The Detroit Lions spend more on their roster than anyone else in the NFC North. More cash. More draft capital. Even with the offensive line losses of Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow, the Lions are still putting everything they can into their roster in order to bring a championship home to Detroit.
In a multi-part series on Substack, I am looking at how each NFL team builds its roster and how it allocates different types of resources. Where this analysis differs from others is through a draft pick valuation chart that quantifies draft capital in dollars. That puts picks and cash in the same currency, so a rookie on a cheap deal and a veteran on a market contract can be compared directly.
The NFC North was the first division through the model. And one thing showed up quickly.
The Lions have more resources devoted to their roster than any other team in the NFC North
So far I have analyzed the NFC North and the NFC South. And if winning was measured simply in assets allocated to roster, the Lions would be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The Lions are outpacing the next closest team (Packers) in active cash spending by $14 million.
And when adding in draft assets projected for the 53-man roster, they still edge out Green Bay $481 million to $478 million. The Bears aren’t far behind at $465 million committed to their roster while the Vikings trail the rest of the division by a considerable amount at just $365 million in draft and cash commitments.
The Lions and Packers are running the same playbook
The similarities between the Lions and Packers don’t stop at total asset allocation. The two are built in almost identical ways. The two teams have around 47-48% of their team DNA coming from draft picks currently on their rookie deals and 52-53% coming from cash commitments to veterans.
The balanced approach stacked on strong cash commitments (Detroit ranks 9th in active cash spending and Green Bay ranks 13th according to Over The Cap) has the two teams leading the division in Super Bowl odds according to FanDuel.
Where the Lions are spending and where they are saving
You would think topping the division in total resource commitment means the Lions lead the pack at a multitude of position groups. But that’s not quite the case. They are tops at just two positions - quarterback ($57.7 million) and running back ($29.6 million).
But where they set themselves apart is by not underspending the rest of the division at any of the other position groups. Detroit ranks second at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker*, and secondary, and third at tight end (where the Bears have devoted almost double the resources of the next closest team).
READ MORE: One small Lions problem could loom large for Brad Holmes and the Lions' future
The Lions rank last in the division in resource dedication at exactly one position group - special teams where their $5.3 million commitment is just a hair over half of the division leading Bears.
*This analysis was conducted prior to the Jack Campbell extension.
Cashing in on big investments
No one is arguing that injuries haven’t had a major impact on Detroit’s 2025, leading them to miss the playoffs for the first time in three years. But with this kind of investment in the roster expectations from ownership are certainly high. And general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will need to turn things around with a return to the postseason or changes are surely to come.
Those changes could include leadership, a reduction in cash spending, or the ultimate gut punch to fans…both.
Add us as a preferred source on Google