Detroit Lions DE Derrick Moore Reveals Goal for 2026 Season
New Detroit Lions defensive end Derrick Moore is expected to have a big impact on the team's pass-rush.
As the 44th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, as the team traded up six spots to get him, Moore is viewed as a player who could wind up being an ideal running mate for star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
Detroit has coveted a reliable second option to work opposite of the Pro Bowl selection, and Moore has the traits to be a solid fit. The two players share an alma mater as Michigan products, and as a result the ties run deep between the potential bookend pairing.
As Moore readies himself for his rookie season, Moore is eager to jump into a complementary role with the goal of helping Hutchinson. Being able to do so is a primary goal of his, as he shared with Lions team reporter Tim Twentyman.
"When I eventually get that role, my whole thinking process is how can I help Hutch?" Moore said. "I feel like Hutch is the starter, so how can I help take all of that stress off him and cause a little less attention for him so he can get off but I can also get off myself? I don't try to go into any of the games trying to be the bigger person, but I just want to be able to help him and play my role."
Moore will get his first opportunity to find out where he fits within the Lions' defense when they begin organized team activities in a week. After getting his first taste of action through OTAs and minicamp, he'll be able to put pads on and compete during training camp later this summer.
While he's knows he won't learn his exact fit until the pads come on, he's focused on learning from his veteran counterparts such as Hutchinson and D.J. Wonnum.
"Going into it, I don't know how high my ceiling is gonna be until the pads are on and we're out there on the field," Moore explained. "Going forward, I just want to stay the process, stay the course, take in all the knowledge that I can and pretty much be a sponge my first year and just learn from everything, the right and wrong and also learn from the vets that are in the room. Just learn from them and just keep going and try to go out there and play my best."
Standing out in Mobile
Experts agree that one of the highlight moments of the pre-draft process for Moore was his decision to participate in the Senior Bowl.
An annual event that pits some of the best NFL Draft prospects in a competitive practice and game setting against each other, the Senior Bowl offers opportunities for players to boost their stock throughout the week.
Moore did just that by all accounts, shining in the practices to the point where he did not play in the game due to how much he helped himself in the process.
"For me, going into the Senior Bowl, I saw a lot of other edge rushers who also accepted invites to the Senior Bowl as well," Moore said. "For me, I told myself that if I want to make myself stand out, I've got to go out here and compete. That was my whole thing, I just want to go out here and compete, show that I can also do the same thing like the other guys are doing. No matter who's around or what kind of competition is around, I'm always gonna make my name stand out. That's exactly what I went down there and did."
As he prepares for his career in Detroit, he believes his time at Michigan has prepared him greatly. He sees similar coaching styles in Lions' defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and Wink Martindale, who was his coordinator at Michigan.
Additionally, he sees some similarities in how each of the teams play schematically, as Moore sees both the Lions and the Wolverines as fundamentally gap sound groups who play with intensity and physicality.
"I would really just say I feel like coach Shep, he holds everybody accountable and that's the same thing we did at Michigan," Moore explained. "Shep and Wink (Martindale), they don't really do too much yelling, they just expect you to do your job. Then, if you don't do your job, then there's probably a lot of yelling going on. I feel like my role kind of, and what I like about this defense, is everybody's physical here. Everybody plays gap sound defense, does their job and just makes a play. I feel like it was the same thing at Michigan. That's what I like about this defense."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Detroit Lions DE Derrick Moore Reveals Goal for 2026 Season.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 5:12 AM.