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Typically, 6th-round rookie draft picks don’t make an NFL team’s 53-man roster straight out of training camp, instead spending time as practice squad players. However, the Lions’ DT Skyler Gill-Howard is fighting to shift that narrative. Lions’ Talented 6th-Round Draft Pick Shifting The Narrative Selected by Detroit with the 244th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Gill-Howard was projected as a bottom-of-the-roster or practice-squad candidate. However, the 6’0” 280 lb., Texas Tech graduate has been shifting his narrative by overcoming the odds throughout his collegiate career. A two-sport 2012 All-Conference selection from Greenfield High School in Greenfield, Wisconsin, he earned Team MVP honors in his senior year. Shifting the Narrative in College However, although he was a big success in his conference, coming from a small town, he didn’t draw the attention of national scouts. As a non-recruit, if he wanted to pursue a collegiate football path, Gill-Howard had to take matters into his own hands. As a walk-on, he was accepted as a freshman by the Division II program at Upper Illinois and appeared in four games that season as a linebacker. Proving that he could compete on a collegiate level, Gill Howard decided he was ready for the next step. Bulking up, he gained 50 pounds and switched to play defensive tackle as a walk-on for Northern Illinois, where he was recognized as the NIU “Defensives Futures Player of the Year.” In 2023, playing in all 12 games as a red-shirt backup DT for the Huskies, he finished the season with 24 tackles (15 solo), four TFLs, 1.0 sack, and a pass break-up. Named a team captain at NIU the following year, a seven-tackle, three TFL career day at Bowling Green earned him the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week award, and put him on the radar for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding walk-on. After receiving an 84.0 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 10th in the FBS, Gill-Howard was wooed by some of the nation’s top programs. He committed to Texas Tech for his senior year, appearing in just six games before an ankle injury prematurely ended his season. In his final six games for Texas Tech, he played 165 snaps, registering 10 solo tackles, 1.0 sack, 12 pressures, eight QB stops, eight hurries, three hits, and one PBU, earning him an 88.6 PFF grade. However, his performance in those six games earned him the Defensive Player of the Week title against Kansas, and was impressive enough to rank him the nation’s fourth-best DT by PFF.com. Shifting the Narrative At The Combine Scoring an invitation to the 2026 NFL Combine, Gill-Howard finished his collegiate career with 88 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and one interception. While it was necessary to transfer twice to advance his pro career opportunities, the lack of consistent playing time and his senior year injury may have lowered his draft projection. Recovering from recent ankle surgery, Gill-Howard didn’t participate in any of the Combine drills except the bench press (27 reps), which also may have been a factor. Profiled by NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein, who described his physique as undersized, but noted that, “he uses his suddenness and leverage to evade the clutches of opposing players.” He praised Gill-Howard as a prospect who “plays with a non-stop motor and palpable sense of urgency, creating wins off the snap against the run and pass.” Mentioning his strong second efforts, he noted that, “He gives blockers no reps off.” Shifting the Narrative at Training Camp During the Lions’ preseason, Gill-Howard has consistently been one of the standouts at training camp. Earning praise for his deceptive strength and quick first step, and deceptive strength from the media, coach Dan Campbell seemed particularly impressed by how quickly Gill-Howard internalizes instruction. “He’s another one of these players for a young guy who is very conscientious, and he has a serious approach about him. You don’t have to tell him something five times. You tell him once, and he’s got it, and he locks in.” The assessment underscored the high football IQ that was noted in his NFL Draft Buzz profile. He “shows excellent gap discipline and football intelligence, reading plays quickly and flowing to the ball with purpose rather than just crashing recklessly, which led his team in tackles among defensive linemen.” In last week’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Campbell said Gill-Howard handled the dirty inside work well for his size and chased down Bengals’ quarterback Josh Johnson on a 3rd & 5 play for a one-yard gain in the fourth quarter that forced a Bengals field goal. Although he posted only one tackle, he was credited with multiple pressures and two quarterback hits. According to Eric Schlitt of Pride of Detroit, Gill-Howard was one of the big winners of the night, and he predicted his ascension up the depth chart as a result. “While he is currently repping third or fourth at the 3-technique, he is getting mixed in with the second team and making plays when given the opportunity. Campbell Recognizes What Gill-Howard Offers the Lions After the game, Campbell was full of praise, “Watching Skyler get to the quarterback there, it was a critical fourth down to get the offense the ball. That takes a tremendous amount of effort, but that’s what is expected; that was awesome.” When asked what impressed him the most, Campbell responded. “Well, I think one of the biggest things for him is he kind of falls into that category; he’s got to do everything right because he doesn’t have this massive size, length, but what he does have is leverage, and he is quick and explosive. So with that, some of these, alright, you say, ‘Hey, you’ve got one-on-one here versus this guard, and it’s second-and-9.’ That suits him well. ‘OK, now it’s first-and-10, we’re going to ask you to play the three-technique, and they’re in a heavy set.” Campbell explained, “They’ve got three tight ends, there’s a good chance you’re about to get doubled.’ That to me is where he’s grown the most. His ability to hang in there and fight, and even on movement, make quick moves, penetrate the defense, that’s not an easy job. So, I like his growth and then his motor. He’s got a motor, he’s relentless, he’s a competitor. I like the fact that he’s got a little chip on his shoulder; he’s got something to prove. And I think he feels like he belongs, which he should. And that’s all you can ask for, it’s not too big for him.” It’s no wonder that he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s had to fight his entire career to get noticed and prove himself. So far, it’s worked in his favor. Given how well he’s performed in training camp, Gill-Howard is likely to shift that projected “practice squad” narrative once again.