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The Detroit Lions have signed a nine-member undrafted rookie class, including quarterback Luke Altmyer from Illinois. This signing aims to bolster the team's roster, potentially providing a backup for Jared Goff.
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The Detroit Lions officially signed their nine-member undrafted rookie class on Tuesday, May 12.
The group includes a potential future backup for Jared Goff, three more defensive linemen and a block-first tight end who started his college career at Alabama and finished it at Tennessee.
Here's a look at the players the Lions signed as undrafted rookies:
Luke Altmyer #9, Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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The buzz: Three-year starter at Illinois who transferred from Ole Miss and finished with 7,924 passing yards in his career. Lions assistant Marques Tuiasosopo coached Altmyer at the Senior Bowl.
The buzz: Had four interceptions and 3½ sacks in 13 starts last year. Had four interceptions in three seasons at South Florida after two years at Kansas State.
Luke Altmyer is a quarterback who played for the University of Illinois.
Signing undrafted rookies allows the Lions to enhance their roster depth and find potential talent without the constraints of the draft.
The Detroit Lions signed a total of nine undrafted free agents.
The starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions is Jared Goff.
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The buzz: Second all-time in tackles at Morgan State with 298. Ranked fifth on NFL.com's list of undrafted free agent linebackers.
Nov 29, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina (47) before the game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The buzz: Had 56 tackles last season, the most by a Cal defensive lineman since Cam Jordan had 62 in 2010. Run-stopper spent his first four seasons at Notre Dame.
The buzz: Block-first tight end who started at Hutchinson Community College and played at two seasons at Alabama before finishing at Tennessee. Caught 26 passes in 11 starts last year for the Volunteers.
The buzz: Started his college career at Texas A&M, had three sacks in 2025. Honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last year by coaches.
Oct 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) is brought down by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive lineman Eric O'Neill (99) during the first half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
The buzz: Started final 47 games of his career with stops at Long Island University and James Madison before playing last season at Rutgers. Had 13 sacks and 18½ tackles for loss at James Madison in 2024, and 2½ sacks at Rutgers in 2025.
The buzz: Started two years at right tackle and played more than 1,200 snaps at left tackle in his career.
The buzz: Played three seasons at Tennessee. Blocked a punt against Alabama as a freshman in 2021 and had first career interception last fall.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him atdbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him onBluesky,XandInstagramat @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions undrafted free agents: Breaking down 2026 class