Roundtable: Detroit Lions 2026 OTAs Preview

3. Which UDFA do you hope performs well?

Booher: My eyes are on Morgan State's Erick Hunter, who was exceptional at the FCS level. Hunter is a solid athlete who has some serious upside, and if he's able to adjust to the higher level of competition he could be quite the pickup.

The Lions are relatively light at the linebacker position even after adding Jimmy Rolder in the draft, as they lost both Alex Anzalone and Grant Stuard in free agency. There's a path to a role for Hunter if he's able to assert himself.

Chirco: I’m most intrigued to see what QB Luke Altmyer and EDGE Anthony Lucas will do in OTAs. I think that Altmyer could end up developing into a competent No. 2 quarterback, and I think that Lucas could eventually provide some value off the edge for an NFL team (like the Lions). So, at this present juncture, my eyes will be most focused on the two of them, with the hope that at least one of them makes Detroit’s season-opening 53-man roster.

Matasovsky: The player I expect to perform best will be Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer. He has sneaky mobility, along with the ability to avoid turnovers. He will not be a walking highlight reel, but he will provide a steady diet of good plays to the Lions' offense during his limited reps.

Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman is a player who I am excited to see as well. He is a traditional block-first tight end, but has the chance to secure more reps depending on the health status of LaPorta.

4. What one question would you ask Dan Campbell this week?

Booher: With this being the first week of OTAs, I'm wondering about injury updates. Detroit had two significant injuries to their safety room this year, and updates have been slow on the status of both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. I'm not anticipating either player participating based on the nature of their injuries, but would like to hear from Campbell where things stand in terms of their recovery.

Chirco: I believe the Lions have done a solid job of building depth on both sides of the ball this offseason. So, I’d ask Campbell the following this week: How does the depth on this year’s roster compare to the depth at this same point last year?

Matasovsky: At this point, the questions will be towards the NFL schedule, along with the standouts for the day. While I am cognizant of the reality that it will be completely “coach-speak” in a reply, I would love a brutally honest quote from Campbell about his thoughts on the Lions having two hard stretches in their season, centered around the Munich game and the final four weeks of the season.

Granted, it will get the reply centered around “at the end of the day, the schedule is the schedule and we will play anybody at any time.”

5. Which veteran player do you want to talk to the media? What would you ask?

Booher: As I touched on in the previous question, I'd like to get updates on Joseph and Branch directly from them. One other player I'd like to hear from is quarterback Jared Goff. The veteran quarterback has been through a lot throughout his career, and I'm eager to hear from him about how he's feeling this offseason after a down year last year for the team. If Goff can be at his best, the team has a chance to be right back in the mix amongst NFL contenders.

Chirco: I’d like to hear Kerby Joseph talk to the media. He’s always an entertaining interview, and more importantly, I’d like to find out how healthy he feels after battling through a lingering knee issue all of last season. His health will be paramount to the Lions’ success on defense in 2026. And consequently, Kelvin Sheppard’s unit can’t be without him for a prolonged period of time for a second consecutive season. It’s why I would simply ask the All-Pro safety: Will you be 100% healthy in time for the start of the 2026 season? 

Matasovsky: The obvious answer here is Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs has a multitude of storylines surrounding him this offseason. Sonic has lost Knuckles, but did gain Isiah Pacheco as a backfield mate. Additionally, it has become the time to ask about contract negotiations, every NFL player’s favorite question from the media. With Jack Campbell recently inking his extension, Gibbs has to be the next on the Lions’ “to re-sign” list.

The questions here revolve around how Pacheco replaces David Montgomery’s role, how he feels about the Montgomery trade in the first place, and how contract negotiations are going.