It's a good sign when an NFL team crashes out and still finishes its year with a winning record. Last year's 9-8 Detroit Lions team were a disappointment. They were also a glowing example of how high head coach Dan Campbell has raised the floor of a once moribund franchise.
While the 2025 Lions ranked fourth in scoring offense, injuries, ineffectiveness and a lack of depth sunk the defense to a bottom five ranking when it came to expected points added (EPA) allowed. Reinforcements arrived this offseason, but mostly in the form of modestly regarded veterans and mid-round draft picks. If Detroit is going to make it back to the playoffs, it's going to take a top 10 offense to get there.
Good news! The primaries who've made the Lions terrifying in recent
years all return. Bad news! The blocking in front of them remains a question. Let's see how we got here.
Key addition: OT Blake Miller
Attrition carved down one of the league's best offensive lines. Taylor Decker's release means an opening up front, and Miller -- one of 2025's most reliable college tackles -- has been tasked with following in Penei Sewell's footsteps as the All-Pro moves to the left side.
As it stands, Sewell is the only returning starter from the Lions' breakthrough 2024 campaign, leaving plenty of work to be done for a franchise that went from NFC top seed to NFC North basement dweller last winter. Miller has the athleticism and size to be a proper bookend for Sewell. He was one of the draft's most experienced offensive linemen, which should ease his transition from Saturdays to Sundays.
Key departure: LB Alex Anzalone
Anzalone was a sigil of Detroit's rise under head coach Dan Campbell. A part-time starter in New Orleans, he arrived in 2021 and immediately stepped up his game. The off-ball linebacker provided the high leverage tackling expected (albeit with some inconsistency), but shined as a high motor pass deterrent who allowed a passer rating under 86 in four of his five seasons with Campbell. While newly extended Jack Campbell can fill some of the leadership void he leaves behind, an iffy cornerback rotation raises further questions about the Lions' coverage.
Potential 2026 breakout player: DT Tyleik Williams
The 2025 first round pick is flanked with talent; Aidan Hutchinson on one side, Alim McNeill on the other. That helped spur a late-season surge that made him a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating Lions season.
He's primed for an even bigger 2026, particularly if he can shore up his run-stuffing up front. But Detroit badly needs a pass rushing presence to help Hutchinson. His 15 pressures last fall despite playing only 41 percent of the Lions' defensive snaps suggest he can be an asset.
Position ranks
- QB rank (expected points added per dropback, via RBSDM.com): 11
- WR corps rank: 5
- RB corps rank: 3
- TE corps rank: 6
Will they improve in 2026?
Yes. There's too much talent here to languish again, barring any new awful injury luck.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Lions 2026 season preview: A revenge tour begins (if the blocking holds up)
