'Unflappable' Luke Altmyer Exudes Confidence After Disappointing Draft

For new Detroit Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer, watching the 2026 NFL Draft proved to be a challenge.

After finishing his career strong at Illinois, the passer was optmistic that a team would be willing to take a chance on him during the three days of the Draft. He was bracing to be picked during the final four rounds on Saturday, but ultimately waited for a call that would never come.

As the picks rattled off, Altmyer was devastated. However, he now embraces the process of that day and vows to let it fuel him as he tries to make the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster.

"It hurt. It was very painful, torturous at times," Altmyer said. "To see the picks go off the board, and expecting to get picked, it was difficult — really hard. I dreamed about it all my life, and I worked hard for it. I knew I deserved it, and kind of earned it. It didn't happen, man, but I knew it's going to be for the good of me, and it's molding me and growing my character."

Soon after going undrafted, the Lions called and offered him a spot. He took it willingly, and has since taken the quarterback room's attention with his demeanor and his confidence shown in early organized team activities practices.

“Unflappable is the word that would come to mind. Every day, he’s the same guy," said offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. "He puts in the same process, he works, he never seems overwhelmed by what we’re asking him to do or how we’re asking him to do it. He’s willing to learn and will work at it, which has been great.”

That statement was also made by head coach Dan Campbell, who praised the way Altmyer has been able to handle what's been thrown at him throughout the early stages of offseason workouts.

“He doesn’t lack confidence, that’s for sure. What we thought he would be at this point, I would say, has kind of held true. He’s able to retain the information we give him so far," Campbell explained. "Feel like he’s getting a little bit better every day, talk about the processing speed of the quarterback. He’s got a lot on his plate, but he knows what the calls are, he knows where guys are supposed to be, the shifts, the motions. That’s good. For a young guy, that’s really good.”

Path to Detroit

When Altmyer wasn't picked, his attention shifted to finding an ideal situation. While there were other offers out for him, he ultimately landed in Detroit.

There were multiple appealing elements of the Lions, starting with their quarterback room of Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater. By being in there with two veterans and a veteran position coach Mark Brunell who also played the position, Altmyer believes being in Motown will accelerate his development.

Altmyer has the disappointment of the Draft as motivation for his career, with the biggest downside being he wasn't able to realize his dream of hearing his name called with family around. However, he thinks the situation will be a net positive for him in the long run.

"I had it in mind that (going undrafted) might happen, but I truly expected to get picked for sure. I heard that it was gonna happen," Altmyer said. "A lot of good draft grades for a lot of teams, and so yeah, I was sitting there watching it rattle off, and had my phone right there and it wasn't ringing. I was sick to my stomach, man, because I had a lot of people who wanted it for me, and I was going to be happy for them if it happened.

"At the end of the day, I want an NFL team. I'm in a great situation, a great spot around a lot of great people, a good team, these guys win, and they're going to continue to do that, so I'm very happy to be here."

Previous connection

Altmyer had previously connected with the Lions' organization during the pre-Draft process. At the Senior Bowl, he was working closely with Lions offensive assistant Marques Tuiasosopo.

Tuiasosopo played quarterback in the NFL from 2001-08, spending most of his time with the Raiders' organization. During their time in Mobile, Alabama together, Altmyer and Tuiasosopo were able to build a bond that has helped the younger passer feel more comfortable in his first NFL opportunity.

"He was kind of our designated quarterback coach, and spent a lot of time with him for that whole week," Altmyer said. "That's my first NFL experience. He was my first kind of NFL coaching experience, and so just his knowledge of the game, schematics, defensive knowledge, and who he is as a person. I really look up to him from a character standpoint."

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