Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Lions' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Detroit Lions Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Edge Rusher
2. Offensive Line
3. Defensive Line

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Detroit Lions 2026 Draft Capital

The Lions have the 19th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Detroit Lions Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Lions to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Detroit Lions Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Detroit Lions, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Jared Goff
2. Teddy Bridgewater

Jared Goff posted another strong campaign in 2025.

Goff completed 68% of his passes last season (5th) for 7.9 yards per pass attempt (6th) with a 5.9% touchdown rate (6th) and a 1.4% interception rate (7th).

Goff has thrown at least 29 touchdown passes in each of the past four seasons and is the only quarterback to have 30 or more touchdown passes in each of the past three seasons.

Goff still carries a palatable cap hit this season at $37.6 million (12.5% of the cap), but then he jumps to $62.6 million (19.4%) and $69.6 million (19.6%) over the final two years of his current contract.

Running Back

1. Jahmyr Gibbs
2. Isiah Pacheco
3. Jacob Saylors
4. Sione Vaki
5. Jabari Small
6. Kye Robichaux

Jahmyr Gibbs produced 1,839 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns on a career-high 320 touches last season.

Gibbs has seen his workload increase each year in the NFL, going from 234 touches as a rookie to 302 in 2024, and then to that high last year.

He played 737 snaps (67%) after 596 snaps and 639 snaps in the first two years.

With Detroit moving on from David Montgomery this offseason, Gibbs should be expected to keep raising his opportunity share in the offense.

Since entering the league in 2023, only Bijan Robinson (5,648) and Derrick Henry (5,240) have produced more yardage than Gibbs (5,029) at his position.

Gibbs is in the final season of his rookie season and is set for a big payday.

Detroit has not yet picked up his fifth-year option for 2027 (which is $14.3 million), but they are all but certain to do so as the two sides work on a potential long-term contract.

The Lions added Isiah Pacheco to a one-year deal (at only $1.8 million) after the trade for Montgomery.

Looking for a fresh start, Pacheco has not been the same player since suffering a broken leg two years ago.

Pacheco has averaged 3.8 yards per rush over the last two seasons (39th out of 44 running backs with at least 200 attempts), a 35.3% success rate (33rd), with a 6.5% rate of runs for 10 or more yards (42nd).

His 2.60 yards after contact per rush is 42nd on that list.

This is far from an immediate need, but Detroit could add a back on Day 3 as contractual depth and competition to push Pacheco as the RB2.

Wide Receiver

1. Amon-Ra St. Brown
2. Jameson Williams
3. Isaac TeSlaa
4. Greg Dortch
5. Tom Kennedy
6. Jackson Meeks
7. Malik Cunningham
8. Dominic Lovett

Amon-Ra St. Brown was excellent again last season, securing 117 receptions for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns.

St. Brown has at least 90 receptions in all five of his seasons, with 100-plus receptions in each of the past four years.

He was targeted on 30.4% of his routes (WR3) with 31.3% of Detroit's targets (WR2), posting 2.48 yards per route run (WR7).

St. Brown also has caught double-digit touchdowns in each of the past three seasons.

St. Brown is signed through 2028, with cap hits of $33.1 million (11%), $29 million (9%), and $41 million (11.6%) over the remaining terms of his deal.

Things got off to a bumpy start for Jameson Williams in 2025.

Through the opening seven games of the season, Williams had just 17 receptions for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.

His role had reverted to that of a vertical lid lifter.

Over that span, Williams averaged 17.0 air yards per target with 33.3% of his targets coming on throws 20 or more yards downfield.

Then over the final 10 games of the season, Williams caught 48 passes for 828 yards and a team-high 5 touchdowns.

He was fifth among wide receivers in receiving yards over that stretch.

Dan Campbell took over play-calling while Sam LaPorta was out of the lineup as a catalyst for sparking his rebound to end the season, as the Lions got him the football at the intermediate level more often.

Over those final 10 games, Williams had a depth of target of 10.8 air yards with only 15.3% of his targets coming on throws 20 or more yards downfield.

Williams signed a three-year extension last offseason, keeping him on the books through 2029.

Isaac TeSlaa only caught 16 passes during his rookie season, but 6 of them resulted in touchdowns.

He only ran a route on 47% of the dropbacks, a role that should be expanded with Kalif Raymond leaving in free agency.

Raymond was on the field for 35% of the dropbacks last year.

