On a Saturday that brings one more round of college football chaos before the Detroit Lions head to Germany, there’s still plenty for the scouting department to sort through. Travel disruptions have already pushed some games back, and with schedules shifting around the FAA grounding of airplanes, the weekend slate looks a little different than planned.
Even so, there are still five names the Lions should have on the radar.
The headliner is Seaton, who gets one of the toughest tests on the board against Colin Simmons and Texas. Simmons is the top EDGE among draft-eligible prospects, while Seaton sits at the top of the tackle class.
The Colorado and LSU tackle has been strong in pass protection, but questions remain about his run blocking. He moves well, has real experience at blindside tackle, and even though he’s currently viewed as a projected top-10 pick, that kind of profile is worth keeping tabs on.
Seaton and the Tigers kick off at noon EST against the Longhorns.
At quarterback, Mestemaker has climbed to the top of the 2027 Draft class through mid-November. The North Texas transfer has a backstory that already sounds tailor-made for pre-draft coverage: he wasn’t a starter in high school and still found a way to beat the odds.
But the film backs it up. Mestemaker has a big arm and the kind of consistency in the system that helped fuel an upset of Oregon and a top-25 ranking for the ‘Pokes in the season after they fired longtime head coach Mike Gundy.
His numbers and touch have drawn some Jared Goff comparisons, with his throw under pressure rating on PFF the one area that sits in the middle of the pack. He’s probably not a realistic Brad Holmes target, but it’s the kind of file teams keep ready in case the unexpected happens.
Holmes Jr. has been one of the more productive defensive linemen in the country after being part of a Red Raiders portal class that reshaped the front. After a Skyler Gill-Howard injury forced him into a bigger role alongside David Bailey and Lee Hunter on the outside, he’s delivered.
With Hunter, Bailey, and Gill-Howard all gone, Holmes has carried the load and has become the top interior defender in PFF’s Wins Above Average while also ranking as the top pass-rusher in multiple categories among his group. He’s also been part of nine sacks.
Saturday night, he’ll get a shot at Mestemaker and those more ordinary pressure numbers in the 9:30 p.m. EST game.
Penn State’s Rojas is another name worth tracking, especially with Minnesota’s travel situation complicating that matchup. Rojas is back from a torn ACL in 2025 and has shown that his coverage ability is still intact.
He’s considered one of the better coverage prospects in the class, grades well on PFF, and has yet to allow a touchdown in coverage while also picking off two passes this season. His frame and movement skills fit the NFL mold, and he’s expected to be a Combine standout.
The missed-tackle percentage is a little above the 50th percentile, but the overall package points to a Day 2 type of player. Penn State kicks off at 7 p.m.
EST against Minnesota.
Then there’s Abrams, the FCS linebacker who has put together a huge season for the Coyotes. He has graded out among the top draft-eligible players in both run defense and pass coverage, and the production is hard to miss: 536 snaps, 70 tackles, 25 assisted tackles, just six missed tackles, 25 run stops, 10 coverage stops, and three pass breakups.
The concerns are obvious, though. The competition level is lower, he’s not much of a pass-rusher, having been sent on a blitz only 26 times in more than 1,000 career snaps, and at an estimated 6-foot, he’s undersized.
That pushes him toward Day 3 or priority free-agent territory. Abrams, a two-time team captain, leads the Coyotes against Northern Iowa at 2 p.m.
EST.
In Other News...
FAA Grounding Suddenly Puts One Michigan Team In A Tough Spot
The Federal Aviation Administrations grounding of flights across the country has created a messy travel picture for several Michigan and Detroit teams, but most of the local pro and college clubs appear to be in decent shape for now. Michigan States football trip to face Washington is the one drawing the most immediate concern, since the Huskies have not left Seattle and the game remains in doubt.
For the Lions, along with the University of Michigan football and basketball teams, the Pistons and Red Wings, the situation is less urgent because those teams have either already completed travel or are currently positioned without immediate flight issues. Even so, the broader disruption is a reminder of how quickly a league schedule can get complicated when air travel suddenly becomes the problem instead of the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Had Lions Fans Cracking Up Before Patriots Clash
Dan Campbell brought a little levity to the Lions week in Munich before the matchup with the Patriots, turning a routine press conference into something closer to a comedy bit. The Detroit coach poked fun at his own limited German, then told a story about trying to work a German profanity into a motivational phrase, a reminder that even on a business trip overseas, Campbell still finds a way to keep things loose.
He also said he planned to sample German beer during the visit, adding another small detail to a trip that has already given Lions fans plenty to smile about. For a team trying to stay focused on football in an unfamiliar setting, Campbells humor offered a familiar touch, the kind of personality that has become part of Detroits identity under his watch. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Just Gave Lions Fans Another Reason To Love This Team
Dan Campbell spent part of the Lions trip to Germany doing what he does best: leaning into the identity of his team and the city it represents. Speaking with foreign reporters in Munich, the Detroit coach talked about the hard-working nature that connects his roster to its fan base, a theme that has become central to the way he has built the Lions.
Campbell also took a moment to acknowledge the supporters who made the trip overseas to be part of the experience, another reminder of how far this franchises reach has grown. Before the team heads back to Detroit, he even said he planned to try a German beer, a small detail that fits the kind of grounded, relatable presence that has made him such a favorite in the first place. [Read more 🡒]