The Detroit Lions depth chart looks a bit different following free agency and the draft. Who is the biggest winner this offseason?
A new season brings new faces. Now that free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft are squared away, the Detroit Lions depth chart looks a bit different. It’s not as much of a shakeup as we’re used to—as the Lions get good, offseason additions tend not to be key contributors as much as they are depth pieces. Nonetheless, a couple changes stand out.
For starters, the offensive line is bound to look different. It’s still unclear how different, but the Lions’ brass made their intentions clear when they doubled up on guards in the draft with second-round pick Tate Ratledge and fifth-round pick Miles Frazier. If that wasn’t enough of a signal, the Lions liked them enough to trade up for both of them.
The defensive line is going to look a bit different, too. Following Alim McNeill’s torn ACL in December, the Lions struggled to generate pressure from the interior. They drafted DL Tyleik Williams in the first round to help fill that gap. Many folks compared Williams to McNeill in the pre-draft process, which tells you all you need to know. Williams will be expected to hit the ground running and help fill the void while McNeill presumably misses a good chunk of the season during his ACL rehabilitation. Once he’s back, however, the idea of having two Alim McNeills on the defensive line is quite alluring.
The defense’s backend will look different too following the departure of CB1 Carlton Davis and the addition of a new presumed CB1 in D.J. Reed. With all those changes, who’s the biggest winner on the Lions roster?
Question of the day: Who is the biggest winner from the Lions offseason?
My answer: Even though he may not see the field for a while, Alim McNeill. Adding a clone of him on the interior defensive line means opposing offensive lines will have their hands full.
You could make an argument that this means Aidan Hutchinson is the beneficiary of defensive line help, but pressure from the interior doesn’t always translate to the edge. However, having two bowling balls on the interior defensive line certainly means Williams and McNeill can feed off of each other’s success.
In a similar vein, drafting Williams means McNeill doesn’t have much pressure to rush back his rehab. Without Williams around, the Lions likely turn to DJ Reader, who was underwhelmed in Detroit, to fill the void. They also signed Roy Lopez, whose contributions are still TBD, but was never going to be a McNeill replacement. Now, with Williams, there is a viable replacement to hold down the fort.
Ultimately, the Lions defensive line additions in free agency and the draft mean McNeill can take his time to properly rehab and will have support next to him when he does eventually return. In my eyes, he’s the biggest winner from this offseason.
Who’s your biggest winner this offseason? Let us know in the comments.