Inside Detroit Lions 2026 Round 1 NFL Draft pick of OL Blake Miller
Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett and Shawn Windsor talk Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Round 1 pick of OL Blake Miller on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
From reserve to the NFL − Jimmy Rolder’s climb is complete.
Rolder, a linebacker for Michigan football, was taken No. 118 overall by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, becoming the fourth former Wolverine off the board, following Derrick Moore, Marlin Klein and Jaishawn Barham.
Rolder joins Moore as the second Wolverine to be drafted by the Detroit Lions in their first three picks.
Rolder’s athletic career began as a baseball recruit (and an Illinois commit) before he switched to football and became a four-star prospect. After breaking into the rotation in 2022 and playing in 13 games as a true freshman (nine at linebacker), Rolder saw his 2023 campaign derailed by injuries, appearing in just six contests.
By 2024, Rolder was no longer buried on the depth chart behind Junior Colson and Michael Barrett, and he played 12 games. In his breakout 2025 camptaign Rolder played in 12 games (11 starts) at linebacker and led the team with 73 tackles, which included seven for loss and two sacks, all while breaking up three passes, had one interception and recovered one fumble.
Rolder finished as a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection and, despite having a season remaining of eligibility, opted for the draft. His combine workout appeared to help improve his stock, too.
Rolder, ay 6-foot-2½ and 228 pounds, finished with a 9.51 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), better than 95.1% of the 3,364 linebackers who’ve tested since 1987. Rolder played 565 snaps this past season and missed just four tackles all year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Rolder is now the third Michigan linebacker drafted in the past three seasons, joining 2024 selections Colson (Los Angeles Chargers, second round) and Michael Barrett (Panthers, seventh round). Rolder, who excelled on special teams his first three years in Ann Arbor, could carve out a role for himself there as he tries to work his way up the linebacker depth chart.
“I’m excited to contribute and compete on an NFL defense. I’m excited to play special teams as well,” Rolder told Sports Illustrated last month. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes as a rookie. I’m going to make an impact, whether as a backup linebacker or as the starter.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
