Daily DLP: Talking Lions Draft Class Health Outlook With Dr. Liao

Youth and Health Shape the Lions’ Plan The Detroit Lions zigged in this NFL draft. Jeff Risdon sat down with Dr. Jimmy Liao on the Detroit Lions Podcast to grade the class through a medical lens. The theme was clear. Youth and health. Every pick landed at age 23 or younger. None of the 24-year-old prospects were taken. The shift tracks with recent lessons. Lower medical risk. Fewer known durability flags. Play the odds. Dr. Liao grades injury risk on a 1-to-10 scale. Younger players start lower. Age 23 and up nudges concern a bit. This class stayed on the low end across the board. It marks a turn from prior years when the Detroit Lions accepted more medical risk. In the NFL, availability matters. Detroit moved to stack it. Blake Miller’s Ironman Profile at Clemson The top note was right tackle Blake Miller. Legendary durability at Clemson. He started 54 straight games. He logged 3,778 snaps, a school record. Dr. Liao set his medical concern at 1 out of 10. The only ding was a wrist surgery in 2024, with proof of recovery afterward. The worry there is longer-term stiffness, but his track record is strong. He is 22. That age keeps his grade low. Miller fits what the Detroit Lions want up front. Young. Battle tested. Clean enough medically to project early availability. He even graded as a top-three tackle target on the medical board. For an NFL team intent on protecting its quarterback and stabilizing the run game, this is a trend-breaking selection. Less risk. More snaps. Derek Moore’s Hamstring and Second-Round Signal Next came Michigan edge Derek Moore. Before the combine he sat at 1 out of 10. A pre-combine hamstring strain bumped him to 2 out of 10. Hamstrings recur, and they spook timelines. Still, fast-twitch athletes almost all meet one sooner or later. The context matters. Detroit used a second-round pick on Moore. That signals the medical staff saw a minor issue. Dr. Liao moved him effectively back down to a 1 out of 10 after the pick. The Detroit Lions added a high-motor defender with minimal long-term concern. Recent examples of lingering hamstrings exist around the league, but the takeaway here was balance. Note the strain. Price the risk. Trust the file. The NFL demands it. On Deck: Michigan LB Jimmy Rolder The conversation turned to Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder. He drew a 3 out of 10 on the injury risk scale. He did not play a ton in college. That makes projection tougher, but it fits the draft’s core theme. Younger players with manageable medical profiles. The Detroit Lions Podcast made it clear: Detroit targeted availability without sacrificing upside. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #2026nfldraft #lionsdraftclass #injuryupdates #detroitinjuryrisk #blakemiller #jimmyrolder #brianbranch #kerbyjoseph #jermodmccoy #levionwuzurike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices