Defensive lineman Tyre West had to wait until the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft to hear his named called. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a force in the NFL.
His college position coach, Rodney Garner, had a clear message to The Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett after West landed with the Detroit Lions. Garner called West “as gifted as anybody” he’s coached in his 37-year distinguished career.
“He has the explosiveness of a Johnathan Sullivan,” Garner said of the sixth pick of the 2003 NFL draft, via Birkett. “Everybody thinks [Richard] Seymour was my most talented and Seymour was … probably the best player consistently that I ever coached, but Johnathan Sullivan probably was the most gifted.
“It’s just this kid has explosiveness, he has power, he has play strength at the line of scrimmage. He has instincts. He makes plays. That’s what he does. He makes a lot of plays.”
With that kind of endorsement, it’s hard not to see West as having steal potential. Birkett wrote the defensive lineman “could outperform draft status.”
The Lions selected West at No. 222 overall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
At Tennessee, West posted 65 combined tackles, including 20.5 tackles for loss in 48 games. He also had 10 sacks with two forced fumbles and a pass defense.
Lions Landed Potential Sleeper in Tyre West
Garner had a lot of great things to say about West, which should have Lions fans pretty excited about the young defensive line prospect.
A Georgia native, West was originally supposed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs. Birkett wrote, though, the Bulldogs pulled their scholarship offer to the lineman late. That led to West playing for Garner at Tennessee.
The position coach described the lineman as “a tweener” when he began his college career. Now, Garner sees West as nothing but a problem for whomever he faces.
“He’s truly a mismatch inside when you put him on a guard or a center,” Garner told Birkett. “That’s a true mismatch. Like I said, [Lions defensive line coach] Kacy [Rodgers] just loved his power and his initial quickness, all those things. I mean, he has the traits. He’s just got to get in there and dive into the playbook and know it inside and out.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wasn’t as high on West’s ability to create mismatches. Zierlein projected the lineman to not get drafted.
But the draft analyst suggested West could have intriguing pass-rushing upside.
“[West] has the bone thickness of an interior defender, but a chunk of his collegiate reps came at 5-technique and even-front defensive end. He’s a solid athlete with good quickness but below-average hand usage,” wrote Zierlein. “He appears capable of sinking and anchoring but will be tested against interior double teams on the next level.
“West’s ability to pressure the pocket could earn him an opportunity at the next level.”
How West Could Fit With Lions During 2026 NFL Season
The Lions didn’t have a rookie minicamp, so we’re still waiting for West to take the field for the first time. That will happen on May 27 at the team’s first official offseason workout.
The team has West officially listed as a defensive lineman on their offseason roster. If focusing on defensive tackle, West could compete with Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Jay Tufele, Skyler Howard-Gill and others. At defensive end, West could rotate in with fellow rookie Derrick Moore and free agent signings DJ Wonnum and Payton Turner.
That, though, will all depend on how the rest of the offseason, training camp and preseason go. It’s possible not all of those linemen will make Detroit’s final roster, so how West performs this summer could be crucial.
The Lions also have defensive linemen Tyler Lacy, Ahmed Hassanein, Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Anthony Lucas, Eric O’Neill and Aidan Keanaaina on the roster. That’s in addition to the team’s returning starters — Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill.
Lions New Defensive Lineman Dubbed Potential 2026 NFL Draft Steal