During the recently completed 2026 NFL Draft last month, the Detroit Lions selected defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard out of Texas Tech in the sixth round (205th overall).
Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who made the pick, touted the speed shown by Gill-Howard at all three schools that he played for during his collegiate career.
“Gill-Howard, obviously, came from Northern Illinois, and then when he came here (Texas Tech), he showed pretty consistent tape in terms of his motor. He’s 100 miles per hour,” Holmes said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s quick, he’s relentless, he’s instinctive, and he can win quick.”
But for Gill-Howard, being selected by the Lions was a little more personal.
Detroit Lions Sixth Round Draft Pick Skyler Gill-Howard Shares A Touching Family Story
While Gill-Howard didn’t have a collection of NFL hats to wear so that he could pick the right one after being drafted, it turns out that the only hat he had was the only one that he needed.
He recently shared a touching story about the hat being given to him by his grandfather, making his selection by the Lions a perfect result.
“So this is funny: I didn’t have time to go grab a hat, and nobody else did. So my grandfather, a big Detroit fan, walked up to me and said, ‘Look at my hat,’” Gill-Howard recalled.
“My grandfather gave me his hat. I told him to get a new one. When I get up there, I’m going to send him one, but I’ve got to keep this one,” he added.
It seems as though it was perfect fate for Gill-Howard to end up with the Lions.
In six games played in 2025 with Texas Tech, Gill-Howard accumulated 13 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and an interception.
New Lions Defensive Tackle Skyler Gill-Howard’s Grandfather Is From Wisconsin
As Gill-Howard explained, he was never sure why his grandfather rooted for the Lions, considering that he was from Wisconsin, which has been the traditional fan territory of Detroit’s fierce divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers.
“I don’t even know why he’s a Lions fan,” he said. “He’s from Wisconsin, so you would think…But I mean, I think that’s just how he loves football. He loves the Lions, so I don’t know why he’s a Lions fan if I’m being honest.”
Meanwhile, he kept a photograph of his late brother Prestin, who died in 2022, on the couch next to him during the three-day draft.
“It meant everything,” Gill-Howard said about having Prestin’s photo with him. “Yesterday or Thursday before the draft started, I went out there to his grave, and I just sat with him for a while, talked to him, and it just means everything because – I mean, I told him whenever my time was to go to the League, he would come with me to get him out of the situation that he was in.
“So, he’s still going to come with me, just obviously not physically, but it meant everything to me, especially my siblings, too. That hit them hard as well.”
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