5 Must-Know Things About New Lions LB Jimmy Rolder

On Friday, Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions traded away their second fourth-round pick of the NFL Draft to acquire pick No. 44 and select Derrick Moore.

The Lions made their only pick in the round count, selecting Moore’s college teammate and linebacker Jimmy Rolder at No. 118 overall.

Here are five must-know things about the newest linebacker in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.

Former baseball star

Rolder was a dual-sport athlete at Marist High School in Illinois, with the linebacker also serving as the RedHawks' third baseman during the spring athletics season. It is safe to say that the All-Big Ten selection was a star in his other sport, with multiple Division I offers.

On the diamond, Rolder had a max exit velocity of 96.2 mph when hitting, ran a 6.92 60-yard dash and could throw the ball across the infield at 80 mph. During his junior season, Rolder originally committed to Illinois to play baseball. At that point, his best offer in football was from Ball State. After an All-State senior year, that changed.

Big-time rivalry game performer

If Rolder’s pro career is anything similar to his collegiate career, the NFC North will dread playing the Lions. The best two games of Rolder's 2025 season occurred against Michigan's two biggest rivals: the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan State Spartans.

Against the Buckeyes, Rolder led the Wolverines with a career-high 12 tackles. Earlier in the season against the Spartans, Rolder was the best defensive player on the field, even better than fellow 2026 draft selections Moore and Jaishawn Barham.

Rolder recovered a fumble, broke up a fourth-down pass and had two tackles for loss, including a sack. Wherever then-Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith’s team tried to attack, Rolder was waiting.

It is also worth mentioning that in his first career high school snap, Rolder served as an EDGE and recorded a sack.

Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Landing Page

NFL roots

Rolder’s stepfather played in the NFL. Scott Kahoe was an undrafted free agent out of Illinois, signing with the Miami Dolphins in 1987. Kahoe proceeded to start his only three career games for a Dolphins team that went 8-7 on the season.

During his run in the league, Kahoe wore the number 71. Rolder has a first-hand reference to ask about the grind of making the league.

High school teammates with top-five pick

During his time at Marist High School, Rolder saw his career overlap with another prominent 2026 NFL Draft pick. Rolder stood out on defense while Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, was the calling card on offense for Division I scouts.

Obviously, Rolder and Tate went from high school teammates to bitter rivals, with Tate heading to Ohio State. Another prominent name on offense for Marist High School during that time was 2026 Rose Bowl MVP Pat Coogan, who was drafted by the Titans in the sixth round Saturday.

Visited Lions during pre-draft process

During the NFL Draft cycle, it was hard to get much information out of Allen Park regarding which players the Lions were scouting. However, one name that had gotten leaked to the media was Rolder.

Rolder was only a one-year starter with Michigan, with just 11 career starts. However, he impressed with a second-team All-Big Ten nod. His missed tackle rate was astonishingly low, with a 4.7% missed tackle rate.

Another thing that the Lions should like is that Rolder was a multi-time special teams player of the week during his first three seasons in the Maize and Blue. Rolder is a pure effort player who fits Motown perfectly.

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