Detroit, MI

NFL Combine observations: Why Keldric Faulk might work for Lions in first round

Published

3 weeks ago

February 25, 2026

NFL Combine observations: Why Keldric Faulk might work for Lions in first round

The NFL Combine is officially off and running, with the first player media sessions taking place in Indianapolis on Wednesday. Here are some Detroit Lions-centric observations from the group, which included defensive tackles, edge players and linebackers.

▶ On paper, defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (Auburn) fits like a glove with the Lions in the first round. He rushes with power and is stout against the run, and he won’t be 21 years old until September, offering a clear development track. But he only produced 10 sacks over three collegiate season, including two in 2025. He’s well aware of his current limitations, and he has a plan for growth: “Mastering the skills that I already have,” Faulk said when asked how he wants to improve as a pass rusher. “I’m a power rusher, truly in and out. I feel like whenever I step up on that field, of course, I’m going to have some type of finesse to me, as far as speed rushes. But I do feel like I have to master that power in order for me to elevate my game.” Faulk said what sets him apart is his ability to play every defensive line position. For the Lions, he’d make sense on the edge, opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

▶ One of the more energetic personalities on display during Wednesday’s media session was that of defensive end Zion Young (Missouri), who repeatedly called reporters “big man” and spoke on a number of things that were likely music to the Lions’ ears. Young, who began his career at Michigan State (2022-23), talked about how rushing the passer is a “privilege” earned through stopping the run, which figures to be his immediate strength at the NFL level. He talked about how he’s “very serious” in practice.

And the former Tigers captain, heavily projected to go early in the second round, explained why it was “very important” for him to play in Missouri’s bowl game rather than opt out to focus on draft preparation. “I couldn’t let my teammates down,” he said. “I got that ‘C’ on my chest for a reason. When I’m all in, I’m all in.”

▶ Asked to describe his biggest strength as a prospect, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (LSU) pointed to his speed, which the Lions could certainly use more of on their defense next season. Perkins played both on the edge — he racked up 65 pressures and 13 sacks over his first two seasons in Baton Rouge — and off the ball, making him a potential fit for strong-side (SAM) linebacker in Detroit’s defensive scheme. “I’ve always felt I was versatile,” Perkins said. “I never put myself in a box. I’ve always felt like I could do a little bit of everything.” Perkins, projected as a mid-round selection in April’s draft, is currently ranked as the No. 117 player on the NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.

▶ Speaking of speed and athleticism, linebacker Kyle Louis (Pitt), a converted safety, has plenty of it. He grew up watching Jabrill Peppers and modeled his style after the former Michigan standout. Lately, he’s admired the work of Seattle’s Nick Emmanwori and Houston’s Jalen Pitre. When Louis first moved to linebacker, he studied Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who has since had his career derailed by injuries but was a Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.

At Pitt, the specific position Louis played was called the “star,” a hybrid role that mixes linebacker and safety responsibilities. “The star is not a position for everybody,” Louis said. “It’s not a position for pure linebackers or pure DBs. You’ve really just got to be a mix of both of it. I feel like the position was perfectly tailored for me.” We recently saw what drafting Emmanwori did for Seattle’s defense. Louis isn’t seen as the prospect Emmanwori was, but he offers a similar skill set as a mid-round addition.

Lions coach Dan Campbell on new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing

Dan Campbell says Drew Petzing “has been getting together with (Jared) Goff.”

▶ Another converted safety from this year’s linebacker class is Sonny Styles (Ohio State), who became full-time at his new position in 2024. Detroit could potentially be in the market for a starter like Styles if it parts ways with Alex Anzalone in free agency. He possesses a versatile skill set — including IQ — that defensive coordinators dream of, and his presence in coverage could certainly help ease the pain of potentially losing a player with Anzalone’s coverage ability. “I think I can do a lot for a defense from that second level,” he said.

Current projections have Styles slated as a top-15 pick, making it entirely possible he falls to Detroit in the first round, if not only because of the position he plays. Just for perspective on Styles’ hype: His player comp on NFL.com, which tends to err on the side of caution, is four-time All-Pro Fred Warner.

