Fans are about to get their first look at the 2026 Detroit Lions with OTAs officially underway, and all eyes are going to be on the newcomers.
The Lions made a host of free agency and draft moves this offseason, with a significant focus on reshaping the offensive line. Despite that, it hasn't stopped many from feeling like the Lions could've done more to bring the team back into contention, and offseason grades have reflected that so far.
Cody Williams of FanSided shared his own grades for each team's offseason. Williams issued a handful of A grades to teams like the Lions' Week 1 opponent, the New Orleans Saints, and one D grade to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Lions? A C+, with Williams highlighting the signing of center Cade Mays as the team's best move. Williams believes the Lions' worst move was "Not pursuing more at EDGE opposite Hutchinson," which echoes the sentiment among most Lions fans who are still eyeing available EDGE rushers despite the team drafting Derrick Moore in the second round.
"Given the upheaval on the Detroit Lions offensive line, spending big to sign Cade Mays and using a first-round pick on Blake Miller, who will now move Penei Sewell to the left side of the line, makes a world of sense. At the same time, it felt an awful lot as if the Lions were simply trying to keep their head above water to replace players rather than make a ton of meaningful additions. Namely, I like second-rounder Derrick Moore, but I'm not sure that's enough for this defense. "
C's may get degrees, but a Super Bowl would be a tough sell. Not that "Offseason Champions" have had a good Super Bowl-winning track record, either, but a C+ underscores the general disappointment in the Lions' offseason.
To put an optimistic spin on it, the games have yet to be played, and it's always fun to revisit grades like these if they're proven wrong. If offseason and draft grades were prophetic, linebacker Jack Campbell wouldn't have just signed a big extension after a First-Team All-Pro season, with other 2023 draft picks expected to sign their own extensions in the coming months.
The Lions boasted one of the best-scoring offenses last season, and that was despite a rough OL. This offseason, they signed one of the best Cs on the market, while drafting one of the best right tackles in the 2026 draft class. Meanwhile, their future Hall of Fame right tackle, Penei Sewell, is moving back to his original, more natural, left tackle position.
There are still understandable concerns on the defensive side of the ball, but if these OL moves pay off, it'll be difficult for any team to outscore the Lions.
Same story for the rest of the NFC North
The rest of the NFC North didn't fare better with Williams' grades. The Chicago Bears did lead the way with a marginally better B- grade. Williams points to the Bears' drafting safety Dillon Thieneman as their best move, after Thieneman was frequently mocked to division rival Minnesota Vikings earlier in the first round.
The Vikings picked up the same C+ grade as the Lions, with their worst move being reaching for defensive end Caleb Banks at #18 as opposed to taking someone like Thieneman. Despite that, their offense will be under new leadership as Williams believes the Vikings' best move was bringing in quarterback Kyler Murray to bolster their QB room while J.J. McCarthy continues to develop.
The Green Bay Packers also join in the C+ parade, with Williams believing their best move was trading away DE Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys. Similar to the Lions, Williams found the Packers' worst move to be their "tepid" moves in free agency.
READ MORE: Derrick Moore has the perfect mindset headed into Lions OTAs
If nothing else, none of the teams in the close NFC North separated themselves from the pack with their offseason moves in Williams' eyes. It does beg the question of whether the opportunity was there for the Lions to do so.
By this time next year, maybe we'll learn they actually did, and this offseason will get an A+ in retrospect.
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