These 3 Free Agents Signed Could Earn Second Lions Contract

The Detroit Lions entered the 2026 offseason with a clear objective: find cost-effective contributors capable of both filling immediate needs and becoming long-term pieces.

Three signings in particular — Cade Mays, Isiah Pacheco and D.J. Wonnum — stand out as players who could realistically earn second contracts in Detroit if they, at the very least, meet expectations.

C Cade Mays

Mays, who inked a three-year deal with the Lions, was the organization's best acquisition of the offseason.

Over the last two seasons, he's logged more than 1,200 snaps at center, and has quietly become one of the more dependable interior pass-protectors in football. In fact, he’s allowed just 21 pressures and zero sacks across 756 pass-blocking snaps during that span.

Additionally, in 2025, his 98.6 pass-blocking efficiency rating, calculated by Pro Football Focus, was tied for the ninth-highest mark among qualified players at the position.

If he provides that kind of production in Detroit, he'll stabilize the center position and be worth a second contract from Brad Holmes & Co.

RB Isiah Pacheco

Pacheco, signed to a one-year deal this offseason, should be an adequate replacement for David Montgomery in the Lions’ backfield.

Pacheco, a violent, downhill runner, much like Montgomery, started 12 games last season for Kansas City, totaling 462 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Pacheco will be paired up with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who oversaw a career resurgence for James Conner in Arizona in 2023 and 2024. Conner amassed north of 1,000 yards in each season.

If Pacheco reverts to the back he was during his first two NFL seasons, Detroit would be wise to offer him a second contract.

EDGE D.J. Wonnum

Wonnum, signed to a one-year deal this offseason to essentially replace Al-Quadin Muhammad, fits the Lions’ identity at defensive end. He's a physical, big-bodied defender capable of setting the edge against the run while offering modest production as a pass-rusher.

Perhaps most appealing to Detroit is the fact that Wonnum is capable of playing every down. Last season with the Panthers, he logged 688 defensive snaps, which was good for 68 percent of the team's overall defensive snaps.

By comparison, Muhammad played only 41 percent of the Lions' defensive snaps despite being available in every game.

In this manner, Wonnum could provide value to Detroit's EDGE group, working his way into a second contract with the organization.