Right after a disappointing 2025 season, general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell promised a top-to-bottom review of how they do things. Closer to and after the draft, both cited a desire to recapture the identity that has fueled the team's rise.
Canceling rookie minicamp and not doing joint practices during the preseason, the latter of which Campbell had openly professed getting great value from, signal a willingness to shake things up.
The Lions didn't have the splashiest draft this year, as expected when starting things off by taking an offensive tackle 17th overall. But reviews of what they did have generally been good, albeit with one evaluation wondering how much better they truly got.
Of course immediate reviews of the Lions's draft in 2023, after taking Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round, were ugly, And we know how that turned out, with both guys now in line to be among the highest-paid players (if not the highest-paid) at their position.
Lions writer squashes idea a boring draft/offseason was somehow ineffective
The Athletic rounded up their NFL beat writers to offer a post-draft outlook for each team. Lions beat writer Colton Pouncy dismissed the idea of a boring draft, and he generally marked a lot of boxes that were checked this offseason.
"Think about the laundry list of needs the Lions entered the offseason with: a new offensive coordinator, a long-term center, tackle and edge and depth at safety, tight end, running back and cornerback. It took some time, but the Lions essentially crossed each one off the list. They did well to address their blind spots with a mix of youth and hungry vets. Coach Dan Campbell is on record saying he wants to get back to the mentality of their early teams, and after the offseason they’ve had, they just might have the guys to do it."
READ MORE: Lions' "reach" during NFL draft left one expert fairly surprised
When it comes down to it, the Lions didn't have great needs at splashy positions in free agency and the draft. They needed starting-caliber players and depth on both lines, as well as depth at the other spots Pouncy listed. They may not have drafted the edge rusher a lot of people wanted, but they did finally devote a notable resource to the spot opposite Aidan Hutchinson by taking Derrick Moore in the second round.
The Lions had a plan this offseason, and they went about fulfilling it in the ways they saw fit. Time will tell if they were right, but lacking attention-grabbing splash in the moment means absolutely nothing.
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