The Detroit Lions made the move to upgrade at center, and it was badly needed after the struggles the franchise had in 2025.
Detroit didn't need the middle of their front to lag behind this season, so their first priority in free agency was adding a higher-end talent to anchor the front. Cade Mays was the choice, and the question will be how quickly he gets acclimated.
With how badly the Lions fared last season up front, the key was to get a center capable of stepping up and shouldering the load. The Lions put faith in Mays being the one to get that done, and it will be important to see whether or not he can do the job consistently.
The pundits know how vital Mays is to the entire Detroit operation. Already, he has been cited as one of the league's make-or-break players for contenders this year from Pro Football Focus. Bradley Locker had Mays as the choice for Detroit, and explained that he is a key to stabilizing the offense given his solid metrics.
"One of the biggest reasons why Detroit took a step back last year was the play of its interior offensive line, a group that tumbled to 24th in overall PFF grade. Center was a particular problem, with Graham Glasgow finishing with a 56.8 grade prior to being released this offseason."
"In order to fill its void up the middle, Detroit signed Mays to a three-year, $25 million contract this spring. Over the last two seasons, Mays has shined in pass protection, ranking in the top 10 in both pressure rate (3.0%) and PFF pass-blocking grade (72.0) among qualified centers. However, his run-blocking has been less effective with a 62.5 grade in that span."
"If Mays can help shore up Detroit’s offensive line, then the Lions should return to the offensive juggernaut we’re accustomed to; staying on schedule will be key given the team’s 12th-ranked success rate in 2025. However, if Mays gets off to a bad start on his new team, it certainly won’t help Dan Campbell’s bunch."
The success of the entire line and offensive operation might hinge on Mays. If he can be solid as a pass protector and hold his own in the run game as he has in the past, it would be a big deal for the Lions. Getting him on the same page with Jared Goff will be the most important goal of camp and whatever reps the duo gets in the preseason.
Dan Campbell urging patience as Lions' line comes together in 2026
Will Mays deliver once the season gets going? That's the hope for the Lions, because they badly need the anchor of the line to come into his own first to lead the line from the inside out. No matter what happens, though, the franchise may be better off as the season goes on.
Campbell stressed patience with the unit as a whole during camp and the preseason, and even as the regular season gets going. As he knows, the line is one of the parts of a team that takes the most time to adjust and learn the ropes, especially with new players in new places everywhere learning timing. Repetitions are needed the most.
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"I say this all the time, but the offensive line and defensive backs, I feel like that's the most correlation when you start talking about communication and how they flow. A lot of times things happen without a word being said. Once you really get to know the guy you're next to and you got a smart, headsy group and they're pretty aware, you start anticipating things. You start anticipating the movement, the spikes, the pressure, and you're working all as one."
"The faster we can get these five established, and they just need reps together, the better you're going to be. It's a work in progress. We will be much better by the time we hit game one. It's going to take (time) even when we get it there, because we have some young players. They're going to grow as the season goes."
Obviously, given his stature, Mays will be the most important player to watch in this vein for Detroit. He will need to show that he is capable of locking things down immediately. His ability to do this could mean the success or failure of the team in 2026.
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