Only a select few undrafted free agents received guaranteed money from the Detroit Lions this offseason. SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman sees the most expensive of the Lions undrafted free agents as the most-likely to make the team — defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina.
Reisman placed Keanaaina No. 1 on Detroit’s list of nine undrafted free agent this offseason.
“Keanaaina was one of just two Lions UDFAs to earn guaranteed money on his contract, and his place atop these rankings feels appropriate,” wrote Reisman. “Given Detroit’s lack of an investment in a nose tackle this offseason, the 320-pound defender has a visible route to the 53-man roster following the losses of DJ Reader and Roy Lopez in free agency.”
Reisman projected Keanaaina as having a 15.4% chance of making the Lions roster. That was the highest percentage among all Lions undrafted rookies for 2026.
Could DT Aidan Keanaaina Make Detroit Lions Roster?
We shouldn’t stress too much about Reisman’s 15% he gave Keanaaina of making the roster.
In the grand scheme of things, 15% isn’t particularly high. But readers should keep in mind all undrafted free agents face an uphill battle to a roster spot.
Keanaaina’s guaranteed money is an indication the Lions see him as a viable option at defensive tackle. The defensive tackle’s contract with the team gave him $267,500 in guaranteed earnings.
The only other undrafted free agent who received any guaranteed money from the Lions this offseason was linebacker Erick Hunter. The Morgan State product received $175,000 in guaranteed money.
Keanaaina spent six seasons in college but played just 37 contests at the collegiate level. He started his career with Notre Dame and then finished with two seasons at Cal.
During 26 games with Cal, Keanaaina posted 101 combined tackles, including five tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks.
Lions Lack of DT Depth Entering Offseason Workouts
In addition to his guaranteed money, the potential interior defensive line depth chart could be favorable for Keanaaina making the Lions roster.
As Reisman mentioned, Detroit lost D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez in NFL free agency. The team then only added journeyman defensive lineman Jay Tufele.
The Lions also drafted Texas Tech defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard but not until the sixth round. Keanaaina could compete with Gill-Howard for opportunities in offseason workouts and training camp.
While the Lions have a lot of snaps to replace at defensive tackle, Keanaaina will face a significant other competition in Detroit besides just Gill-Howard.
Overall, Detroit has 11 interior defensive linemen on its offseason roster.
Pundits expect Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams to start. Levi Onwuzurike and Mekhi Wingo should be the top rotational players at the position but that’s assuming they are healthy. Onwuzurike has dealt with a variety of injuries in his NFL career and missed all of the 2025 campaign.
This spring, pundits have argued Onwuzurike could be a cut candidate.
In addition to the aforementioned six defensive linemen (not counting Keanaaina), the Lions also have Myles Adams, Tyler Lacy, Chris Smith and Tyre West on the offseason roster.
The amount of competition is likely why Keanaaina’s chances at a roster spot sit at only 15%. But if Keanaaina stands out this summer, there’s a clear path to him landing on the final 53-man roster in August.
Lions High-Priced Undrafted Rookie Predicted to Have ‘Visible Route’ to Roster