The Detroit Lions were left with plenty of questions surrounding the left tackle spot this offseason. Longtime stalwart and the most tenured Lion on the team, Taylor Decker, was granted a release following 10 seasons with the team after contract negotiations broke down.
The Lions’ lone signing at the position was Detroit native Larry Borom, who came over on a one-year deal after spending the 2025 season with the Miami Dolphins. It doesn't exactly profile as a long-term answer there at the position.
Borom was a backup tackle for Miami last year but ended up starting 11 games at right tackle. And in his appearance on the Lions Collective podcast Tuesday, general manager Brad Holmes said he liked what he saw from Borom in that spot last year.
"Seeing what he did at Miami, especially at right tackle, you start looking at the film and it's like, 'Man, this is probably the most consistent ball that I've seen him play,'" Holmes said. "Then, you start taking a deeper dive of him at right tackle even in the past, and you start seeing this level of consistency versus the guard spots or the left tackle spots."
Lions GM Brad Holmes hints at Penei Sewell moving to left tackle in 2026
That may have spilled the beans a little bit on what the Lions view Borom's best position as. But Holmes was sure not to get ahead of himself.
"Not saying that he can't play those spots, too, [guard or left tackle] because he can. But that's what kept him up there for us."
Those are interesting remarks, considering the Lions have arguably the best right tackle in football, Penei Sewell. Though it's been speculated that Detroit could kick him over to the blindside, this is the first time Holmes has publicly mentioned the possibility.
Sewell played left tackle in his college days at Oregon before moving to right as a rookie in 2021, since the Lions already had Decker. But with Decker out of the picture and the Lions having just signed a player Holmes has deemed a good player "especially at right tackle," a move back to the left side is easy to picture.
"That's the beauty of having a player like [Sewell]," Holmes said. "You always have that flexibility of the possibility of him playing left tackle. He's done it before. It's not anything foreign to him."
Borum had an up-and-down 2025 and graded out as Pro Football Focus' 64th overall tackle with a 60.7 overall grade. But between Weeks 5 and 18, he had the fifth-best pass blocking grade among tackles in that stretch with an 82.1.
The Lions simply cannot afford lackluster offensive line play if they want to get back to contention in 2026. Last season's offense was largely derailed by poor run blocking and pass protection, with quarterback Jared Goff taking the most sacks of his career.
Borom on a one-year deal makes sense as a spot starter or veteran depth piece, even if he's not the long-term guy in Detroit. It remains a very real possibility that Holmes targets a tackle with the No. 17 pick in April's draft.
But his comments about flipping Sewell to left tackle do show that the team could be preparing to ride with Borom in 2026 and worry about finding a long-term replacement later down the road.
Either way, it gives them options. Detroit has a lot riding on this draft, and fixing the offensive line should still be a top priority.