▶ One of the top defensive linemen from this year’s draft provided some important intel on one of the top center prospects, a critical area of need for Detroit entering the offseason. Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks said college teammate Jake Slaughter, a projected Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, is “smart as hell. … This guy, he knows the game in and out.” The Lions could, in theory, be looking at both prospects. Banks is a projected first-rounder who could be of interest to Detroit at No. 17.

“Jake Slaughter, he’s a dog, bro. We used to go at it every single day. Sometimes I’d be like, ‘Damn, you got me, Jake.’ … I’m glad I had him lined up across from me. Iron sharpens iron, and he’s a great player. A great, great player.”

▶ Defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor (Southeastern Louisiana) spent all four of his collegiate seasons at the FCS level, but it wasn’t due to a lack of FBS interest. Proctor chose to stay at Southeastern Louisiana rather than leveling up in the transfer portal, he explained. “I came in on a great freshman class. These are dudes that will be in my wedding one day. It was no doubt who I’m going to play beside my senior year,” Proctor said when asked about his choice to remain at his original school. “Your last college season, who do you want to play beside? Some new guys or the guys that you’ve built a bond with for three years? It was definitely a no-doubter.”

That’s real-life loyalty in action, someone playing for something bigger than himself. Proctor posted 43 tackles (13 for loss), nine sacks and 39 pressures during his senior season, along with 11 run stops. If the Lions are looking for a late-round interior defender to mold, Proctor could be an ideal candidate.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com, rsilva@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi, @rich_silva18

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Detroit, MI

Lions save nearly $1.3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Published

11 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Lions save nearly .3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Earlier this week, contract details on the Detroit Lions’ re-signing of Malcolm Rodriguez came out, and if you were to just look at the Over The Cap outline of the deal, it would probably be pretty confusing.

Rodriguez has a salary of over $2.5 million—all guaranteed—a signing bonus of $137,500, and a workout bonus of $50,000. Combine all of those, and it should equal a salary cap hit of a combined $2.7 million. Yet, per OTC, the Lions’ cap charge for Rodriguez’s deal is just $1,402,5000.

There are no void years. This isn’t a misprint. The Lions are just using a salary cap stipulation that rewards teams for developing players and staying loyal to them.

How to qualify for the Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract

The relevant Collective Bargaining Agreement rule is called the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract.” You can read the entire terms of this rule, but here’s the short of it. In order to qualify for this advantage, a player has to have:

Four or more Credited Seasons whose contract with a Club has expired after four or more years of continuous, uninterrupted service with that Club

In Rodriguez’s case, he played through the entirety of his four-year rookie contract, so both he and the team are certainly eligible for this benefit.

What is the actual benefit?

Essentially, a team can award a one-year contract to these players that acts as a veteran minimum salary deal when it comes to the overall cap hit, but they are able to increase these players’ salaries from the minimum by a fixed number that will not count against the cap.

In Rodriguez’s case, the veteran minimum for a player with four accrued seasons is $1,215,000. According to the CBA, for the 2026 season, the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract” can increase the salary by a maximum of an extra $1.55 million.

So if you look at the actual cap hit, it’s based on that veteran minimum salary:

Vet minimum salary: $1,215,000
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

Add those together, and you get $1,402,500—Rodriguez’s cap hit for 2026.

But the actual payment Rodriguez will be getting in 2026 is this:

Actual salary: $2,562,500
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

For a total of $2,700,000 in earnings. In short, the Lions are saving nearly $1.3 million by using this salary cap tool. And for Rodriguez, the benefit is that everything but the workout bonus is guaranteed. Note that no player is obligated to accept this kind of contract, but for a player like Rodriguez, who is coming off an injury-shortened season, it’s a nice little guaranteed payday that he may not have been able to get elsewhere. And for the Lions, it’s a way to pay a player his value while also getting some savings on cap space.

