How Jimmy Rolder will impact the Detroit Lions

**Round 4, Pick 118:** Jimmy Rolder

Rolder is still developing as a player, dating back to high school, when his high school shut down its football program due to COVID. Rolder ended up pivoting to baseball, even earning a scholarship offer from Illinois. When football returned, Rolder rejoined the football field and caught the eye of Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald, who was Michigan’s defensive coordinator at the time. After contributing on special teams for his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, Rolder worked his way into a rotational role in year three and a starting role as a senior, leading the Wolverines in tackles in 2025.

**Fit with the Lions**

Despite his lack of starting experience, Rolder displays great awareness and instincts for the position. Those traits are especially prominent in run defense, where he is gap sound, has the range to cover multiple gap assignments, and demonstrates sideline-to-sideline range. He has violent hands and consistently moves cleanly through the wash, but if an offensive lineman does get a hold of him, his limited length does cause him problems when attempting to shed. While overall he’s a fluid mover, he can get overaggressive at times and overpursue, but that could also be his limited experience coming into play. In coverage, he handles tight end matchups well, and can turn and run, making him a likely fit at the Lions WILL linebacker position. Tackling is a strong skill for Rolder, who rarely misses his attempts, shows great technique, and loves to finish plays and players. This skill also shows up on special teams, where he has the pursuit and tracking skills to be a dynamic player in the third phase of the game. Finally, Rolder is a high-character, intelligent individual. He was a three-time All-Academic Big Ten honoree, and when he received the phone call that he was being drafted by the Lions, he was volunteering at a charity golf event put on by his stepdad—and former offensive lineman—Scott Kehoe. Quote from :