Lions Free Agency Moves Reveal Obvious Direction For NFL Draft

The bulk of the work for free agency is in the rearview mirror, and as a result the eyes of the Detroit Lions' fan base have moved to the NFL Draft.

With the draft less than a month away, the anticipation for what the Lions will do when it's their turn to make selections is growing. General manager Brad Holmes has plenty of draft capital, and as a result the team will be intriguing to watch throughout the three-day event.

Detroit could go a number of different directions throughout the Draft, as they have multiple needs that they could address. However, their moves in free agency have dropped subtle hints as to what the future could look like.

Under Holmes, the Lions have been dilligent about not drafting based on need and instead utilizing their picks on players who fit their culture and style. Holmes has been big on football character, adding players with talent and the mentality and attitude that check off their boxes from an evaluation standpoint.

In free agency, Holmes has operated with a similar amount of decisiveness. The team has signed just one external player to a multi-year deal in center Cade Mays, who inked a three-year deal this offseason.

Around the depth chart, Holmes has accounted for some of the team's losses with one-year additions who could wind up playing big roles over the course of the 2026 season. However, in doing this, he's also creating opportunities for young players the team drafts to compete for jobs right away.

Some of the way the Lions have moved in the offseason is out of necessity, as they are being calculated so as to keep money off the books that they can use later on contract extensions for their talented young players.

Yet, another thing they've done by prioritizing short-term deals is open up their draft board for the future. This will allow them to continue drafting for fit rather than need for the foreseeable future.

A prime example of this is the addition of Larry Borom at tackle. With Taylor Decker's release, the Lions needed to find a veteran who is capable of starting games on the side opposite of All-Pro Penei Sewell.

Borom has 63 games and 38 starts under his belt over the course of his five-year career, and can be the guy the Lions can plug in right away. However, by not making a long-term commitment in free agency, there's plenty of runway for the Lions to set up a young player for the opportunity to start right away.

Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have worked together to build a roster that fosters internal competition. This generally brings out the best in all parties, with the team creating opportunities for players to push each other while allowing the coach to pick the best option for the team to succeed.

Even with Borom, the Lions could target an offensive tackle right away and allow that player to come into a situation where they'll have an opportunity to start right away.

The same can be said on the defensive line, where the additions of D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner likely won't push the team away from potentially using its first pick on an EDGE rusher. Pundits have called for the Lions to find a solid running mate to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and the opportunity is still there for them to do so.

If these veteran additions pan out successfully, it takes the pressure off the drafted players to come in and excel immediately. Though somewhat underwhelming in the immediate future, this could pay dividends for the development of their drafted players in the long-term.

By operating the way they have in free agency, the Lions have given themselves valuable veteran insurance while also creating a runway for young players to come in and get valuable opportunities to compete for starting jobs.