Roundtable: How Lions' 2026 Free Agency Now Impacts Draft Plans

The Detroit Lions On SI staff examines how Brad Holmes' free-agent haul will impact the Lions' draft plans this April.

1. If true, what do you think Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have disagreed about this offseason?

Christian Booher: If there is any merit to this, I would think some of the disagreement would have to do with players they want to retain. Campbell has shown immense loyalty to his players throughout his tenure, and so some of this dissent could have to do with the decisions to let Taylor Decker and Alex Anzalone walk. Those players left under different circumstances, but by and large the reason for each of their departures had to do with the financial side of football.

Their approach to free agency and the external free agent signings have followed the precedent that the organization has set in previous years in this phase of the offseason, so I don't think this would be the main reason for the disagreement if there is one. Instead, I would think it would have more to do with letting their veteran players walk.

Vito Chirco: I believe it could be about the players the organization has allowed to walk in free agency. I could see Dan Campbell having wanted to keep players like EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad and LB Alex Anzalone, while Holmes wanted to move on to pursue younger, cheaper options at the two positions.

I could also envision Campbell disagreeing with Holmes over whether the organization should have kept players like Taylor Decker, David Montgomery and Amik Robertson. At the same time, Campbell might have wanted Holmes to acquire a high-impact free agent this offseason (i.e. Trey Hendrickson).

Consequently, I could see a scenario where Campbell and Holmes weren't completely aligned on their approach to the offseason.

2. Can the Lions really win a Super Bowl with the role players they’ve signed in free agency?

Booher: Detroit has plenty of talent on their roster, and can no doubt get on a roll and compete for a championship. However, they need the absolute best versions of these players that they signed to do so. It would also help immensely if they remained mostly healthy throughout the season, as injuries have played a role in derailing their season each of the last two years.

I think these role player additions won't ultimately be the reason why they win the Super Bowl, as that would be the result of their star talent already on the roster. However, these additions can play massive roles in the team's success if the Lions are able to get the best out of them.

Chirco: I don't believe so. As much as I like the additions of Cade Mays and Isiah Pacheco and even Roger McCreary and Tyler Conklin, I don't think they're going to take the Lions to the next level. To me, they're still a team that will hover around the nine-win mark in the upcoming season.

3. Which team in the division are you watching closest based on its FA moves?

Booher: My eyes are firmly on the Minnesota Vikings. I think their addition of Kyler Murray could have the biggest ripple effect on the division. They managed to sweep the Lions and finish 9-8 despite some subpar quarterback play, and have plenty of talent including wide receiver Justin Jefferson at their disposal. If Murray is able to rediscover some of that magic from earlier in his career, he has the ability to be a difference maker in the division and could help the Vikings get back to the top of the NFC North.

Chirco: I really liked the Vikings’ signing of quarterback Kyler Murray and the Bears’ signing of safety Coby Bryant. However, I don't think anybody in the NFC North had a standout offseason. I feel like each team in the division made moves to remain status quo much more than to upgrade their respective rosters. But, to answer the question, I'm most intrigued to see how the Bears’ offseason moves will translate to wins and losses in 2026.

4. How did Lions’ free agency change their draft plans?

Booher: I think the Lions still have plenty of options heading into the NFL draft. They've made marginal additions to their offensive line and defensive line, and could wind up targeting either of those positions early in the draft. The only serious splash they've made in terms of a long commitment is with center Cade Mays, and they still have needs across the board on the roster. As a result, I don't think the draft will be impacted too much by the free agency haul and I think the Lions' board is still pretty open for April's draft.

Chirco: I really don't believe much has changed. Before free agency, I believed the Lions were going to target an EDGE or offensive tackle at No. 17 overall. And even after all their moves, I still think Detroit will add a player at one of the aforementioned positions with the pick.

5. Are the Detroit Lions a better or worse team right now than at the end of the 2025 season?

Booher: Up to this point, it's hard to say that the Lions have gotten marginally better overall through the start of free agency. That's not to say that the Lions have had a fully disappointing offseason, as I do like some of the moves, but weighing their additions against their losses I think overall the team has not gotten all that much better.

That said, if you count the returns of players like Kerby Joseph, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch as additions after they missed the end of the season, then I do believe they are better than they were at the end of the year. It hasn't been a super outstanding free agency, but as long as those aforementioned players return healthy, they will be better than how they finished the year.

Chirco: I don't think much has changed for the Lions this offseason. But, if I had to answer this question today, I'd have to say they're in worse shape than they were at this point a year ago. Detroit has lost several key pieces (i.e. Roy Lopez, David Montgomery and Alex Anzalone) without doing much to replace them. Additionally, general manager Brad Holmes has failed to add a significant amount of high-impact talent this offseason. The only addition who might qualify as such is center Cade Mays, who's probably more of a solid mid-tier signing by Holmes. Subsequently, I definitely don't believe the Lions are a better team right now than they were at the end of the 2025 campaign.