold (shoulder) was arrested Wednesday and is facing multiple felony counts of robbery and kidnapping, the Hillsborough County (Fla.) State Attorney's Office announced. The announcement also noted that Arnold's charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison after the cornerback was allegedly the primary conspirator of an elaborate armed robbery and kidnapping plot that happened earlier in the offseason. The 23-year-old was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and has started 22 regular-season games across his first two seasons. He missed the final five games last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
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  • Lions' Brian Branch: Unlikely to return during offseason

    Rotowire
    Branch (Achilles) will most likely remain on the sideline until training camp at the earliest, Eric Woodyard of ESPN reports. The safety tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2025 campaign, and while he's on track in his recovery, he has not recovered just yet, per Woodyard. It's also possible that Branch opens the 2026 campaign on the physically unable to perform list, according to Woodyard, citing Lions coach Dan Campbell. Branch recorded 75 tackles (48 solo) and nine pass breakups in 12 games last year.
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  • Lions' Kerby Joseph: Timeline for return still blurry

    Rotowire
    Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the Lions don't expect to know until training camp what their expectations for Joseph (knee) will be for 2026, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports. Joseph sat out all of Detroit's last 13 games in 2025 due to a lingering knee injury, and he's apparently still not in shape for football activities with OTAs in progress. As long as he remains unavailable, veteran free agent acquisition Chuck Clark could see more opportunities to work with the first team.
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