Detroit also added Greg Dortch to fill the vacated role of Raymond, a similar archetype of slot receiver plus returner.

Tight End

1. Sam LaPorta
2. Brock Wright
3. Tyler Conklin
4. Zach Horton
5. Thomas Gordon

Sam LaPorta only appeared in nine games last season due to a herniated disc.

Detroit initially hoped that LaPorta would miss only two to three weeks, but he was forced to undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.

LaPorta is expected to be available for training camp as a full go.

LaPorta had a solid year when he was available.

He averaged 2.0 yards per route run, which ranked fourth among tight ends last year who ran 200 or more routes.

LaPorta is in the final year of his rookie contract.

Detroit has the franchise tag as a potential fallback if the two sides cannot work out a long-term deal, which is somewhat complicated by the timing of having to pay Gibbs after contracts have already been given to St. Brown and Williams.

Detroit could look to add some insurance in the draft, but they currently have viable veteran depth in Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin in the short term.

Offensive Line

LT: Penei Sewell, Giovanni Manu
LG: Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch
C: Cade Mays, Michael Niese, Seth McLaughlin
RG: Tate Ratledge, Juice Scruggs, Mason Miller
RT: Larry Borom, Colby Sorsdal, Devin Cochran

The Detroit offensive line had a wealth of issues last season, especially over the back half of the year.

They ended up closing the season 31st in ESPN's pass block win rate (56%) and 20th in run block win rate (71%).

The Lions were 22nd in success rate on running back runs (37.8%) after ranking third in 2024 (44.6%).

They went from allowing a 32.6% pressure rate in 2024 (10th) to a 36.2% rate last season (17th).

Frank Ragnow’s retirement in June was a surprise, and Detroit never replaced him in the season.

Graham Glasgow moved to center in the wake of Ragnow’s retirement and struggled while missing three games.

Glasgow was released at the start of the offseason.

Injuries were a major thorn for this unit.

The starters played only 32.4% of snaps together, ranking 22nd in the league.

Tate Ratledge was the only starter who did not miss multiple games.

Left guard was a mess for the offense most of the season.

Christian Mahogany missed six games, but he struggled even while he was active.

Mahogany ranked 48th overall among guards in total grade per Pro Football Focus, allowing a 6.6% pressure rate (80th among guards).

His backup, Kayode Awosika, came in and allowed a 6% pressure rate and ranked 50th in run blocking grade at his position.

Detroit signed Cade Mays from Carolina to take over at center, while they added Juice Scruggs in the Montgomery trade to potentially compete for snaps with Mahogany and provide depth on the inside.

Mays has had trouble staying on the field, missing 11 games the past two seasons with the Panthers.

Scruggs struggled mightily in Houston, but he does have experience playing both guard positions and center over his three years in the NFL.

With Scruggs in the final year of his rookie contract and Mahogany struggling in both of his first two seasons, Detroit can look to upgrade left guard.

They already addressed right guard last season with Ratledge in the second round.

Ratledge played 99% of the offensive snaps as a rookie, allowing a 3.7% pressure rate in his first season.

Right tackle is wide open.

Penei Sewell is expected to move over to left tackle following the retirement of Taylor Decker.

Sewell did not slide over there last year when Decker missed time, but he has played 683 career snaps at left tackle so far.

Right now, Larry Borom is penciled in at right tackle after signing a one-year deal this offseason for $5 million.

Borom started 11 games at right tackle for Miami last season.

Detroit Lions Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Detroit Lions, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Alim McNeill
2. Tyleik Williams
3. Levi Onwuzurike
4. Chris Smith
5. Mekhi Wingo
6. Myles Adams

Detroit’s run defense took a step back in 2025, finishing 18th in yards per carry allowed to running backs (4.3) and 30th in negative run rate on those carries.

They likely expected more given the talent available, but injuries limited the defensive line group last year.

Alim McNeill did not play until Week 7 because of a knee injury suffered in 2024, and Levi Onwuzurike missed the entire year because of a knee injury of his own.

McNeill did not play at the same level in his return from injury, but that was to be expected.

He should be able to anchor this unit after a healthy offseason.

Onwuzurike is already 28 and has played just 1,163 defensive snaps in his career, though he did show well in his only extended run of action in 2024.

The Lions also spent a first-round pick on Tyleik Williams last year.

He was fine but not great as a rookie.

With DJ Reader and Roy Lopez gone, the Lions need Williams to take a step forward and Onwuzurike to stay healthy to really solidify this unit.

