The 2025-26 NFL season has come to an unfortunate end for the Detroit Lions. After a historic season last year, going 15-2, undefeated in the NFC North, but ultimately losing in the Divisional Round, they came just short of the playoffs, going 9-8, and last in the NFC North. It seemed to be a very up-and-down season for the Lions, ultimately ending in fans being disappointed with the outcome.
To begin, they started 4-1 with notable wins over the Ravens and Bengals, but things started to take a turn. The Lions lost in Week 6, on Sunday Night Football to the Chiefs, starting a continuous pattern of winning and losing. They alternated between wins and losses for over two months without establishing any consistent momentum. This streak finally came to an end as they lost back-to-back games, as they lost to the Rams, Steelers, and the Vikings, ultimately eliminating them from the postseason. The Steelers’ game at Ford Field was very emotional, as they lost in the final seconds, absolutely shattering hopes of a postseason berth. Overall, they certainly did not meet expectations for this season.
After going 15-2 the year prior and having a historic season, it was disappointing to watch them decline. Like previous years, they kept the same offensive weapons, but they just couldn’t consistently get it done on defense. Last year, the Lions had a lot of injuries, especially on defense, and it never really caught up to them until they fell short against the Commanders in the Divisional Round. However, this year, it became an issue very quickly, as it just felt like another key piece of the defense went down after another. The secondary got very banged up, with Kerby Joseph, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch having season-ending injuries, as well as Derrick Barnes and Alim McNeil having to miss multiple games. These were key parts of the Lions’ defense, and they allowed nearly 25 points per game, which is statistically in the bottom 10 in the NFL. The offense at times just couldn’t keep up with shootouts, leading to plenty of losses this year.
On the bright side, the schedule has been released for each team next year, and Detroit certainly has a favorable one. Since they were last in the NFC North, they will play plenty of teams that finished at the bottom of the NFL standings. They certainly have the opportunity to bounce back next season, but they still have to make some necessary moves this offseason. Detroit holds the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft in April, and after plenty of research, they could go multiple ways with this.
A major problem that came up this year for the Lions was the offensive line, and without any improvements this could certainly come back to hurt them in the seasons ahead. Plenty of mock drafts have them taking standout offensive lineman Spencer Fano out of Utah, who was the Big-12 Lineman of the year in 2025, or All-SEC offensive Lineman Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama. Either of these would be an excellent selection for Detroit if Fano or Proctor were to be available. Taylor Decker is rumored to retire, so this pick-up would be great for that offensive line and fix multiple problems from this season.
Other potential picks for Detroit could address the secondary as well. It feels the secondary has been a focus for Detroit for a while now, but with Joseph and Branch being uncertain, it has become a priority. Players to look out for in their range are both All-SEC Tennessee Cornerback Jermod McCoy, and LSU Cornerback Mansoore Delane. Both of these corners are arguably the best in college football this year, and either pick-up for the Lions would make an immediate impact for their secondary. And if their star duo of Joseph and Branch returned, the Lions could have a high-rated defense.
Overall, there are plenty of holes to fill for the Lions after a disappointing season. Some are out of their control like injuries, but others like the defense and offensive line are critical to improve, and the right decisions and the right development could lead to a huge year for Detroit in 2026-27. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell aren’t strangers to challenges like this, and it’s up to them on how they will respond.
