The Detroit Lions' offensive line has been the crux of their success in the Dan Campbell era — until now. The club has gone as far as their front five can take them, which wasn't enough in 2025.
Detroit didn't get the same push up front as in years past. They remained one of the NFL's premier offenses despite declining in this area, though the operation wasn't as crisp as we've become accustomed to seeing. Their shortcomings were a clear message to Lions general manager Brad Holmes: replenish the unit that propelled them to dominance or get left behind.
By the sound of it, FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano agrees. He highlighted the Lions' protection woes as their biggest question of the 2026 offseason.
NFL reporter sends clear signal to Lions GM Brad Holmes to fix Detroit's OL
In fairness to Holmes, the Lions tried to revamp their O-line last offseason, albeit to no avail. They trotted out new starters at the three interior positions, including a failed attempt to slide veteran Graham Glasgow back to center. However, as Vacchiano emphasizes, Detroit must bring in more fresh and younger blood.
"They missed center Frank Ragnow so much last season they tried to unretire him," Vacchiano wrote. "Interior lineman Graham [Glasgow] turns 34 in August, while left tackle Taylor Decker turns 33. The Lions need an influx of youth and they need it quickly because the line's struggles last year were why the offense's dangerous run game struggled, especially late in the season."
It's borderline insane that the Lions were hoping a Ragnow comeback would solve their problems in retrospect. That was more wishful thinking than a viable solution, which proved futile anyway due to a failed physical. Nevertheless, even if he managed to return, his presence would've exacerbated the age issue in Detroit.
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Holmes has overlooked keeping star quarterback Jared Goff upright in recent drafts. The Lions have spent a premium pick on just two offensive linemen since 2021, All-Pro Penei Sewell and 2025 second-round guard Tate Ratledge. With that in mind, it's time for Detroit to look powerfully into preparing for life without the Glasgow-Ragnow-Decker trio.
Ben Johnson's external promotion from Lions offensive coordinator to Chicago Bears head coach surely didn't help matters, and that shouldn't be discounted. His play-calling prowess was instrumental to the team's ability to move the ball and score points almost at will. Yet, Detroit could've masked losing him to their NFC North rival "with better blocking," at least in Vacchiano's eyes.