Detroit Lions Coaches Share Early Impressions of 2026 Defensive Ends

The Detroit Lions have reloaded their group of defensive ends ahead of the 2026 season.

With some departures to account for, the Lions have paired returning star Aidan Hutchinson with newcomers such as D.J. Wonnum, Payton Turner and Derrick Moore. Head coach Dan Campbell is hoping that the revamped room will have plenty of success in the upcoming season.

“I will say this, for all the drill work that we get and those times when we can turn it up a little bit, (D.J.) Wonnum looks good, (Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, look we’ve got some length now," said Campbell. "Let me just step back for a minute, I like where Wonnum is at. He was coming off that injury, all that and hasn’t missed a day with us, has been putting in the work and so he’s doing a good job in the spring."

After Al-Quadin Muhammad departed, Detroit made a concerted effort to land more defensive ends to compete for playing time in 2026.

Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacey return, while general manager Brad Holmes targeted Payton Turner in free agency and Derrick Moore in the draft. Also, undrafted free agent Anthony Lucas was mentioned by Detroit's sixth-year head coach.

"We have got some guys now, between Wonnum and (Payton) Turner and this pup Lucas, obviously (Derrick) Moore. We’ve got some length now," said Campbell. "We’ve got some size and length and athletic ability on the perimeter. (Tyler) Lacy is that, but he’s a little more of that big end, big stack.

"But, we are big, we are long and so you can’t wait for training camp, you just can’t wait. But (run game coordinator/defensive line coach) Kacy (Rodgers) is doing a good job with them," Campbell added. "And they all have their own little niche, their own knack and just to watch them fundamentally get a little bit better and work their craft. And then we’ll see what camp looks like, it’ll be good.”

Good mix of defensive end talent

One big element of why the Lions' pass-rush group has a new outlook is the amount of length in the room. The blend of size and arm length that the Lions' defensive ends possess give the group a new feel in terms of how they can get off blocks and get to the quarterback.

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has noticed this early in offseason workouts, and as a result the team feels as though it has enough to cause havoc for opposing passers in the upcoming season.

"The first look at it, ‘Oh it has changed over there,’ and that corner you look during individuals, it is a lot of big, long, tall. The biggest thing that stands out to me is length. That is something we kind of attacked and we saw that we needed," said Sheppard. "And like always, we mentioned it, and the front office did a great job trying to go out and attain and attract some of, barring what we could do, some of the top guys per what we were looking for."

In training camp, the defensive end competition will be among the competitions closely monitored all throughout the preseason.

"I thought they did a great job. It is a good mix and blend, you have some long and some more shorter powerful so to say type players," said Sheppard. "The first thing I think there is going to be a lot of competition come training camp with that unit. I mean it is six or seven guys right now I am looking at and they all look like they can play and have potential. It just a matter of when the pads come on and how that looks.”

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