Despite major changes for the Detroit Lions headed into 2026 - Penei Sewell swinging over to the left side of the offensive line for rookie Blake Miller to take over at right, Cade Mays stepping in as the teams' new center, and a brewing left guard battle - the team sounds very confident in their ability to step things up in 2026.
Team reporter Tim Twentyman recently shared a roundup of quotes from Lions linemen and head coach Dan Campbell, and the general vibe from the group is that there's a ton of optimism around the new pieces and their fit with the team.
"And it's early, but Cade (Mays) man, he's a good-looking dude, man. He's a big man, he's built right, moves pretty good. And now it's just getting up to speed with our terminology, the MIKE points, all that. But I like Cade man, he's a good fit for us. He's a good fit for us."
Lions seem ready to roll with new-look offensive line
Detroit has to hope that the pieces they shifted and added this offseason work out, as they don't really have any backup solutions. At left guard, Christian Mahogany is due for a step up in Year 3, and if he can't figure it out, then the Lions could at least look at what Miles Frazier or Ben Bartch have to offer.
However, at center, the Lions don't have a ton of optionality. Michael Niese and Seth McLaughlin aren't reliable enough if Mays goes down with an injury, and Detroit didn't really attempt to net additional depth at that position through the draft or free agency. This leaves the line quite vulnerable.
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Mays, for what it's worth and despite that lack of depth behind him, doesn't sound too worried about his ability to adjust to the Lions' speed.
"We've just got to be on the same page and communicate the same. Learning how he sees things and how he communicates and just upping my game on that level. I feel like we've done a great job this week. Jared's been awesome with helping me with the questions I have and the looks. It's been great."
A huge year from him, coupled with improvement from Tate Ratledge and Mahogany, could really transform the Lions' offense compared to what they had to offer last year.
A lack of consistent rushing game, as well as Jared Goff's inability to remain totally poised in the pocket due to its constant collapse, led the Lions to placing an emphasis on revamping their trenches. Now it's a waiting game to see if those efforts were actually successful.
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