Michigan football's Derrick Moore drafted in 2nd round by Detroit Lions

The first former Michigan football player is off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Derrick Moore, a senior captain for the Wolverines, was selected by the Detroit Lions on Day 2 with the No. 44 pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Lions sent pick Nos. 50 and 128 (a fourth-rounder) to the New York Jets for the pick. Moore, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge rusher was one of the most effective Wolverines in 2025, recording 30 tackles (including 10½ for loss) and 10 sacks to go with three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

That included a three-game stretch in the middle of the season – against Washington, Michigan State and Purdue – in which he had two sacks in each game.

Michigan edge Derrick Moore (8) tackles Central Michigan quarterback Joe Labas (2) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

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“He one of the hardest working guys in the building,” fellow defensive lineman Tré Williams said of Moore last fall. "One of the best leaders I’ve ever been around, and somebody who, from what I’ve known, has really grown up into that role. He might not have always been that, but for the nine, ten months I’ve been here, he’s been the epitome of a Michigan man.”