Lions Host Wolverines LB for Pre-Draft Visit

As the NFL Draft draws near, the Detroit Lions are one of the 32 NFL teams doing their due diligence in scouting players. Part of this process involves bringing in players for local visits to get a feel for their character, along with their love and knowledge of football.

Teams are allotted 30 formal meetings with players, along with local players (either from college or growing up) not counting towards that count.

One name that has been garnering some interest during the NFL Draft cycle has been Jimmy Rolder, a linebacker from the University of Michigan that starred for the Wolverines in 2025. Ryan Fowler recently revealed that the Wolverine has had a meeting with the Detroit Lions.

Rolder has also met with the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is worth noting that Rolder, a native of Orland Park, Ill., did not count towards the 30 formal meetings with the Bears. It is not confirmed if Rolder counted towards the limit for Motown.

In addition to visiting the Bears, Bills and Bucs (prior reported here), Michigan LB Jimmy Rolder has also visited the Denver Broncos & Detroit Lions and has had a private workout with the Saints, per source.

One of the most instinctive LBs in the class continues to generate…
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) April 4, 2026

Senior year standout

During the 2025 season, Rolder burst onto the scene in Ann Arbor. The linebacker had been a role player and contributor in his first three seasons in the winged helmets, and then led the team in tackles with 73. He recorded seven of those for loss, with two sacks and one interception to pair with two pass deflections.

All of this led to Rolder being a second team All-Big Ten selection, along with earning conference defensive player of the week in a win over in-state rival Michigan State.

Rolder is an instinctual linebacker and a willing attacker at the line of scrimmage. His broken tackle rate was extremely low, along with keeping a steady pad level throughout the process.

However, the drawback on Rolder is that he is a player with not a ton of collegiate experience despite his four years with Michigan. The All-Big Ten selection only started 11 games for the maize and blue.

Part of this comes from Michigan’s recent run of defensive stars that head to the NFL, but it also is from Rolder lacking the athleticism that some of his previous teammates had. As a result, the Illinois native finds himself a step too far away in coverage or in pursuit at points.

His lack of elite length hurts in this situation as well, with it leading to the other main drawback in Rolder’s scouting report, which is a failure to contain or hold the edge in run situations.

As it stands, Rolder is viewed as a late day three pick or priority free agent. PFF ranks him outside their top 325 players currently. In the most recent mock draft for Lions OnSI, he was the final Motown selection of the NFL Draft.

Rolder is a player that can benefit from learning under Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez in Detroit, and, if selected, will have the chance to learn from Kelvin Sheppard as his defensive coordinator.

With the Lions losing Alex Anzalone, Grant Stuard, and Zach Cunningham this offseason, there is room for a new linebacker to step into the room.

Impact Score: 70. This is a high grade for a late round prospect, but Rolder is a player that stood out when covering the Michigan-Michigan State game in 2025. He provides high value, and the number of Wolverines in the NFL diminish any concern on him having less starts. If anything, Rolder could have benefitted from returning to Ann Arbor for another season to rise into day two conversations, but the Lions instead have a chance to get a bargain.