This isn’t the first time the Lions have used this cap trick. They used it with Jalen Reeves-Maybin back in 2021, and they’ll likely use it again.

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Detroit, MI

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

Published

23 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

With a majority of the big name free agents off the board, the focus for the Detroit Lions becomes acquiring depth or players that have a plus side as starters.

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The Lions have addressed two glaring holes so far in free agency, with the signings of Cade Mays and Tyler Conklin plugging holes at center and tight end depth, respectively. Now, the focus for acquiring talent can be with remaining free agents or the NFL Draft.

However, there is a third option that general manager Brad Holmes can explore. The Detroit Lions can look to acquire the crucial depth and starting-level talent with trades.

Trades do require giving up players or picks to acquire talent, and here are players that Holmes can trade draft picks for this year. These are players on the last year of their contract with their current team’s.

Safety Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas Raiders)

Jeremy Chinn would provide a crucial depth piece at safety with the Lions facing an unknown future and Week 1 status for starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, along with reserve Dan Jackson missing all of 2025.

Chinn signed with the Las Vegas in free agency before last season, and he took a two year deal with $12 million guaranteed. With the Raiders pressing against the cap, especially after the Maxx Crosby trade was revoked by Baltimore, Chinn could be a trade piece to help offset their spending spree.

The one concern for Detroit here is that Chinn missed the ending two games of the 2025 season with a back injury after 114 tackles and two forced fumbles in 15 starts. He is productive, but another player off the injured reserve could scare away the Lions as a suitor.

OT Dawand Jones (Cleveland Browns)

Jones is a player facing an uncertain future after seeing his season shut down in September last year with a knee injury. Cleveland made the former Buckeyes’ status even more cloudy with a trade for Tytus Howard earlier this offseason.

The Lions have their own uncertain future at offensive tackle, with longtime stalwart Taylor Decker released to free agency. The Lions did acquire Larry Borom during the free agency cycle, and his contract suggests he is a swing tackle option that can start. However, Borom is a downgrade from Taylor Decker in terms of tackle production.

Additionally, depth is needed beyond Borom, as tackle Giovanni Manu struggled in his limited appearances in 2025 before ending the year injured.

Jones provides a proven right tackle option, as he earned All-Rookie honors at right tackle after an injury to Jack Conklin forced him into a starting role as a fourth-round pick.

The concern on Jones is, much like Chinn, his injuries. He has ended the year on injured reserve for lower body injuries in all three seasons in the league, in addition to needing an offseason knee surgery last February.

CB Deontae Banks (New York Giants)

Banks is a former first round selection that has struggled to meet expectations since entering the league out of Maryland, and enters his fourth season with the Giants recently announcing there was no consideration of picking up his fifth year option.

He struggled in 2025, with his limited snaps having little to show for them. Banks ranked No. 112 of 114 qualifying corners among PFF grades last season, despite only ranking 88th of the 114 in snaps.

However, he has speed and athleticism, along with a knack for returning kicks. Last season saw the athlete blaze in his first career touchdown, which is a spot that is now a need for Detroit after Kalif Raymond left to reunite with Ben Johnson in Chicago.

The Giants might be looking to ship Banks off before losing him for no cost, with his current play unlikely to even factor in for a seventh-round compensatory selection. With Detroit needing depth at corner and a potential starting return man, Banks provides hidden value for Detroit.

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Detroit, MI

Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 31: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons looks to drive around Olivier-Maxence Prosper #8 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won th

(FOX 2) – Detroit’s star point guard Cade Cunningham is expected to miss an extended period of time after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.

First reported by ESPN, the loss to the Pistons’ offense happens as the NBA’s regular season reaches its conclusion.

Big picture view:

Cunningham appeared to suffer a back injury during Detroit’s game against the Washington Wizards. He played a little more before being subbed out for the rest of the game.

Cunningham has led the Pistons to its best season in years. The Pistons are currently seeded No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.

It’s possible he could be back in time for the playoffs, but much of his condition is unknown.

The Source: ESPN first reported the injury update.

Detroit PistonsInstastories

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