2026 NFL offseason preview: Detroit Lions are still in good shape, though there are holes to fill
The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.
AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North:Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East:Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South:Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West:Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks
2025 season record: 9-8 (u 10.5 wins), fourth in NFC North, missed playoffs, third in DVOA
OverviewWhen Dan Campbell stood at the podium after the NFC championship game following the 2023 season and said he told his team there is no guarantee the Lions would be back, the 2025 season still wasn't what anyone had in mind. A 9-8 record is disappointing given where the Lions had been, but this is still a team that finished third in DVOA - it was not a total disaster.
Detroit finished third in yards per play on offense, though there were times when the limits of Jared Goff as a quarterback were more exposed than in years past. A shaky offense forced Campbell to take over play-calling in the middle of the season and the Lions will look for a new offensive coordinator in the offseason. The defense had flashes - Aidan Hutchinson led the league in pressures - but there were too many injuries to make up for on that side of the ball, an unfortunate trend for Detroit.
The Lions still had the eighth-best point differential in the league, better than NFC playoff teams such as the 49ers, Eagles, Packers, Bears and Panthers. It's hardly a consolation prize, but this team is still on the right track.
Cap/cuts outlookThe Lions have around -$12 million in effective salary cap space entering the 2026 offseason, per Over The Cap, which is currently the 11th-least among teams. A restructure for Jared Goff is likely, which could open up as much as $40 million in cap space. However, that could depend on how much money the Lions want to push into the future for Goff as there is no guaranteed money on his contract beyond 2026. A restructure for Amon-Ra St. Brown could open up $28 million. There are also extensions for more key players coming up.
Taylor Decker spoke about his contemplation of retirement. Should he retire, the Lions would gain $18 million in cap space - they would also need a left tackle.
Key pending free agentsLB Alex Anzalone
CB Amik Robertson
Edge Al-Quadin Muhammad
IDL DJ Reader
DL Levi Onwuzurike
All of these players listed had at least a small part in the defense over the past few seasons. The most consistent was Anzalone, who played 91% of Detroit's defensive snaps this season. Anzalone was a plus coverage linebacker - 21st in the position in yards per coverage snap - and formed a dynamic duo with Jack Campbell. Both linebackers made a positive play for the defense on over 60% of their tackles; two of three linebackers with at least 95 tackles to hit that mark.
Positional needsEdge
Offensive Line
Safety
The Lions continue to need a consistent pass rush threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson. He led the league in pressures, but also had a league-high 42.6% of his team's pressures. No other player was over 38%.
Along the offensive line, the Lions must figure out the best combination on the interior. The retirement of Frank Ragnow threw the line into disarray. Detroit tried Tate Ratledge at center after he was drafted, but pivoted to Graham Glasgow there for the season. Glasgow and a guard duo that featured a rookie and a second-year guard in Christian Mahogany had some rocky moments. The Lions were 31st in pass block win rate and 20th in run block win rate.
Detroit entered the season with one of the best safety pairs in the league, but Kerby Joseph was lost for the season in Week 6 and Brian Branch tore his Achilles in Week 14. Joseph hurt his knee earlier in the season but played through it and was eventually put on injured reserve. He suffered a setback in his recovery, but the team is hopeful he'll be available for 2026.
2026 NFL Draft picks
1st round, pick No. 17
2nd round
4th round
5th round
5th round (projected compensatory)
6th round (CLE)
6th round (JAX)
7th round (CLE)
Vega Ione, OL, Penn State
Ione is a bruiser with good size and athleticism that could help retool the Lions' offensive line, which needs to be a strength the way Dan Campbell wants his team to play.
What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?Remake the offensive line
Much of the Lions' step back this season will be blamed on the coaching brain drain, specifically the exit of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. That played a significant role but we might not be having this conversation at all if the offensive line even remotely resembled the unit we watched the previous few seasons in Detroit. As it stands now, Penei Sewell, who is one of the best right tackles in the NFL, is the only high-end starter locked in for 2026. Left tackle Taylor Decker will turn 33 in August and sounded like a man ready to consider retirement post-Week 18 for the same grueling health concerns of his former teammate Frank Ragnow. You can probably project some growth from Tate Ratledge at one of the guard spots going into Year 2; the other two spots are areas that held the Lions back in 2025. Detroit needs to hammer this position if it wants to get back to the offensive identity it has long held under Dan Campbell's regime. - Matt Harmon
Betting nuggetThe Lions (8-9 ATS) finished under .500 against the spread for the first time in the Dan Campbell era. - Ben Fawkes