Did The Lions Make A HUGE Mistake Drafting Derrick Moore?
Derrick Moore's senior-year jump changed the evaluation conversation, his best performance arrived at the exact time evaluators needed more-but some scouts had his profile as a RED FLAG!
Derrick Moore | EDGE | UOFM
SELECTED: 2ND ROUND - PICK #12 | 44TH OVERALL
Ht: 6’4” (6040) | Wt: 255 | Hand: 9-1/8” | Arm: 33-3/8” | Wing: 83.25” | Ape Index: 1.07
On paper, Moore should be one of the easier Lions draft picks to explain, right? Power edge. Michigan background. 10-sack breakout. Detroit needed another edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and Brad Holmes showed conviction in the player by trading up—and that should have been the end of the story. But the deeper the evaluation got, the more questions started showing up.
It all starts with how that production was built, who it came against, and whether Moore’s pass-rush plan can actually hold up when NFL tackles stop giving him the first move. Detroit may have found a future starter opposite Hutchinson, but the runway to get there is long and the potential for failure is high. That is the tension inside this pick—Moore had only one season of meaningful production. The 1st question is will it travel beyond the matchup advantages of 2025?
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Bio & Background
Moore grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where he played high school football at St. Frances Academy—one of the toughest national prep programs in the country. He then appeared in 53 games along Michigan’s defensive line with 23 starts. Even with a four-year résumé built through rotation work, starter snaps, and captain-level responsibility—Moore did not become a finished product. Shocker-not many do.
Playing behind NFL-caliber talent, Moore learned multiple roles while playing in multiple fronts, biding his time waiting for the opportunity to be the guy. That path of patience says he can handle the pressure, physical demands, and crowded position rooms without losing his edge and leadership as a football player. Michigan voted Moore a team captain during his senior season in 2025.
Brad Holmes values players who fit the job description before the hype arrives. Moore’s climb up will give Detroit a stronger, more polished, and more prepared version of Moore than the projection he carried into 2025.
2025 Season Recap
Detroit is not betting on a mystery athlete built only on raw traits. The Lions invested in a developmental defender shaped by role expansion and sustained work ethic with tangible growth.
The 2025 production included 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 12 games and 471 snaps played. Moore averaged 448 snaps in 2023 & 2024.
Leading up to the 2025 season, Moore had a combined 41 tackles, 11 sacks, 14 TFLs, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble and 0 fumble recoveries through 41 games and 1,192 snaps his first three seasons. Moore averaged 448 snaps in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Detroit’s own team site framed Moore’s production as part of WHY the Lions moved up from No. 50 to No. 44 to select Moore in the second round.
Question:
How does a player suddenly and nearly eclipse three seasons of stats in just one season? Historically this doesn’t happen very often.
Before 2025, Moore looked like a sturdy Michigan edge with length, physicality, and enough rush flash to keep scouts watching, but his profile still needed a true finishing season. That arrived late and loudly — confirming the upside while also exposing a developing pass rusher instead of a finished answer.
“The raw breakout looks strong, but some of us felt this was a major red flag that showed up in Derrick Moore’s 2025 production split” ~ NFC Scout
Production Split
During the 2025 season against Michigan’s best offensive-line opponents, including: Ohio State, USC, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Moore produced eight (8) pressures and 1.5 sacks on 93 pass-rush snaps, creating a 1.6% sack efficiency with 8.6% pressure rate.
Against the lowest-ranked offensive lines on the schedule, the numbers jumped hard! 32 pressures and eight (8) sacks on 141 pass-rush snaps, creating a 5.7% sack efficiency and 22.7% pressure rate.
That wide of a variance is not ideal–but it doesn’t erase a solid senior-year jump either; instead, it narrows the scouting profile down quite a bit when the film work doesn’t match the production against elite talent.
Detroit drafted late-career growth, not a clean wire-to-wire breakout. Now the question is whether Moore’s pass-rush plan can travel against NFL-level tackles.
Below you will find the complete breakdown of production in 2025 versus the top-50 ranked offensive lines and the bottom ranked offenwive lines foe the entire 2025 season. No hate, no glorifying, no punches pulled and no waivers on just the FACTS!
