2026 Lions Undrafted Free Agent Spotlight: Luke Altmyer

The Lions add a low risk developmental QB out of Illinois.

Information sourced from: RAS, Pride of Detroit UDFA Tracker, Sports Reference CFB

Earlier this week we broke down the results of the 2026 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions. However, there are still a number of rookie players that were added as undrafted free agents. Personally I love watching these longshot players fight to earn a spot on the roster and/or the practice squad. Let’s take time over the next few weeks to break down some of the key acquisitions and what impact they may have on the Lions future.

QB Luke Altmyer, Illinois

The first thing I did with Altmyer was dive into his tape. The things that stuck out to me were his ability to step up into the pocket, complete short to intermediate passes in tighter windows, and his above average mobility. The biggest deficiency I saw was his long arm strength. His mechanics allow him to get the ball down the field by lofting, but he is not going to have a ton of zip on it. However, I think his arm is more than adequate for a backup quarterback in the NFL. Looking at his stats per Sports Reference CFB tells a story:

Once Altmyer got to Illinois, he improved considerably. He has improved his ball security a ton, which is key to having success (in my opinion) in the NFL. His last two years also gave him twenty two touchdowns each, and yards per completion north of twelve. This is everything the Lions could hope for in a UDFA QB. He is low risk, and could provide quick, accurate, short to intermediate passes should he need to come into a game. Add in an above average RAS and it’s pretty easy to see what the Lions have in Altmyer.

While I think his chances of making the fifty-three man roster are slim to begin with, remember that Teddy Bridgewater is on a veteran’s minimum contract and came out of retirement to take this job. Perhaps he is here to be more of a player/coach rather than just a player and prepare Altmyer for the job. If he acclimates quickly, this could be our backup qb this year. Worst case, he is a scout team qb with a ceiling high enough to be our backup in the future.

Silver & Blues chance of making the Lions final roster: 3/10

Silver & Blues chance of making the Lions practice squad: 10/10