Evaluating Lions' Defensive Positional Spending

The defensive side of the ball has been an area the Detroit Lions have targeted early in the offseason. General manager Brad Holmes has made five of the team's seven external free agent additions with defensive players, including three cornerbacks.

Here's a breakdown of the Lions' defensive spending by position, and where it stacks up in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. All figures appear courtesy of OverTheCap.com.

Overall defense: $96,851,198 (25th in NFL)

Interior defensive line: $30,342,856 (11th in NFL)

The Lions have committed plenty of resources to their defensive line, but are not yet feeling the full effect of their spending. DJ Reader is the defense's top cap hit at $12,933,000, and will make $6,665,000 in base salary in 2025 as part of the final year of his two-year, $22 million contract. Reader also earned a roster bonus by remaining on the team through the third day of the new league year.

Elsewhere, the Lions will pay Alim McNeill $1,170,000 in guaranteed base salary as part of the first year of his four-year, $97 million extension signed last season. His cap hit is a modest $6,136,000 in 2025, but that number increases to $28,966,000 in 2026 when his guaranteed money ups to $19,850,000.

Detroit signed former Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Roy Lopez to a one-year deal with $3.5 million fully guaranteed. Additionally, Levi Onwuzurike inked a new deal for one year, with $3.5 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $5.5 million.

Brodric Martin is in the third year of his rookie contract, while Mekhi Wingo is in the second year of his rookie deal.

EDGE: $19,321,697 (25th in NFL)

Note: Contracts for Pat O'Connor and Al-Quadin Muhammad have not yet been filed by OverTheCap.

The Lions' spending at defensive end remains one of the lowest in the NFL at this stage, but that could change next season and beyond.

Aidan Hutchinson is extension-eligible this offseason and, with new deals setting the defensive end market at $40 million per year, could have a massive payout coming in future years. For now, Hutchinson carries a cap hit of $11,365,000 into the 2025 season.

Marcus Davenport returns on a contract worth up to $4.75 million, but has just a $1.75 million cap hit in 2025. If he can remain healthy, Davenport's contract would be a massive steal for Detroit.

Josh Paschal enters the final year of his rookie deal with a cap hit of $2,461,346, and is also eligible for a contract extension. O'Connor and Muhammad both signed one-year contracts, but financial details have not yet been reported.

Linebacker: $21,534,902 (10th in NFL)

Plenty of resources have been devoted to the linebacker position, including a recent contract extension for Derrick Barnes. After the conclusion of his rookie deal, Barnes returns to Detroit on a three-year extension worth up to $25.5 million, with $16 million guaranteed.

The Purdue product's extension is structured similarly to McNeill's, in the fact that his base salary and cap hit are the lowest in the first year of his new deal. In 2025, Barnes will count $2,524,000, and that number will increase to $9,264,000 the following season.

Alex Anzalone is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed prior to the 2023 campaign, and the Lions could look to extend him moving forward. In 2025, Anzalone carries the defense's third-highest cap hit at $7,258,824.

Jack Campbell was a first-round pick in 2023, and has two years remaining on his rookie deal with the potential of a third through the fifth-year option. In 2025, Campbell's cap hit is just over $4 million, with $2,757,549 in base salary.

Former Colts linebacker Grant Stuard comes to Detroit on a one-year deal that carries a fully guaranteed amount of $1.7 million.

Malcolm Rodriguez is another extension-eligible player as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. He will make $1.1 million in base salary in 2025.

Detroit also retained Anthony Pittman, Trevor Nowaske and Ezekiel Turner on one-year deals with no guaranteed money.

Cornerback: $18,635,740 (23rd in NFL)

Note: Contracts of Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox have not yet been filed by OverTheCap.

The Lions have targeted their cornerbacks room in free agency, as they have signed a trio of external additions headlined by D.J. Reed. Formerly with the New York Jets, Reed signed a three-year, $48 million contract that carries $32 million guaranteed.

However, through the use of void years, the contract is very favorable for the Lions in 2025. He has a cap hit of just $4,722,000, and will have a base salary of $1,255,000 in the upcoming season. Fellow additions Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox have not had the details of their respective one-year deals revealed.

Amik Robertson is in the final year of a two-year, $9.25 million deal inked last offseason. This year, his cap number bumps up to $6.4 million, and he will be paid a base salary of $4.2 million.

Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw both enter the second year of their respective rookie deals. Arnold has a sub-$4 million cap hit and will have a guaranteed salary of $1,446,987, while Rakestraw will have a guaranteed salary of $1,089,761.

The contracts of Ya-Sin and Maddox will likely bump the Lions up a spot or two in terms of league spending.

Safety: $7,016,003 (29th in NFL)

Like the defensive end position, the Lions currently have key players on rookie contracts. However, that could change beginning in the 2026 season, as Kerby Joseph is eligible for an extension. As a third-round pick in 2022, Joseph is not eligible for the fifth-year option, and is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

As a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023, Joseph could command top-of-the-market money for the safety position. Brian Branch, who enters the third year of his own rookie deal, also has an extension on the horizon.

For now, though, both players carry relatively low cap hits. Joseph's hit is $3,868,255, while Branch has a cap hit of $2,187,748.

Top Lions 2025 defensive cap hits

DT DJ Reader — $12,933,000
DE Aidan Hutchinson — $11,365,000
LB Alex Anzalone — $7,258,824
CB Amik Robertson — $6,400,000
DT Alim McNeill — $6,136,000
CB D.J. Reed — $4,722,000
DT Levi Onwuzurike — $4,220,588
LB Jack Campbell — $4,015,096
S Kerby Joseph — $3,868,255
DT Roy Lopez — $3,640,000