With just over a week until the Detroit Lions kickoff their 2026 season against the New Orleans Saints, there are still some very large, looming questions over their roster - especially on defense.
How well will their older secondary hold up while they wait on, at minimum, Brian Branch's return? Can rookie Keith Abney II hold it down as the teams' starting nickel, or are they really planning on splitting reps between himself and Roger McCreary? And, is their pass rush really going to be as good as they appeared to be in the preseason?
There will be a few ways that the Lions can address any issues here if the start of the season exposes these areas as weaknesses.
3 moves Lions can make to shake up roster ahead of Week 6 bye
1. Trade for cornerback help
If the Lions are looking for a rental at cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. seems to be available. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback has been at an impasse with the team with regard to a contract extension, making him a clear trade target ahead of the new season.
Detroit has not made a ton of splashy trades in recent years - they tend to really only make trades during the NFL Draft to improve draft positioning a hair, and their most recent in-season trade didn't help them in the long run. Za'Darius Smith, the acquisition in that trade, ended up leaving in free agency after the 2024 season, despite wanting to return.
Still, this is something they might need to consider if Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and Khalil Dorsey cannot piece together a decent start to the season alongside D.J. Reed. Detroit's window isn't closing, per se, but we're getting to the point with this core that you expect to see a much better product on the field than a 'Legion of Whom' redux.
2. Add help at wide receiver
The Lions are only carrying four wide receivers into Week 1, which is really thin. Obviously, they have some excellent starters at wide receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, but if Isaac TeSlaa can't shake the drop bug that's been pestering him throughout camp, it might be time for them to bring in some extra help there.
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They could bring Tom Kennedy up from the practice squad to get a better look at him at WR3, or peruse the free agency market - names like DeAndre Hopkins and Curtis Samuel come to mind. Maybe the team should've considered keeping Greg Dortch on.
3. Utilize Skyler Gill-Howard outside of 3rd and long packages
Rookie defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard was an absolute menace on 3rd down in preseason, racking up a bunch of quarterback pressures and hits to help him make the 53-man roster. The 6th round pick clearly has a ton of upside as a pass rusher and run stopper, and he should be used as more than just a blitzer when the Lions are trying to get a key stop.
Levi Onwuzurike, while still a good option for the Lions as a run stopper, shouldn't been immovable from the Lions' defensive line if he does start. Gill-Howard outplayed him in preseason, and he should be getting more looks on early downs.
Another reason why Detroit should do this: their secondary might need the help. If they can be unstoppable at their pass rush and stopping the run, they could throw offenses off their rhythm in the pass game. That might be their only hope to mask their thinness in their secondary.
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