Nothing gets the home crowd hyped up quite like a quarterback sack. With the Detroit Lions hosting the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the 2026 season, Ford Field will be eager to see Tyler Shough hit the turf—preferably multiple times.
Despite the Lions lacking pass rush last season, they still finished tied for fourth in the league with 49 sacks. Part of this came from consistency. The Lions had five games with four or more sacks, yet they also recorded seven games with one or fewer sacks. Too often
it was feast or famine for Detroit.
Aidan Hutchinson led the way for the team, recording 14.5 sacks on the season. Perhaps surprisingly, it was Al-Quadin Muhammad coming in second with 11.0 sacks. However, his season was another example of that inconsistent pass rush. Despite playing in all 17 games, 7.5 of his sacks came in just three games—across the remaining 14 games, he had just 3.5 sacks.
With Muhammad departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, the Lions were looking for running mates for Hutchinson. They signed DJ Wonnum and added Derrick Moore and Skyler Gill-Howard via the draft. Coupled with Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, and Ahmed Hassanein returning from injury, the Lions are hoping their front seven can provide a much-needed upgrade in the pass rush department.
Which member of the Lions defense will be the first one to bring down an opposing quarterback?
Who will be the first Detroit Lion to record a sack in 2026?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
My answer: Jack Campbell.
There is no question that Hutchinson should lead the team in sacks by the end of the season, but early on, I expect opponents to focus on stopping him. I am optimistic about how McNeill, Wonnum, Moore, and Tyleik Williams can perform in this defense, but none of them command the attention that Hutchinson does. I am expecting double teams and chip blocks early and often for Hutchinson.
Of the linemen expected to play a majority of snaps, the two names that stand out the most are McNeill and Wonnum. McNeill has looked like his old self in training camp, while Wonnum should be a reliable contributor on early downs. However, given that this could be a run-happy Saints offense, pass rush opportunities could be somewhat limited—I would not be surprised if the Saints drop back fewer than 20 times in Week 1. If the Lions are focused on stopping the run, the primary role of McNeill and Wonnum could be to plug gaps and hold contain, not rush the passer. I also want to tip my hat to the Saints offensive line, a unit that I think is better than advertised—I really liked their signing of David Edwards to shore up their weakest position, left guard.
That is why I think Campbell could record the first Lions sack of the season. We know how potent he can be as a blitzer, and I expect Kelvin Sheppard’s defense to get creative with timely blitzes. Because of how versatile Campbell is as a linebacker, predicting where he will be on each snap is a nightmare for offensive coordinators. Whether he is stopping the run, dropping into coverage, rushing up the middle, or spying the quarterback, he demonstrated in 2025 that he can do it all. I think there is a good chance that a Campbell blitz could go unnoticed and result in a big-time play.
Which Lions defender will notch the first sack of 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