PFSN’s 2025 CFB OL Final Ranking
Best Offensive Lines Michigan Faced 2025
Oline Rank | School | Stats
14th OSU: Press 0 | Sck 0 | Hits 0 | Hurries 0 | Solo TKL 0 | TFL 0
19th USC: Press 0 | Sck 0 | Hits 0 | Hurries 1 | Solo TKL 0 | TFL 0
25th NW: Press 2 | Sck 0 | Hits 1 | Hurries 1 | Solo TKL 2 | TFL 0
32nd NEB: Press 5 | Sck 1.5 | Hits 0 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 1 | TFL 1.5
44th OKL: Press 1 | Sck 0 | Hits 0 | Hurries 1 | Solo TKL 2 | TFL 0
Rank-Adjusted Aggregates & Efficiencies
Press 8 | Sacks 1.5 | Hits 1 | Hurries 5 | TKLS 5 | TFLS 1.5 | Snaps 192
Avg Rank 27th | 93 PR Snaps | 1.6% Sack Efficiency | 8.6% Pressure Rate
*Stats Via: PFF Premium | CFBStats.Com | Sports-Reference.Com | MGoBlue.Com
PFSN’s 2025 CFB OL Final Ranking
Worst Offensive Lines Michigan Faced 2025
63rd MD: Press 10 | Sck 2 | Hits 3 | Hurries 5 | Solo TKL 1 | TFL 1.5
64th WASH: Press 4 | Sck 2 | Hits 0 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 3 | TFL 2
75th MSU: Press 4 | Sck 1 | Hits 1 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 4 | TFL 2
83rd WISC: Press 5 | Sck 1 | Hits 2 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 3 | TFL 1.5
85th TEXAS: Did Not Play
96th PUR: Press 4 | Sck 2 | Hits 0 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 2 | TFL 2
120th UNM: Press 3 | Sck 0 | Hits 1 | Hurries 2 | Solo TKL 1 | TFL 0
135th CMU: Press 2 | Sck 0 | Hits 0 | Hurries 1 | Solo TKL 0 | TFL 0
Rank-Adjusted Aggregates & Efficiencies
Press 32 | Sacks 8 | Hits 7 | Hurries 16 | Solo TKLS 14 | TFLS 9 | Snaps 248
Avg Rank 90th | 141 PR Snaps | 5.7% Sack Efficiency | 22.7% Pressure Rate
*Stats Via: PFF Premium | CFBStats.Com | Sports-Reference.Com | MGoBlue.Com
What Does It Mean?
Moore's production clearly came against the worst possible competition possible. He completely disappeared against the better opponents. The biggest reason to be worried would be the 1st three games of the season drawing all blanks for productions.
Scouting Report
Moore is a developmental power edge with a playable run-defense floor and starter traits if the pass-rush plan keeps developing. He wins first with length, hand force, edge strength, and speed-to-power. His best rush plan comes when he wins early in the rep — timing his hands to his feet, striking through the blocker’s chest, and walking tackles back to compress the pocket.
The concern is that his pass-rush production shows real growth — but appears opponent-sensitive. When Moore faces better tackles or his first move stalls, the lack of a developed counter or rush plan leads to late separation or no separation at all. His run-defense floor makes him more playable than a pure pass rusher because he can survive early downs, set hard edges, and contribute against the run. His utilization in sub-package passing-down looks gives Detroit a power body who can reduce inside and stress guards with force.
Scheme Fit
Moore is not coming from a playground defense where ends fly up field just to chase sacks. Michigan’s pro-style defense, coached by Wink Martindale, asked the defensive ends to play inside the call — no freelancing, set the surface, squeeze gaps, rush with lane discipline, and handle multiple alignments.
Detroit’s defense has continued the 4-3 base hybrid system under Kelvin Sheppard. The defense is built to be multiple and versatile at every position — whether it’s with four-man fronts, shifting to heavier five-man looks, or asking interior defensive tackles and edge defenders to handle 1.5-gap responsibilities. The defensive front must own its assigned gap — then squeeze the next gap when the run declares.
Player Fit
Moore has a layered defensive fit that starts as the prototype for the “Big End” in Sheppard’s four-man fronts. With his 6’3”, 255-pound frame and 33-inch arms, he is built to set the edge against the run — a mandatory requirement for any Lions defender. He excels at locking out offensive tackles, keeping his chest clean, and funneling run plays back inside to the linebackers.
Multiple Layers
Layer 1: Moore’s primary immediate value is providing a high-quality rotation to keep Aidan Hutchinson fresh. Mostly on run downs, he is expected to give the Lions better edge setting and early run-game force.
Layer 2: In “NASCAR” or long-yardage sub-packages, Sheppard can slide Moore inside to defensive tackle as a 3-technique. His explosive first step and bull-rush capability can stress slower NFL guards in isolated pass-rush situations.
