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ow that the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, the Detroit Lions are turning their attention toward the impending 2026 NFL season, though they’ve decided as a franchise against holding a mini-camp.
During the Draft, the Lions focused on the trenches, first by landing tackle Blake Miller in Round 1 out of Clemson and trading up for edge rusher Derrick Moore. They added linebacker Jimmy Rolder, corner Keith Abney, and receiver Kendrick Law, then rounded out depth with defensive linemen Skyler Gill-Howard and Tyre West.
And according to star Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, things are looking up for the team who hopes to return to the playoffs next season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Voices Support For Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Picks
During a recent airing of his podcast alongside his brother Equanimeous, the star Lions wideout voiced his support for the club’s selections in the 2026 Draft.
“They got a tackle that they feel like is a dog. I saw some of his highlights. He looks great — big dude. I mean, look, I feel like you draft off potential. You draft off what you feel like they can be and their floor,” St. Brown said. “And I feel like Blake (Miller) is exactly what we needed. A tackle that has that mean streak in him…I saw some of the highlights, putting dudes on their back, finishing guys.”
While saying he believes Miller and Penei Sewell will form a “sick-ass” combo, he also lauded the selection of edge defender Derrick Moore out of the University of Michigan, of which Aidan Hutchinson is an alum.
“I feel like (Blake Miller) and Penei are going to be a sick-ass combo,” he continued. “Round 2, we got an edge, we needed an edge. I know Hutch is probably really happy it’s a guy from Michigan.”
“I think we’re just addressing the needs,” St. Brown continued, “and from there we have the nucleus and bringing guys along.”
The Lions Are The Only NFL Team Not Holding Mini-Camp
Following their 9-8 season that resulted in them missing the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2023, the Lions decided to become the only club in the League to not hold a minicamp later this month, which typically consists of a mixture of the recently drafted rookies along with players on tryout opportunities, as well as undrafted free agents.
According to general manager Brad Holmes, the decision was made in agreement with head coach Dan Campbell in the spirit of changing things up following their most recent season.
“I had told you guys at the end of the season, me and 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. “Not doing things just to do it just because you feel like you have to do it. You can’t be scared when you want to try something new that you think is going to be better for your football team. So that’s what we did and that’s why some things are, from a calendar standpoint, looks like they’re removed but there’s other things that are going to be taking place that I feel is going to be more efficient.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown Doesn’t Hold Back on Lions’ 2026 Draft Class