Once the Detroit Lions hired Drew Petzing as their next offensive coordinator, one thing about their 2026 offense became immediately clear to fans: their run game is about to be the make or break factor of the entire operation.
That's a good thing for a team that has Jahmyr Gibbs and (likely) David Montgomery on its roster, but a a bad thing for a team that just saw its offensive line sputter down the stretch in its attempt to create gaps large enough for any running back to work with in 2025.
That's what makes the Lions' focus on their line so important this offseason, and it was something that Petzing really hammered home in a sit-down interview with Pride of Detroit's Erik Schlitt and Jeremy Reisman ahead of the NFL combine.
"Once we get in the field and see who we have, how they fit together, what the pieces are...the good thing is you have these two backs who give us a bit of freedom to do a lot, they don't have a lot of limitations. But, we gotta make sure we're blocking well and we create space for those guys. And, if we can't do it in one scheme, well, let's find another scheme we can do."
Run-game scheming reveals who Lions should target in NFL draft
Petzing's emphasis in this interview on the need to find the best scheme to bring out the best from the Lions' run-blocking shows that Detroit should be zeroing in on the several run-blocking lineman that'll be showing their stuff at this year's NFL combine.
Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Kadyn Proctor, and Calub Lomu have all been invited to the combine in Indianapolis, while guards Olaivavega Ioane and Keylan Rutledge will also be present at the event.
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The Lions are in a golden position to snag at least one of these high upside linemen in either the first round or a bit later in the second with how the line is valued in these drafts.
Getting an additional guard to slot in alongside Tate Ratledge would be huge for Detroit's ability to get back to being a top team in winning run blocking assignments. Petzing clearly loves what he has in this running back room between Gibbs and Montgomery, and exploiting their strengths with a reinforced line would go a long way in establishing his play-calling style for 2026 and, hopefully, beyond.