How Detroit Lions 2026 Roster Is Better Than Last Spring

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell will get the first opportunity to see his team in a structured, competitive practice setting on Wednesday.

The sixth-year head coach and his team will take the field for the first round of OTAs beginning Wednesday. In doing so, it will be a chance for him to take a look at the roster he and the front office assembled this offseason.

Here are three ways the Lions got better in the 2026 offseason, with OTAs set to begin on Wednesday.

Revamped O-line

The Lions made a focused effort to rejuvenate their offensive line this offseason, bringing in several new competitors for available spots. The group got younger, parting ways with a pair of veterans in Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow.

In their stead, the Lions acquired Juice Scruggs via trade, Larry Borom, Cade Mays and Ben Bartch in free agency and Blake Miller in the first-round of the Draft.

Now, with Penei Sewell anchoring the unit presumably at left tackle, the Lions will have a new, younger look up front. Their hope is that this amplifies their run game and helps the group improve from last year's struggles.

Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge enter their third and second professional seasons, respectively, but may have to compete to retain their starting jobs at guard. Ratledge had by all accounts a serviceable season and should be able to keep his spot, but an injury hampered Mahogany's progress in what was a down second season last year.

All in all, the Lions' identity has always started up front under Campbell. With the changes they've made, they hope to be back near the top of the league in terms of the unit's collective performance.

Fresh faces

In addition to the youth movement up front, the Lions made other moves to get fresh faces onto their roster. Campbell noted at the annual league meetings that the team is hoping to regain some of the edge he feels they lost last year, and many of their moves reflect that.

Detroit traded away David Montgomery this offseason, replacing him with former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco is known for his angry running style, and figures to have a similar impact to what Montgomery offered the team over the last two seasons.

Additionally, the Lions should be able to increase competition as well as take the load off some of their more-utilized players with free agency additions defensively. D.J. Wonnum is a proven run-stopper at defensive end, and should find a nice schematic fit in Detroit.

Meanwhile, the team added veteran Jay Tufele to their interior, and cornerback Roger McCreary to potentially fill the void left by Amik Robertson at nickel. Damone Clark is another veteran with starting experience added to the linebacker room after Alex Anzalone departed.

With injury concerns surrounding the safety position, the Lions added two viable veterans in Christian Izien and Chuck Clark, along with re-signing Avonte Maddox. Detroit should feel good about the fresh faces they added and how they can impact their team.

Proven commodities

Entering the 2025 season, the Lions had some intriguing but unproven players on their roster. Among the players who took big jumps last year is Jack Campbell, who for his efforts became the latest homegrown Lion to earn a hefty contract extension.

Also in the camp of players to earn a pay day since last spring is defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who cemented his status as a foundational piece in October when he inked a massive four-year extension and finished the year with a career-best 14.5 sacks.

Campbell was a first-team All-Pro, while Hutchinson earned second-team recognition. Together, they have become staples defensively.

Additionally, running back Jahmyr Gibbs had another massive season and earned top billing in the backfield, which eventually made the Lions okay with trading Montgomery to Houston.

With the leaps the Lions' young players have taken in recent years, this is no longer a group of young talents. Instead, they are veterans looking to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a Lombardi Trophy, and are now looked upon as leaders within their locker room.

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