Three Free Agents Still Available Who Could Start For Lions

The first week of free agency has come and gone, and there are still some areas where the Detroit Lions could stand to improve.

Detroit has focused on adding to its offensive line and secondary predominantly, with headling additions including center Cade Mays and cornerback Roger McCreary. The team would benefit greatly from continuing to invest in veteran additions, as it could help take the pressure of this year's draft.

With the team lining up potential extensions for members of its 2023 draft class this offseason, it's unclear exactly how much spending the Lions plan to do. However, there are some intriguing options who could seriously help the Lions on both sides of the ball in 2026.

Here are three free agents still available who could start for the Lions in 2026.

EDGE Mike Danna

Danna is a Michigan product who began his collegiate career at Central Michigan before playing his final year with the Wolverines. A fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 draft, Danna has played a big role for the Chiefs and won two Super Bowls in his career, accumulating 21.5 sacks in six seasons.

It would be a welcome homecoming for the Detroit native, who was released by the Chiefs as a cap casualty earlier this offseason. Danna's workload dipped in 2025, as he played just 42 percent of the team's defensive snaps, but he brings enough juice to be a rotational contributor opposite of Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit's defense.

LB Germaine Pratt

The Lions lost a valuable part of their defense earlier this offseason, as Alex Anzalone signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A multi-year defensive captain, Anzalone will be difficult to replace.

Detroit is currently somewhat limited on depth at the position, as Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske are currently the only linebackers on roster. Rodriguez has starter upside, but it remains to be seen if he's the team's first option to replace Anzalone.

In Pratt, the Lions would be adding an experienced veteran with 112 games played and 104 starts across time with Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Las Vegas. With experience as a MIKE and WILL linebacker, Pratt would be a versatile fit who could bring more leadership to the defense.

EDGE A.J. Epenesa

Another potential EDGE option still available is Epenesa, who also entered the league in 2020 and has been impactful for the Buffalo Bills over his six NFL seasons. In that time, Epenesa has recorded 24 sacks and 29 total tackles for loss.

Epenesa also has some upside to drop into coverage, as he has four career interceptions to his name. He's coming off a season in which he had just two sacks in 16 games, but has proven to be durable and reliable in defending the run and is another nice fit for Kelvin Sheppard's defensive scheme.

It's also worth noting that Epenesa's limited contributions have come partly as a result of him being a rotational player in Buffalo, as aside from 13 starts in 2024 he has never started more than two games in a season. An extended opportunity in a new home could pay dividends for him.