Roy Lopez

Arizona Cardinals

Pos IDL

Updated October 8, 2026

Compare Roy Lopez IDL rankings →

Model Score

72.1 MODEL

2021

70.9

2022

73.0

2023

67.8

2024

70.5

2025

72.2

2026

72.1

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

Tier 6 (#41) 2024 Arizona breakout to tier 8 (#67) in 2025 with Detroit is a 26-spot regression that flags the 2024 finish as either context-driven or a one-year peak. The Arizona Pac-12 6th-round origin plus five years of NFL survival give him basic journeyman depth value. The 2026 question is whether Lopez holds tier 7 or better with the Lions or whether the role compresses to swing depth.

Lopez came out of Arizona as the Houston Texans' 6th-round pick (195th overall) in 2021 and bounced through the Texans, Cardinals, and now Lions across five NFL seasons. His STTM career runs tier 8 (#70) in 2023, tier 6 (#41) breakout in 2024 with Arizona, and tier 8 (#67) in 2025 with Detroit.

Strengths

2024 tier 6 (#41) breakout as a 195th overall pick confirms a structural starter ceiling exists in the right team-fit.
Five years of NFL survival across three teams gives him basic plug-in veteran depth value.

Concerns

26-spot regression from tier 6 (#41) in 2024 to tier 8 (#67) in 2025 confirms the ceiling is highly team-fit and scheme dependent.
Detroit's broader defensive identity around the Hutchinson primary pass-rush priority compresses Lopez's structural snap share.

What to watch: Whether Lopez holds tier 7 or better in 2026 with Detroit or whether the role compresses to swing depth.