Even though there’s no doubt that his season-ending injury probably ended up impacting just how high Skyler Gill-Howard was going to get drafted, it looks like that injury wasn’t enough to derail his career or chances of getting to the next level of football.
Folks, it’s fascinating to think about how that season-ending injury wasn’t enough to erase the evidence of just how disruptive of a defensive lineman that Gill-Howard has the potential to be.
Gill-Howard only played in six games for the Red Raiders, but that was enough to earn him a Round 6 selection by the Detroit Lions, who had the No. 205 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His 2025 highlights, along with everything that he’s accomplished throughout his college football career, was enough to get Gill-Howard a real shot at the NFL moving forward.
The Detroit Lions just took a gamble on Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howard as he recovers from a season-ending injury
During the 2025 Texas Tech football season, in what Gill-Howard was available to play in, the Red Raiders got a delightful amount of chaos caused on defense from Gill-Howard. He managed to start in six games and recorded 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, and a pass breakup.
Along with that, Gill-Howard managed to show off just how athletic he can be as he ran for 55 yards to score a touchdown against the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Skyler is Motown bound‼️#WreckEm x #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/nieZf7pmGb
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) April 25, 2026
Gill-Howard is another powerful defensive star that showed insane potential when he arrived in Lubbock through the transfer portal. He showed he could be a disruptor on the inside of the defensive line and has the potential to jam things up against opposing offensive lines on a very regular basis.
With Gill-Howard going to the Lions, a total of seven Red Raiders have been chosen in the 2026 NFL Draft. In addition to Gill-Howard, that includes David Bailey, Jacob Rodriguez, Lee Hunter, Romello Height, Caleb Douglas, and Reggie Virgil.
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