The Detroit Lions' initial 53-man roster is set after a dramatic round of cut-downs, and there are a lot of young fresh faces on this year's roster.
That was likely by design.
In his yearly age-based roster rankings, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice has the Lions as the eighth-youngest roster in the NFL, with an average age of 26.0. That's 0.6 years younger than last season. That may not feel like a big difference, but 26.6 was enough to place the Lions at the fourth-oldest roster this time last year.
The 2025 Lions were the oldest team of the Brad Holmes era by almost an entire year, and with a plethora of injuries and a presumably closing Super Bowl window, a youth movement felt in order. In no area was that more clear than the offensive line.
Last season, the Lions had tackle Taylor Decker (age 33) and center Graham Glasgow (age 34) on the line. Decker toughed out various injuries, missing only three games, while Glasgow had to revert back to C on a moment's notice after Frank Ragnow's sudden retirement. All the while, OT Dan Skipper (age 31) was the primary backup for Decker throughout most of the season.
Currently, Decker is still searching for a new team, while Glasgow and Skipper have since retired from the NFL. Skipper, along with Jamarco Jones (age 30), have remained with the organization in a non-playing capacity.
Replacing Decker is Penei Sewell (age 25), who is moving from right tackle to Decker's left tackle spot. The Lions drafted RT Blake Miller (age 22) in the first round to plug into RT. At C, the Lions signed Cade Mays (age 27) in free agency. An injury will keep Mays out for the next few weeks, with trade acquisition Juice Scruggs (age 26) likely to fill in for the time being.
Joining them on the O-line depth chart are veterans Larry Borom (age 27) and Ben Bartch (age 28). Bartch, currently, is the oldest member of the O-line -- a full five years younger than Decker.
It's not just the O-line getting younger
This youth movement extends beyond the O-line. In fact, the Lions largely avoided bringing in any player above the age of 30, with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs (age 31) and safety Chuck Clark (age 31) being the only above-30 offseason additions who made the initial roster cut. They're just behind QB Jared Goff (age 31) for the distinction of oldest player on the roster.
Gone are running back David Montgomery (age 29), EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad (age 31), defensive tackle D.J. Reader (age 32), and linebacker Alex Anzalone (age 31), with each of their positional units getting younger in 2026.
READ MORE: Detroit Lions practice squad tracker 2026: Live updates and analysis
The results so far have been encouraging. RB Jacob Saylors (age 26) rushed for more yards this preseason (187) than the Lions' run defense gave up (166). Rookies EDGE Derrick Moore and DT Skyler Gill-Howard, and second-year EDGE Ahmed Hassanein, brought energy, athleticism, and disruptiveness to the D-line, with each picking up at least one sack.
The Lions getting younger doesn't automatically mean better, nor does it mean they'll be any less injury-plagued from last season. But it was clear the Lions had a goal this offseason to get younger in 2026, and so far, it appears to be paying off.
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