Layer 3: With the Lions exploring more five-man fronts to maximize versatility, Moore can play the 4i or 5-technique — allowing specialized speed rushers like DJ Wonnum, or even a linebacker, safety, or corner, to attack from sharper angles.
Scheme Constraints
Moore is a linear power rusher more than a bend-the-edge specialist. In Sheppard’s scheme, he will not be asked to win with elite ankle flexion like a Wide-9 rusher; he will win through leverage, hand placement, and relentless pursuit. While his sack numbers at Michigan were solid in 2025 with 10, the pass-rush plan is still raw. With the help of Kacy Rodgers and Aidan Hutchinson, Moore will need to refine his counters to avoid getting stuck on technically sound NFL tackles.
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Roster Fit
Moore’s roster fit is direct because edge depth was one of Detroit’s clearest defensive pressure points entering the draft. Hutchinson remains the headline, but the Lions needed another young rusher who could reduce the snap burden and create a stronger second wave. With the cost of the edge position in today’s free-agent market, the second-round pick becomes need and value working together.
Year one should be rotational edge work with run-game value and controlled rush opportunities. Year two is where the starter push begins — if the counters, sequencing, and pressure consistency start showing up against better tackles.
Rocks Take
Moore’s film study starts with length, strike power, edge control, and a pass-rush plan built around force over speed and flash. Moore excels in one-gap penetration, where his motor and violent hands collapse the pocket from the outside-in. While he needs to refine his counters to avoid stalling against veteran NFL tackles, his hair-on-fire playstyle matches the Lions’ physical identity.
This may not be one of the easiest Lions draft picks to understand — but he gives Detroit a real rotation answer—even if his floor is a rugged No. 3 edge who helps on early downs–the ceiling is a starting-caliber power rusher if the counter game catches up to the physical profile.
My question to you is this:
💥 Quotes & Notes 💥
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: “How about the power and the bullrush that he possesses? You see it from every single game. He's gonna test your brakes, he's gonna put his hands on your chest and he's gonna try to run you right back into the quarterback.
Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: "Detroit moved up six spots and jumped Moore's former college defensive coordinator, new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, to snag the explosive, long-armed edge rusher. This pick makes so much sense — Moore will add juice to a defensive front that needed someone to win one-on-ones opposite Aidan Hutchinson."
Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports: "Despite the power and physicality that shows up in his pass rush game, Moore is still a work in progress as a run defender. He has a difficult time setting a strong and consistent edge against more powerful tackles, getting washed out of the play too often, or turned back inside because of an inability to consistently anchor with a wide base. Outside of speed to power... Moore doesn't have a wide range of proven pass-rushing moves or effective counters."
Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports: "Moore doesn't play with great technique but he doesn't get moved much off the ball. Moore is NFL strong and already has the size necessary to compete in the league. He has a ways to go in terms of consistent technique."
Will Rock is an independent journalist covering the NFL for the Detroit Football Journal. Contact him at Mailbag@Rockedon.Com, join the chat or Follow him on X - don’t forget to catch the live Rise & Grind Morning Show Monday-Friday starting at 8am on Rocked On Detroit Lions YouTube channel.
Thank you for reading and please send it to a friend! ~ ~ Will Rock
TRANSPARENCY REPORT
DetroitLions.com — A Closer Look: Edge rusher Derrick Moore — Used for Moore’s draft slot, height and weight, pro day results, Michigan résumé, 2025 honors, efficiency grading, pressure percentage, Dane Brugler quote, Twentyman role analysis, and Moore’s Detroit quote.
University of Michigan Athletics — Derrick Moore Player Bio — Used for Moore’s hometown, high school, Michigan height and weight, captain status, career games and starts, 2025 production, All-Big Ten honors, Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player honor, Michigan Defensive Player of the Year honor, and game-by-game performance notes.
CFBStats — 2025 Derrick Moore Statistics — Used to confirm Moore’s 2025 statistical production: 12 games, 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles.
Pride of Detroit — What Lions GM Brad Holmes said about every 2026 NFL Draft pick — Used for Brad Holmes’ exact comments on Moore’s physicality, hard-edge ability, improved pass rush, inside-outside rush role, run-game instincts, and fit in Detroit’s edge requirements.
Maize n Brew — 3 Michigan Wolverines with a chance to be plus-starters in their rookie NFL seasons — Used for draft-cycle context around Moore’s fit opposite Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit’s edge depth need, and projected rookie playing-time opportunity.
247Sports — One quote that describes every Michigan football starter as the 2025 season approaches — Used for Wink Martindale’s preseason quote on Derrick Moore’s expected jump entering 2025.
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