3 Detroit Lions Whose Jobs Could Be On The Line at 2026 OTAs

As the Detroit Lions begin organized team activities this week, there will be a plethora of urgency that players face.

Detroit will be looking to hit the ground running as a team after a disappointing season last year, and there are individual players who will be looking to stake their respective claims for a roster spot.

As the Lions evaluate their roster with plenty of time until final cuts, they will be looking for strong first impressions from players who are making a case for an increased role in 2026.

Here are three Lions who will be facing plenty of urgency, for different reasons, as the team begins OTAs this week.

LB Malcolm Rodriguez

This is a massive year for Rodriguez. After injuries limited him in his final two years on his rookie deal, he's back in Detroit on a one-year, prove it contract. The decision to re-sign him indicates that the team has confidence in him, and the departure of Alex Anzalone creates an opportunity for him.

The Lions have Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes returning as starters, but have one available spot in their base defense as the WILL linebacker. Anzalone held the role and produced at a high level while providing excellent leadership, and now that void will need to be filled.

Rodriguez started 15 games as a rookie after a strong training camp, but the emergence of Barnes and the drafting of Campbell unseated him the following year. He had worked his way back into a starting role in 2024 due in part to an injury to Anzalone, but he suffered an ACL injury that ended his season.

Now, after returning midway through last season and appearing in seven games with one start last season, Rodriguez has an opportunity to start once again. He'll need a strong training camp to fend off free agent signing Damone Clark and draft pick Jimmy Rolder.

The Oklahoma State product has been reliable when called upon, and by all indications is the favorite to win the job. However, the Lions are a meritocracy and he'll certainly have to earn the job with a strong performance and a strong first impression in OTAs.

OT Giovanni Manu

Manu is looking to prove himself as a depth piece for the Lions' offensive line in his third NFL season. Detroit overhauled its offensive line this offseason, parting ways with Taylor Decker and adding a pair of potential starters in Larry Borom and first-round pick Blake Miller.

In addition, the Lions added multiple players to their interior offensive line in Juice Scruggs, Cade Mays and Ben Bartch. With Penei Sewell, an All-Pro, also returning, spots up front could become scarce for Detroit.

As a result, this is a massive offseason for Manu. He has appeared in four total games over his first two seasons, all coming last year. The Lions knew he would be a developmental project when they drafted him, and him not appearing in a game as a rookie reflected that.

Manu started one game last year, but suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. He needs to prove that he belongs in the mix as tackle depth this year, and the Lions need to be able to trust him to potentially start a game if injuries hit at some point.

If it doesn't work out, Manu could potentially be a victim of the roster crunch at the end of training camp.

DE Ahmed Hassanein

Hassanein has serious upside, and an injury last season in the preseason prevented him from making the final roster at the conclusion of training camp. However, the Lions are deeper at the position and now Hassanein must once again prove his abilities.

Though the Lions lost Al-Quadin Muhammad and elected to not bring back Marcus Davenport, they made multiple additions at defensive end and are deep at the position. In addition to drafting Derrick Moore and Tyre West, the team also inked one-year pacts with D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner.

If Hassanein can start strong in OTAs, he could play his way into a rotational role right away. He flashed ability in the offseason last year, and is an incredibly motivated individual who meets the Lions' standard.

However, there's plenty of competition in his room for the spot opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. It won't be an easy task for Hassanein, and with the overall depth of the Lions' roster it could be difficult to salvage a spot at the expense of a player at another position.

As a result, the urgency is on Hassanein to remind the coaching staff that he belongs in the mix. If he starts strong, he could begin to climb up the depth chart. If not, it could wind up being a challenge for him to earn a spot.

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