Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
Getty
A former Detroit Lions player is making his thoughts known about the team, and not in a good way, on social media.
We are now officially only weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Detroit Lions are currently scheduled to pick 17th overall in the opening round, followed by the 18th overall pick in the second round.
While it remains to be seen which direction that Lions general manager Brad Holmes will go, there are indications of what they could be thinking sometime down the line in the draft.
According to multiple reports, the Lions are set to host a defensive lineman that will be well-known to fans of the Michigan State Spartans.
The Detroit Lions Are Hosting Former Michigan State Spartans Defensive Lineman Jalen Hunt For A Visit
According to multiple reports, the Lions are set to host former Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Jalen Hunt, who played last year with the Cincinnati Bearcats.
“Source: Cincinnati DL Jay Hunt has visits scheduled with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals this week,” wrote NFL Insider Ryan Fowler on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Explosive presence in the middle for the Bearcats had 4 sacks & 6.5 TFLs last fall. Former Michigan State transfer.”
While with Cincinnati last year, Hunt registered 27 total tackles, 11 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks.
According to Lions beat writer Mike Payton of A to Z Sports, Hunt could be of interest to the Lions along with his Cincinnati teammate, Dontay Corleone.
“Hunt had a big season in 2025 next to Dontay Corleone,” Payton wrote. “A guy we think the Lions should also be interested in. Hunt put up 22 pressures, 4 sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus had him graded out at 86.7 as a run stuffer. Right up the Lions’ alley in the middle.”
“On top of that, he has shown himself to be a very athletic big man, running a 4.99 at his pro day and putting up a 97.3 athletic composite score,” Payton continued. “With the exception of Uar Bernard, this would have made Hunt the most athletic interior defensive lineman at the NFL Combine had he been there.”
Last year, Holmes spoke openly about taking developmental projects in the NFL Draft, something that Hunt would likely be considered.
“That’s something that we talked about,” Holmes said. “It’s not that we won’t go for that anymore, I think everyone is case-by-case so it’s not just, ‘Oh, every developmental prospect is in a vacuum.’ But it’s just, I think where we’re at as a roster right now, you’re just more cognizant of it. I think there’s times and windows to strike here and there, but you’re just more aware of it as opposed to when we first started. We just had a lot more room for those guys and had a lot more time. So, I would never say that we would not take a developmental player, but it’s just got to be the right situation.”
Jalen Hunt Is A Michigan Native And Attended Belleville High School
Hunt, who is originally from Michigan, attended Belleville High School. During his senior year, he racked up 44 tackles, including 24 for losses and 11 sacks.
He later played in 23 total games for the Spartans before transferring to Cincinnati.