Detroit, MI
Potential Day 3 Detroit Lions targets: 10 players to consider
Derrick Moore looks like a good pick for Detroit Lions in Round 2
Dave Birkett and Rainer Sabin break down the Detroit Lions’ selection of Derrick Moore in the second round on Friday, April 24, 2026.
The Detroit Lions addressed two of their greatest needs during the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller in the first round and Michigan edge defender Derrick Moore in the second.
“We’re all about building from the inside, out,” general manager Brad Holmes said Friday, April 24. “When you get the guys you love and they happen to play the trenches as well, that’s just a little bit of added bonus. We’ll definitely sleep good at night.”
When Holmes and the rest of the Lions’ executives wake up Saturday, they’ll have the opportunity to strengthen other sectors with their six remaining picks. Positions where they could seek reinforcements include safety, defensive tackle, tight end, running back and linebacker.
Here are 10 names to watch on Day 3:
Gracen Halton, Oklahoma DT
Halton was never a full-time starter at Oklahoma. But when he was on the field, he was a disruptive force. Last season, he produced 3½ sacks and 30 pressures – the second-highest total on the Sooners. He was also a reliable run stopper. He could conceivably fill the void left by Roy Lopez, a rotational interior lineman who rejoined the Arizona Cardinals in March.
Kaytron Allen, Penn State RB
Allen is a productive and powerful ball carrier who appeared in 54 games over his college career. During each of his last two seasons at Penn State, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards. He could fit well in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s downhill running scheme. A bonus: He is durable.
Dallen Bentley, Utah TE
A natural athlete, Bentley emerged as a productive contributor for Kyle Whittingham during the new Michigan coach’s final year in Salt Lake City. A better receiver than blocker, Bentley caught 48 passes for 648 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. No drops in 76 targets last season offer proof that Bentley has reliable hands.
Keionte Scott, Miami CB/S
Scott’s age may be a turnoff, considering he will turn 25 in August. But his physical style and position flexibility could pique the Lions’ interest. Last season, Scott produced five sacks – the second-highest total by any defensive back in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Eli Heidenreich, Navy RB
The Lions like players with versatile skill sets. When they drafted Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023, they saw him more as an all-around talent than a traditional running back. While Heidenreich is not nearly as gifted as Gibbs, he fits a similar profile as an all-purpose player who functions well as a runner and pass-catcher.
Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh LB
Louis sparks intrigue because he operates like a defensive Swiss Army knife. He possesses the skills of a safety, which give him an edge at linebacker. With NFL teams employing more nickel formations, Louis could provide the Lions more flexibility to adjust their tactics. Widely projected as a Day 2 pick, Louis is still on the board.
Rayshaun Benny, Michigan DT
After the Lions traded up to draft Moore in the second round Friday, could the Lions take another member of Michigan’s 2025 defense this weekend? Benny could be one they target, given that he is a powerful player with a track record as a reliable run-stuffer. With Lopez and DJ Reader no longer on the roster, the Lions could use more beef on the interior and Benny – a Detroit native – could provide value as a solid depth piece.
Pat Coogan, Indiana, C
The Lions solidified the middle of their offensive line during free agency, signing Cade Mays. But it wouldn’t hurt to add more depth at center. Coogan could be a good option in the late rounds. While he is not the best athlete, he is cerebral and technically sound.
VJ Payne, Kansas State S
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Payne, who was a team captain at Kansas State, has an intriguing physical profile that could interest the Lions. He would help buttress a position that is a bit of a question with starters Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles) working their way back from season-ending injuries in 2025.
Harold Perkins Jr., LSU LB
The Lions seek out players with elite athletic traits. Perkins has them. He also possesses positional versatility, having played as an inside linebacker and edge rusher. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, an LSU alum, could find creative ways to utilize Perkins’ skillset.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com.
The Detroit Red Wings announced on Wednesday that Steve Yzerman is stepping down from his role as GM and executive vice president.
Yzerman will continue working with the organization as a senior advisor to Red Wings governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
The Red Wings are now searching for a new head of hockey operations.
“Steve’s lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization,” Ilitch said in a statement. “We are thankful for Steve’s hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs – here with the Red Wings family.”
Yzerman returned to Detroit in April 2019 after a successful front office career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, replacing longtime GM Ken Holland.
“I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family,” Yzerman said in a statement. “This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as General Manager. I’ve appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I’m extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise.”
As the Red Wings commence their search for Yzerman’s replacement, Yzerman will remain in his current role to facilitate the day-to-day of hockey operations until a replacement is named. The organization says it will consider both internal and external candidates for the role.
“Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization,” Ilitch said. “I’m looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves.”
“My commitment to the Red Wings and this community will never waver, and I look forward to supporting the organization in whatever role is needed to achieve our collective goals,” Yzerman said. “I want to thank our passionate fanbase for their support, as they are what makes Detroit and the entire state of Michigan a very special place in the hockey world.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
DETROIT ― The crowd wasn’t large ― a smattering of about 40 or so people at Detroit’s historic Palmer Park just north of downtown on a warm and muggy summer evening.
The people who did show up were there because they feared something precious could be lost: the relationships between therapists and the people who trust them with their deepest wounds.
This is what democracy often looks like. A tent. Some speakers. Livestreaming on social media. And waning sunlight seemingly trying to figure out whether to set in fiery red-orange or fade behind rainclouds.
It was my pleasure to witness this moment firsthand because we live in a new era ― a period when the most powerful leaders in our government increasingly move to trample on our First Amendment rights. This was the second time within the past 30 days that I have found myself covering the debate surrounding Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s planned reimbursement policy changes affecting limited licensed mental health clinicians.
I’ve written previously about the policy itself. This time, though, something else captured my attention.
It was the people.
Last Friday night’s rally was organized by Caitlin Fleming, a mental health therapist and co-founder of Healer’s Choice, who demonstrated the kind of leadership that rarely makes headlines but often changes communities. She listened as much as she spoke. She created space for others to tell their stories. She reminded those gathered that advocacy is less about anger and more about refusing to become invisible.
At one point, Fleming shared that she lost her former husband to suicide.
Her words carried weight, especially because only days earlier I had written about losing my aunt Geraldine and how grief leaves permanent marks on those left behind. Mental illness, suicide and trauma are not abstract policy debates. Nearly every family carries a story. Every interruption in care has a human face.
That reality echoed through the entire evening.
Mars DeWitt, a limited licensed clinician who previously worked as a teacher, reminded us that change has happened before in Detroit. After addressing the audience, DeWitt told me that they watched the fight for teacher pay, recalling Detroit educators’ successful efforts to improve salaries. “So, I know it’s possible for therapists to fight back in a similar way.… Detroit is one of those inspiring cities in the world because we know how to fight back.”
Their words were less criticism than a declaration of home.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, connected the issue to another community she knows well: veterans.
“Every interruption in treatment increases the risk that a patient, including veterans, falls through the cracks,” she said. “Our veterans should not have to retell their trauma, rebuild our trust or start the therapeutic process from the beginning due to an insurance billing policy.”
Jess Riley of the National Association of Social Workers-Michigan added sobering context. Twenty-five Michigan counties have no psychiatrists. Ten neither have a psychiatrist or psychologist. The Upper Peninsula has no child psychiatrists and no pediatric psychiatric beds.
Whatever one’s position on reimbursement policy, those numbers reveal a behavioral work force already stretched dangerously thin.
Fleming also reminded the audience that communities of color are especially vulnerable to changes in insurance coverage policy because they understand what generational trauma in health care looks like. She cited historical abuses such as the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis. She emphasized that clinical supervision should not be a sign that therapists are somehow viewed as inadequate.
“We want people to be supervised not because they are not quality therapists; it’s the human experience. We should always be working in teams.
Notably, Fleming said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has not publicly released data estimating how many patients may lose access to their current therapists under the proposed policy. She said representatives from BCBS Michigan were invited to the forum but did not participate.
Regardless of where this debate ultimately ends, something encouraging happened last Friday evening.
Citizens assembled peacefully. They exercised their First Amendment rights. They shared data, personal stories and deeply held convictions. They urged elected officials to listen. They asked a powerful institution to explain itself.
That is not something to fear.
It is something to celebrate.
That’s because healthy democracies depend on citizens who care enough to show up – even if there are only 40 of them standing together in a Detroit park at the end of a long week, refusing to believe their voices don’t matter.
Byron McCauley is a regional columnist for USA Today Co. in Michigan. Email: bmccauley@usatodayco.com; call (513) 504-8915.
(WXYZ) — The highly-anticipated premiere of “The Odyssey” is officially here, with showtimes starting Thursday across metro Detroit.
The epic, directed by Christopher Nolan, was shot entirely with IMAX cameras, the first film to be shot with them. It will be available to watch in a variety of formats in the area and across the state.
On the website for the film, it lists all of the premium format options and where you can find them. Check out the details below.
IMAX 70mm
This is the premiere format to watch the film, presented in IMAX’s 1.43:1 expanded aspect ratio, according to the website.
“It is the largest and highest-resolution format available and gives you an unparalleled sense of immersion as the image fills IMAX’s signature floor-to-ceiling screen,” the website reads.
Across the country, there are only a 30 theatres that are capable of playing IMAX 70mm, and only one in Michigan. To see the film in that format, you’ll have to go to Celebration! Cinema in Grand Rapids.
IMAX
As we’ve said, “The Odyssey” is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras. “The film was shot and designed to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, and IMAX delivers on this,” star Anne Hathaway said.
It comes in the 1.90:1 expanded aspect ratio, filling your entire field of vision.
There are several theatres showing the film in IMAX in metro Detroit. They are:
- MJR Southgate
- MJR Troy
- AMC Forum 17 in Sterling Heights
- AMC Livonia 20
- AMC Star Great Lakes
- Cinemark Ann Arbor
70mm
The 70mm film is a large format that “offers a bright, clear image up to 3 times the resolution of standard digital projection formats,” according to the website. It’s shown at a 2.20:1 aspect ratio.
In metro Detroit, there are three theatres showing it in 70mm. They are:
- MJR Southgate
- AMC Forum 17 in Sterling Heights
- AMC Livonia 20
35mm
35mm is the classic film format shown at a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. “It projects light through the entire 35 millimeter frame to deliver clear, high resolution images with rich analog color,” the website reads.
Only the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor is showing the film in 35mm.
Dolby Vision
According to the film’s website, The Dolby Vision projection system has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
“Dolby Vision allows you to experience every detail and nuance captured by the large format film cameras Christopher Nolan used in production,” the website reads.
You can see the film in Dolby Vision at AMC in Clinton Township, Sterling Heights and Great Lakes.
Premium Large Format
The premium large format movie will be in either 2.39:1 or 1.85:1 aspect ratio, depending on the theatre. “It features larger wall-to-wall screens, superior projection technology, including laser projection,” the website reads.
Here are places you can see “The Odyssey” in Premium Large Format.
- MJR Southgate
- Emagine Royal Oak
- Cinemark in Taylor
- MJR in Sterling Heights
- Emagine Woodhaven
- MJR Westland
- The Riviera in Farmington
- Emagine Canton
- MJR Partridge Creek
- Emagine Rochester Hills
- Emagine Macomb
- Emagine Novi
- MJR Chesterfield
MJR Waterford - Phoenix Theatres in Monroe
- Emagine Saline
- MJR Brighton
- Emagine Hartland
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