5 Draft Prospects Lions Should Scout in Week 0 of 2026 Season

As the Detroit Lions end their preseason on Saturday, the college football world is celebrating their first weekend back after a long offseason.

With the return of college football, it means that the Detroit Lions collegiate scouting department is already ready to put some work in and get their eyes on a few players around the country.

During this series last year, Lions On SI gave the fans an early mention of future draft picks Keith Abney and Jimmy Rolder over six months before the NFL Draft started.

The selections this week are more limited than most weeks, as only a handful of Power Four teams play over the weekend compared to the assurance of nearly 70 every Saturday once week one begins next week.

WR Duce Robinson, Florida State

Robinson is an intriguing target in a draft class full of premier options. With Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith as the consensus favorite, along with Rutger’s pass catcher KJ Duff and Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams being right in the mix, Robinson falls back into what could be an assured “value pick” for the Lions.

At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, with an athletic background in swimming and baseball, Robinson is a potential game-changing threat with prototypical size. After seven touchdowns on 39 catches in two seasons at USC, Robinson went to Florida State and broke out for a 1,000-yard season with six more touchdowns to boot.

He starts his campaign off against a New Mexico State program that was not much to write home about on paper. Fans looking to catch a glimpse of Robinson should tune in early to the 7 p.m. EST game, as it’s not expected to be a long night for the top of the depth chart.

IDL Ansel Din-Mbuh, TCU

Din-Mbuh enters his second campaign with the Horned Frogs looking to recapture his 2024 form, where he broke out with a six-sack campaign with Washington State. After returning to his home state in 2025, Din-Mbuh recorded two sacks, but his film shows more promise than his stats, as is the case with most interior defensive linemen.

Din-Mbuh was awarded as first team All-Big 12 this preseason, and finds himself on multiple award watchlists. At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, he has the right size to play a more traditional rush defensive tackle than a run stuffer, as his pass rush and sack numbers have shown.

He is one of the top interior defensive linemen playing on Saturday, and becomes a top name to watch as the Horned Frogs kick off the season at noon EST in Dublin against Bill Belichek’s North Carolina squad.

TE Jelani Thurman, North Carolina

Opposing Din-Mbuh will be UNC tight end Jelani Thurman. Thurman might sound familiar to people who have watched plenty of Big Ten football, as he was a multiyear Ohio State Buckeye, with seven catches in 2025. However, where Thurman shined was the blocking element of a tight end, which is something that the Lions will have a great appreciation for.

He transferred to the ACC for 2026, going with Bill Belichek and UNC to further his pro aspirations. He has two years of eligibility remaining, although a big leap could see him choose to bypass his senior year.

Thurman has the size wanted for a tight end, at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds. With the recent injury to Sam LaPorta, drafting a tight end might become a need sooner rather than later for Motown, and Thurman provides plenty of reason to check him out in an advanced role.

He has drawn some comparisons to Caden Prieskorn, an Ole Miss tight end who the Lions signed after going undrafted in 2025.

IDL Alex VanSumeren, USC

VanSumeren is a name that Lions fans are likely familiar with, as he was a multiyear starter for Michigan State before taking his talents to the West Coast for 2026. During Big Ten Media Days, VanSumeren received plenty of praise for his leadership, which was an added bonus to head coach Lincoln Riley.

The Bay City native was a disruptive force against the run for Michigan State, and sliding in with a more talented defense likely eases attention on him and gives him a clear shot to improve draft stock, starting with his first game as a Trojan against San Jose State.

During Media Days, the defensive tackle did state to Lions On SI that he had considered testing the draft waters, consulting with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren, before deciding another year of college ball would boost his stock.

The Trojans will play at 3 p.m. EST.

EDGE J’Mond Tapp, Memphis

The traditional Group of Six representative for a player to watch this weekend is Memphis pass rusher J’Mond Tapp. Tapp burst onto the scene last year with 7.5 sacks and 62 total pressures with Southern Miss before following his coach Charles Huff to Memphis.

His pass rush grade is one of the top among all returning players in college football, with a 91.1 ranking, which marks right around where first-round pick Reuben Bain Jr. and Lions second-round selection Derrick Moore (92.4) graded.

He has the burst and acceleration needed, but his lack of proven production between his time with Texas and Arizona State (only 126 snaps played and seven total pressures) are some concerns.

That said, his run defense ranked well last year too, with 41 “stops” (players indicated as a failure for the offense, per PFF) to his name in 2025. He is likely the most complete EDGE rusher that anyone will lay eyes on in the Group of Six this season.

Tapp’s season starts at 10 p.m. EST in a late night showdown at UNLV.

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