When Dan Campbell stood on the sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium on Christmas Day, watching his team cough up six turnovers in a 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he was watching the franchise he built from the ground up implode in front of his very eyes. The scoreboard that ended Detroit’s playoff hopes told one story. Campbell’s face told another. The season wasn’t supposed to end this way, and the risk-taking head coach knew it.
Over the course of his five years in charge at Ford Field, the former NFL tight end had led the Lions from the Doldrums to the brink of glory. In his maiden campaign in charge back in 2021, Detroit finished rock bottom of the NFC with a miserable 3-13 record. Fast forward to 2025, and Campbell’s men headed into a campaign as genuine Lombardi contenders after back-to-back NFC North crowns, the first in franchise history.
Lions Bid for History Falls Flat
Following those two successful campaigns, online betting sites were big on the Motor City outfit’s hopes in 2025. Websites that allow one to bet on sports with Bitcoin listed them as a +650 shot to win the Super Bowl for the first time, with only the Buffalo Bills considered more likely. Instead, they ended with a 9-8 record, last place in the NFC North after winning the division two straight years. The Lions didn’t just miss the playoffs—they face-planted into January from the couch, left to wonder how a team built to contend let the whole thing slip away.
Now, general manager Brad Holmes has to fix it. Fast. Because the window everyone talked about in 2024? It’s still just about cracked open, but barely. Jared Goff isn’t getting younger. Aidan Hutchinson’s still on his rookie deal for one more year. The pieces are there, but three positions became festering wounds in 2025, and if they aren’t fixed this offseason, the Lions will spend 2026 wondering what might’ve been.
Center
When Frank Ragnow retired in June, the Lions lost their emotional core. Graham Glasgow shifted from guard to center and got exposed—pass protection cratered, the run game lost its bite, and Detroit’s offensive line, once a top-five unit, became average. Kevin Zeitler bolted for Tennessee. The interior fell apart.
Holmes needs to land Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. The two-time Pro Bowler is 26, athletic, and capable of anchoring an offense for a decade. He’ll cost somewhere between $15 and $20 million annually, probably closer to the top end given how thin the center market is. If the Ravens franchise tag him at $27.2 million, that sets a floor. Detroit has the cap space to make it work, and Linderbaum instantly restores the credibility this line lost.
If they miss on him, the draft offers Iowa’s Logan Jones, the Rimington Award winner, who allowed just one sack over two seasons. He’s polished enough to start Week 1, fits Detroit’s zone scheme, and projects somewhere in the mid-first round. Bottom line—Detroit can’t run it back with Glasgow at center. The offense that once steamrolled opponents turned into a one-dimensional pass attack that got Goff hit too often. Fixing the pivot isn’t just about blocking. It’s about restoring an identity.
Edge Rusher
Aidan Hutchinson recorded 14.5 sacks and made his second Pro Bowl. He did it mostly alone. Too many snaps ended with Hutchinson beating his man while everyone else got stonewalled. Late-game leads evaporated because opposing quarterbacks had time to pick apart the secondary. Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal didn’t produce. The depth chart became a liability.
Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson is the premier free-agent edge. He’s 31 but still elite, and after getting a $14 million dollar raise that pushed his 2025 salary to $30 million, he’ll command around $25 million per year on a new deal. That’s steep, but it instantly makes Detroit’s pass rush a nightmare. Miami’s Jaelan Phillips offers younger upside with explosive first-step quickness, though injuries make him riskier.
In the draft, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. is the guy. He posted 9.5 sacks in 2025, projects as a top-10 pick, and has the bend and closing speed to be a decade-long starter. Detroit’s slotted at No. 17, so getting Bain means trading up. If Holmes believes the window’s still open—and he should—giving up future capital for a cost-controlled pass rusher makes sense.
The moonshot trade? Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby. At 27, he’s in his prime and one of the league’s most relentless defenders. The Raiders are rebuilding, and Detroit could offer their 2026 first-rounder at No. 17 plus a 2027 second. Crosby’s $23.5 million cap hit is manageable, and pairing him with Hutchinson would give Aaron Glenn the edge duo he’s never had. It’s a long shot—the Raiders love Crosby—but if Detroit gets serious about contending, this is the kind of swing that changes everything.
Cornerback
Amik Robertson allowed a 117.7 passer rating in coverage, gave up eight touchdowns, and graded out 106th among 112 qualified corners. Opposing offenses hunted him in high-leverage spots, and the Lions couldn’t hide him. He’s a free agent. He won’t be back.
Seattle’s Tariq Woolen is the free-agent target. He’s 6-foot-4, runs a sub-4.3, and his length would immediately upgrade the boundary. Expect him to command $15 to $18 million annually, a sizable chunk that Detroit has been unwilling to feed to a corner historically. If that remains the case this offseason, then the draft offers Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, someone who brings first-round versatility, and who can play outside, slide inside in sub-packages, and handle multiple coverage responsibilities.
The trade market points to New Orleans’ Marshon Lattimore. The Saints are perpetually broke, and a package built around Detroit’s 2026 third-rounder plus a conditional 2027 pick might get it done. Lattimore’s 30, has dealt with injuries, and carries an $18.7 million cap hit, but he’s still a legitimate No. 1 corner who can handle elite receivers weekly. For a team trying to win now, that experience matters.
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