Adding someone else to the group also would not hurt.

Edge Defenders

1. Aidan Hutchinson
2. D.J. Wonnum
3. Payton Turner
4. Tyler Lacy
5. Ahmed Hassanein

The Lions finished 17th in pressure rate last season (36.8%), but they ranked fourth with 49 sacks.

Aidan Hutchinson continues to be an elite pass rusher, posting a 17.5% pressure rate and finishing fourth in the league with 14.5 sacks last year.

The spot opposite him is the concern.

Al-Quadin Muhammad had a career year for the Lions in 2025, but he left in free agency.

D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner were added on small deals in free agency.

Wonnum was 92nd among 108 qualified pass rushers in pressure rate last season.

A former first-round pick, Turner played 31 games in four seasons with the Saints before missing all of last year with a broken rib.

He has 5 career sacks.

Very simply, the Lions have to add a real pass rush threat opposite Hutchinson, and it would not be a surprise if they did that in the first round.

Linebacker

1. Jack Campbell
2. Derrick Barnes
3. Malcolm Rodriguez
4. Damone Clark
5. Trevor Nowaske

Alex Anzalone left in free agency, opening up a big hole in Detroit’s linebacking corps.

Jack Campbell established himself as an elite linebacker last season, finishing fifth among qualifying linebackers in run stuffs (19), ranking first among that group in tackle rate against runs (27.6%), and allowing just 5.8 yards per target in coverage.

Campbell earned first-team All-Pro honors for his efforts.

Derrick Barnes is also back after starting 17 games last season.

He did not play at Campbell’s level – few did – but he was a solid option who should retain a big role in 2026.

The questions start after Barnes for a team that used three linebackers more than any other team in the league last season.

Detroit re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez to a one-year deal.

He did not get much work last year after suffering a torn ACL late in 2024, but he could be thrust into a bigger role now another year removed from injury.

Damone Clark was added in free agency, but he fell out of favor in Dallas before getting waived and finishing last season with the Texans.

The average NFL team would have enough to get by at linebacker with this group, but the Lions’ history of linebacker use suggests they need to add someone else.

Cornerback

1. Terrion Arnold
2. D.J. Reed
3. Roger McCreary
4. Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
5. Rock Ya-Sin
6. Khalil Dorsey
7. Nick Whiteside

The Lions finished 24th in yards per attempt allowed (7.3) last season, but they were 15th in EPA allowed per pass.

With no indications that Terrion Arnold had any involvement with a Florida robbery case that made the news in March – Arnold’s name was allegedly mentioned in text messages, though he was not involved with those messages – the Lions’ biggest concern for their young cornerback is health.

He was limited to eight games in his sophomore season, most notably by a shoulder injury.

Arnold also took a step back, allowing 8.0 yards per target and a 101.5 quarterback rating in coverage.

A free agent addition last year, D.J. Reed also missed time in his first season with the Lions, something that has been a concern throughout his career, and he also was not at his best in 2025.

Arnold and Reed have the talent to be a top duo, but they need to be better in 2026.

Amik Robertson left in free agency, and the Lions replaced him with Roger McCreary.

McCreary can do the job as the No. 3 corner, but the Lions would be better off if they got something out of Ennis Rakestraw Jr, a 2024 second-round pick who missed all of last season.

The Lions also re-signed Avonte Maddox, who is listed below with the safeties but could also work as the nickel corner.

Both because of injuries and disappointing play, Detroit’s corner group did not play up to its talent in 2025.

They probably do not need to add to this group, but the depth chart behind the top two is far from set.

Safety

1. Brian Branch
2. Kerby Joseph
3. Avonte Maddox
4. Chuck Clark
5. Christian Izien
6. Dan Jackson
7. Thomas Harper
8. Loren Strickland

The Lions would be set at safety if everyone were healthy, but unfortunately, that is not a given heading into the 2026 season.

Brian Branch suffered an Achilles tear in December, putting his availability for Week 1 in doubt.

Kerby Joseph played his final game in Week 6 of last season, and the discussion about his recovery has raised concerns that his knee injury could continue to linger into 2026.

The Lions were active in free agency, re-signing Avonte Maddox while adding Chuck Clark and Christian Izien.

All three can do a job for the Lions if needed – Maddox was basically an every-snap player over the last month of the season – but the Lions need their two stars healthy for this defense to be as good as it can be.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams