The Detroit Lions have an opportunity to do something special in the second half of the 2026 season, but whether or not that happens will have a lot to do with their ability to fortify some of their biggest roster holes.
Given their easier schedule and the wins they have already pocketed, the Lions have the opportunity to make waves down the stretch and potentially contend for not only an NFC North title, but the league's top seed in the playoffs as well. In spite of this, their top competition has already fired an early salvo that merits attention.
Unfortunately, the Lions do have an issue with their defensive depth yet again. This season, their secondary has been exposed even in their victories, and given a catastrophic injury situation playing out in Week 8, there are potentially more depth issues looming on the horizon.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell took a fresh look at the needs of the league's top contenders and the moves they should make. He has defensive line, linebacker, and cornerback as Detroit's three biggest needs. As he said, there's one player in cornerback Mike Hughes
"Veteran cornerback Mike Hughes was with a very different version of this Lions team in 2022 before leaving for the Falcons in free agency. He has started most of his time there, but after A.J. Terrell Jr. returned from injured reserve, Hughes has been in a reserve role, including a season-low eight defensive snaps during last week's loss to the Buccaneers. He wouldn't be an obvious upgrade on any of the options in Detroit, but the 29-year-old has been a reliable low-end starter at corner for most of his time in Atlanta."
Even though Hughes has experience in Detroit and could patch a hole temporarily, he's not the kind of player the Lions need right now. They need someone who can hit the ground running with more juice. There's no guarantee Hughes would be better than what the Lions already have at cornerback, and the goal should be finding a substantial upgrade in 2026.
Lions need bigger trade deadline move as Bill Barnwell previously suggested
While adding Hughes might be considered a modest band-aid, it's clear the Lions should be looking to go a bit bigger this year. They have an opportunity to make a legit run, so finding a move that can address that in a bigger way should be the top goal for Holmes.
Barnwell previously suggested a big swing in a different piece. He pitched the idea of the Lions going for Khalil Mack and Donte Jackson of the Los Angeles Chargers, and he came back to that idea as his "luxury target" in this piece. As he said, the Lions may be averse to the price in terms of draft picks and salary.
"In my column suggesting trades a few weeks ago, I argued for the Lions to swoop for Khalil Mack and Donte Jackson in a deal with the Chargers to address both edge and cornerback. That would cost Detroit nearly $8 million over the remainder of the season, a not insignificant amount for any team to take on in the middle of the season. The Lions could trade more draft capital to get the Chargers to pay that total down, but the picks should be more important to Holmes than the cash at the moment."
The reality is, Holmes should be prepared to give up anything other than a first-round pick in order to facilitate a move this year. He should be looking to make his biggest splash since he's been Detroit's general manager, because the Lions have the opportunity to make bigger noise in the postseason. A two-player deal such as this would make tremendous sense.
A modest move isn't the pathway to success this season. The Lions should look to go a bit bigger, and hopefully their defense will immediately reap the rewards from such a bold decision.
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