The Detroit Lions had some heavy lifting to do coming into the 2026 offseason, and reshaping their roster was a huge goal of Brad Holmes' considering where the franchise was at following 2025.
It was a disappointing season for the Lions, who didn't make the playoffs due mostly to depth struggles which plagued the roster most of the year. Injuries and inconsistencies caught up with Detroit, who simply didn't look like the same strong team they had once been.
With free agency over and the NFL draft now firmly in the rear-view mirror, how does Detroit's work stack up? Surprisingly well, if a new analysis is to be believed. NFL.com writer Eric Edholm recently ranked the top 10 rosters in the league, and the Lions occupied a strong position firmly near the upper half of the group.
Edholm believes a major reason that the Lions could be set for a resurgence is the improvements they have made to their offense, and specifically, the retooling of their offensive line. For this, he rated Detroit's roster a surprising No. 6 in the league in terms of completeness, and believes the team is in good shape heading for next season.
"The Lions fell out of the playoffs last season, but they still went 9-8 in the NFL’s most balanced division while posting a plus-68 point differential. This team might not boast quite as much firepower as it did a few years ago, but it remains a top-tier roster."
"Jared Goff is an upper-echelon QB who has averaged more than 4,500 pass yards and 30 TDs over the past four seasons. He has a battery of game-changing playmakers at his disposal. The Lions’ offensive identity could change slightly without battering-ram RB David Montgomery, but Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the league's most electric playmakers."
"Taylor Decker's release could affect Detroit’s offensive line, but Penei Sewell is arguably the game’s best tackle and should do just fine in his expected move to the blind side. The biggest question is whether rookie RT Blake Miller and the interior will hold up. But with weapons such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Isaac TeSlaa, the Lions can hang 30-plus points on a lot of teams."
With a new play caller in Drew Petzing who could mesh better with Dan Campbell's offensive outlook, the Lions could be set to rediscover some of what made them great in the last few seasons. It's clear the offense will be the side of the ball that sees the most certainty this season.
Lions' improved defense offers roster a shot at redemption in 2026
While Detroit's offense is a fairly certain entity on their roster, the team's defense is far more up in the air. The Lions have improved in the trenches and on the back end, but the question still lingers whether or not they will have enough to go from a marginal group to a potentially elite one.
Fortunately, Edholm is bullish on this portion of the Lions as well. As he explained, while there are questions, there are also impact players and borderline stars that can lead the resurgence as well as better depth across the board that can step up their game.
"Detroit’s defense remains the biggest question, even while it’s led by top-tier playmakers at each level in Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch (though Branch is coming off major injury). The remainder of the unit appears solid to average right now, although the defensive line could improve incrementally and a young secondary has a chance to blossom some."
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There might be nowhere to go but up for Detroit's defense considering some of the problems they have seen recently. A draft which featured five defenders selected out of seven picks could go a long way toward solving depth issues. Second year, as well as third year, players could continue to take leaps in their game to supplement some of the solid veteran signings Detroit made.
No roster is perfect, but it seems like the Lions have done a great job to keep themselves in the conversation as one of the league's top units this offseason. That could be fantastic news as it relates to rediscovering their edge on the field.
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