The 2026 NFL Draft officially came to a close on Saturday afternoon, and a new batch of Wolverines are officially off to the pro ranks. It wasn’t as highly-touted of a class as we usually see from Michigan, but a few prospects found themselves some pretty great landing spots, which could position them for a great deal of success in the future.

Here’s a look at the three now-former Wolverines that landed in the best spots in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Outside of Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions pass rush hasn’t been anything to write home about over the last couple seasons. Now, the team will look to add a boost with Derrick Moore, who’ll be making the short drive over to Detroit to start his NFL career. Moore broke out in 2025 with the ten sacks, including six in the span of three games. That’s the type of production the Lions could really use.

Because of how slim the Lions roster was with pass-rushers, Moore actually has the chance to compete for a starting role right out of the gate. That’s not all that uncommon for a second-round pick, but usually is at a premium position like defensive end. He might not have been one of the big names at the top of the draft at his position, but the chance to start right away and the fact that his best football is still likely ahead of him means that he could become a name known league-wide in short order.

Derrick Moore is destroying folks at the Senior BowlHis power profile is on full display—arguably the best in the class pic.twitter.com/fCCqAB2IKb

Barham was one of the more interesting players on Michigan’s defense in 2025 and it translated into him becoming something of an interesting draft prospect as well. After being exclusively an off-ball linebacker for the first three years of his career, Barham saw a healthy amount of snaps as a pass-rusher on the edge in 2026 – an area where he excelled right away. Now, the Cowboys might be in position to utilize his versatility as well.

The Dallas defense is currently in a position where it has good starting options both off the edge (Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku) and off-ball (DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters), but don’t have much depth at either position. That means that Barham will still likely get the chance to play early and often at both positions, much like Moore, positioning him to become a more well-known player around the league.

Yet another Wolverine sticking close to home, as linebacker Jimmy Rolder will join Derrick Moore on the Detroit defense. Rolder burst onto the scene for the Michigan defense in 2025 after only getting spot snaps throughout his first three years with the program. It was perhaps a surprise to seen him taken in the fourth round, but Lions might not think they’re reaching for him if they’re able to help keep him on his upward trajectory.

The Lions should be optimistic that they can continue to squeeze juice out of Rolder’s game, as they’ve found success drafting linebackers in this range over the past few years, with Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez being examples. Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was responsible for helping those two – especially Barnes, reach their potential and can now try to help Rolder take a similar jump. Rolder likely won’t have the same chance to compete for playing time right away as Moore will with the Lions, but don’t be surprised to see him on the field in some capacity as a rookie.