The Detroit Lions' run game has the potential to be potent in 2026.
Jahmyr Gibbs is locked down with a brand new extension, Isiah Pacheco is seeking a bounce back year with a change of scenery in Detroit, and the Lions' depth behind those two - Jacob Saylors, Sione Vaki, and Jabari Small - are all very decent weapons on offense for OC Drew Petzing to utilize. Of course, their talent doesn't matter if the teams' offensive line can't open up lanes for them.
That was an issue in 2025, and something the Lions worked to fix this offseason. And, so far in training camp, it sounds like the team has begun to found its groove between its running back room and offensive line, which is exciting as we inch towards the start of the season.
Lions offensive line, running backs thriving in training camp
Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer after his visit to Lions training camp on Thursday, Penei Sewell's swap over to left tackle looks "seamless." This would be a huge lift for the left side of the line overall, and especially as Christian Mahogany fights to keep his starting job at left guard. Having an All-Pro help you shoulder that load is no small thing, as Mahogany himself noted recently:
"Yeah, f*ck. Running duo next to Penei Sewell is like Tier 1 in football terms. It’s the greatest thing known to man," said Mahogany to 97.1 FM's Will Burchfield regarding the similarities between playing next to Sewell now and how nice it was to play next to him in 2024 on the right side of the line.
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And, Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman added to the mix even more positive reporting of the Lions line and work with their running back room, noting that Saylors and Small looked great in relief of Vaki, Gibbs, and Pacheco this week thanks in major part to great blocking up front.
"Admittedly, they both benefitted from strong run blocking today (though it was Tate Ratledge’s best day of camp)," said Reisman.
Team reporter Tim Twentyman also recently took note of Ratledge's improved play, sharing that head coach Dan Campbell is very impressed by the second year guard's camp readiness this year:
"Then he showed up at camp, man, in great shape. I mean, you could just tell, man, he's worked and he's trying to be conscientious. One of the things we talked about for him was obviously consistency, that's when you're a rookie, but the pad level. And it's still, it's up and down, but you can tell he's trying and he wants to do it."
Fraley leading the charge for improved O-line play
This improvement from a line that is suddenly very young starts with offensive line coach Hank Fraley. He wants the line to get back to being an aggressive unit, and one that takes pride in being just nasty enough that teams just hate to face them.
"Our identity takes shape (based on) what we put on the field and what we put on that tape. I think the best offensive lines out there are the ones that when people walk off the field, that other team’s like, 'Man, I do not want to play those guys again. We got beat up. So we need to come out here and not just say it, but be physical."
With Gibbs' extension and presumed humongous role in the Lions offense for 2026, you have to hope that the unit can improve tremendously upon a year where they placed 20th overall in run block win rate, per ESPN. They were 9th in that metric in 2023, and 16th there in 2024. You want to see improvement, not devolving play, when you have a back like Gibbs in tow.
As Mahogany gets more comfortable next to Sewell, as Sewell gets more comfortable on the other side of the line, as Cade Mays gains more reps with Jared Goff and Gibbs, as Tate Ratledge continues to develop in his second year, and as the team continues its running competition between rookie Blake Miller and veteran Larry Borom for their open right tackle spot. you can't help but feel excited about the prospect of another electric season from Detroit and their running back room.
They needed to fix their O-line, and quickly. So far, it looks like they have.
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