It's okay to acknowledge that the Detroit Lions had a boring offseason.
They drafted without any major splashes, signed fairly low-risk, potentially high-reward free agents, and retained key depth pieces from 2025 to help out at thinned-out positions for 2026. And, of course, they locked down two core players long-term with monster extensions: Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs.
There are still some very obvious holes on this roster that should've been addressed: their left guard room remains in flux after a full training camp and preseason has gone by, and their cornerback room is strangely constructed around a star in D.J. Reed. There are also some real concerns at RB2 following the decision to trade David Montgomery this offseason.
Very clear winners, and very clear losers, from the Lions' offseason will be analyzed here.
5 winners (and 5 losers) from Lions' offseason
Winner: Lions' rookie class
A youth movement has fully taken hold of this Lions team, and this year's rookie class is heading it. Blake Miller, Derrick Moore, Keith Abney II, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Jimmy Rolder all figure to be important pieces to the roster in 2026, with Miller, Moore, Abney, and Gill-Howard likely to get significant snaps to begin the season.
That's a huge change from recent years, where Detroit was reliant on players like Frank Ragnow and Taylor Decker for starters snaps and to protect Jared Goff. Detroit has bounced back from a really poor draft in 2024 with two straight decent classes that are chock full of players that have shown room for development and improvement.
Loser: Brad Holmes, no matter what
Unfortunately for Brad Holmes, despite another great draft, he'll continue to get hammered for not addressing a huge hole on the Lions' roster at cornerback. After releasing Terrion Arnold following his arrest this offseason, the team had time to potentially trade for, or sign, a cornerback. Instead, they've opted to fill the hole left by him with a rotation of Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Roger McCreary, and Abney.
It feels quite similar to how the team handled their hole at center last season after Ragnow's retirement, although that came after the draft and after some better talent at the position had already signed new deals in free agency. Arnold was released following free agency and the NFL draft, leaving Detroit with their hands tied.
Still, you'll continue to hear about Holmes' insistence on finding diamonds in the rough at the position rather than going out and making a bigger splash.
Winner: Aidan Hutchinson
Hutchinson desperately needed help added to the pass rush room this offseason, and Detroit addressed that need in a few ways: they continued to develop Ahmed Hassanein, who netted a roster spot after a great camp, while also drafting an edge rusher in a deep class and signing a high-floor pass rusher in DJ Wonnum in free agency.
We also saw improvement at the pass rush in their defensive tackle room, with Alim McNeill's return and Gill-Howard's surge playing a large part in that. Hutchinson has to be thrilled to finally have some deep help at the position, which means less double teams on him this season - and, less snaps for him. He had 622 snaps there last season, which is a hefty workload for someone coming of a major fracture.
Loser: Christian Mahogany
Mahogany had all offseason, camp, and preseason to show why he should be the starting left guard for the Lions in earnest for 2026. Instead, the team has decided to go back to a left guard "rotation" between himself, Ben Bartch, and potentially Miles Frazier. That does not bode well for Mahogany's longevity with the team.
He played alright prior to an injury last season, but it wasn't nearly good enough when compared to how well then-rookie Tate Ratledge was performing at right guard right next to him. His cotinued improvement, alongside the eventual arrival of Cade Mays after his IR stint, is sure to make him stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs has an excellent shot at winning OPOY or MVP, or both, this season. He's not only about to see a major uptick in carries this season with the trade of Montgomery going down this offseason, but the Lions' "light" schedule should make his ability to break some rushing records fairly simple. That's all assuming, of course, that the Lions' offensive line makes his life this easy.
But, coming off a historic extension and getting handed the keys to the ground game should be extra motivation for a competitor like Gibbs this season.
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Loser: Lions' special teams unit
After releasing Greg Dortch, the Lions' special teams unit - specifically, whoever they're tapping as their main returner - is under a microscope. They have to improve upon a down year in 2025, or they'll be prodded constantly about the Dortch release.
There are some potential bright spots on the unit, like Jackson Meeks and Sione Vaki, but they might be missing the pop necessary to make teams pay for poorer punts or kickoffs. Tom Kennedy figures to be their potential solution there.
Additionally, Jake Bates is being closely looked at right now after a very bad last outing in the preseason. The kicker remains the teams' starter, but another poor season or any sign of regression could force Detroit to bring in some actual competition for him.
Winner: Isaac TeSlaa
TeSlaa has been handed a golden opportunity to thrive after the team lost Kalif Raymond in free agency. He's now their main WR3 despite a weak showing in preseason and training camp, but you can't deny his athleticism and big-play capabilities. Plus, as a red-zone threat, he's a great addition to Jared Goff's arsenal.
The second-year receiver has to be thrilled to get the chance to bounce back from a bad camp with a strong start to the regular season, especially against some weaker secondaries.
Winner: UDFAs
Jackson Meeks switched positions from wide receiver to tight end this offseason, and thrived as a result. He also made the 53-man roster, one year after signing with the Lions as a UDFA. Eric O'Neill, an edge rusher from Rutgers with very little shot at making the 53-man roster, impressed so much in training camp and preseason that he netted a spot on the team.
Bates remains the teams' starting kicker after starting out as a UDFA with the Houston Texans, bouncing to the UFL, and eventually landing in Detroit. And, UDFA Thomas Harper is a key depth piece at safety for the Lions headed into 2026.
Detroit has done an excellent job of identifying talent following the draft, as well as talent within the UFL. They continued that streak this season with players like this, in addition to others like Jacob Saylors and Tom Kennedy.
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