Real football ‘bout to happen. And yep, we all have angles we are interested in. I am interested in rookie and second year development for sure. I am interested in a handful of guys staying healthy OR showing up healthy. Here are the battles and story lines I am following closely:
OT: Larry Borom V. rookie Blake Miller. I do think Blake wins this battle but is Larry a viable swing guy? Is he maybe better than what we think? Is Blake that good? I think Blake wins this battle based on his experience and athletic ability in the end. See Miles Fraser sub plot below.
LOG battle featuring Juice Scruggs V. Christian Mahogany V. Miles Fraser V. Ben Bartch. All these guys are viable NFL players. Hell, Miles at guard OR tackle as a subplot. Fraser is better than Manu (who I think is gone). If OT is Sewell, Miller, Borom and Fraser I like that but LOG is still a hell of a battle.
CB…Reed’s health followed by a hell of a battle between Rakestraw V. Rock Ya Sin V. Roger McCreary (likely an inside guy). I think Rock wins. Abney’s development is a side story as is Nick Whiteside. With Arnold gone at CB we are thin but there is still talent there. I think Rock is better than Arnold right now. What does Rake bring to the table?
Can Vaki actually be a running back at all?! Is Isaih Pacheco a decent RB or are we in trouble at RB?
At safety the Branch/Joseph injuries but I am VERY interested in Christian Izien. Can this kid play and what is his role? Is Thomas Harper for real? I expect our veteran depth to be okay overall.
At DE is DJ Wannum for real too? Is Payton Turner a complete bust or is there hope there? What does Moore bring to the table. Big questions there. What can Ahmed Hassanein do?
At DT we sure as hell are putting a LOT of pressure on Levi being healthy. Past that, is Wingo legit? I liked him as a rookie. Last year was a nothing year. Talent issue or lingering health issues? Can a young DT step up and secure a rotation role?
At LBer of course Rolder will be fun to watch. But how Rodrigo responds to competition now is a more interesting story? Does Damone Clark have real NFL game? He might be a dark horse too.
Yes, there are MANY other story lines to watch but the above 8 have me captivated. What are your thoughts?
I think Borom will be one of the better swing tackles in the nfl. Started 14 games last year.
Hoping Pacheco is healthy and he and Gibbs stay that way.
Feels like the 2 late round DT’s we took in the draft will probably mean Wingo is done in Detroit imo. Love the competition though and maybe he fights his way to a roster spot.
I think Abney is gonna be on the outside and we better get him ready to play. I like the overall depth in the secondary especially if Kerby is healthy and BB gets back on the field. .
Definitely think we will be better against the run this year if the front 7 stays healthy. AQM was a liability against the run but could definitely get after the passer.
Little bit I watched of Turner just didn’t get me excited. Hope I’m wrong there. First round talent so worth a look.
For me, if Borom beats out Miller, I wouldn’t only be shocked but I would be highly concerned. We can’t really afford for RT to be a weak spot.
Due to the big competition at LG, I expect a solid starter to emerge here. Love that there are so many options with at least some success/experience.
I would like to see an outside guy added. And there are viable players out there. Overall, I like the position group, but another guy added would be comforting.
Pacheco is a legit #2. I’m happy with the Monty replacement. Don’t care for either behind him though. Hoping we add one of the many who will but cut/traded before the season in crowded backfields.
For having 2 stars with question marks, I really like the rest of the group. Cool with them.
I think the combination of Wonnum/Moore can be really solid. The Dline overall I expect to be much better.
Barnes is the key at LBer for me. Just need one to be above average (and healthy) to have + unit beside Jack.
I have pretty high expectations for the upcoming season. But I’m even more excited about the future. All position groups have either established or high upside talent for the future. We win a SB before 2030!!!
Yes last year we essentially had 3 nose tackles in Reader, Lopez and Tyleik. Now we have Tyleik and? Like you said he’s gonna be playing a lot of snaps
Here’s how I see the lineup. Of course, injuries could punch holes in this analysis.
Note: Joseph, Branch, Mahogany, Decker, Anzalone, DJ Reed, LaPorta, Hutch, McNeil, and some others all had their season spoiled either by injury or injury recovery aftermath. That accounts for my belief that they can be better in 2026. Gibbs will better by volume.
2025 vs 2026
Goff Goff =
Gibbs Gibbs +
Monty Pacheco -
LaPorta LaPorta +
Amon-Ra Amon-Ra =
Jamo Jamo =
Teslaa Teslaa +
Raymond Dortch =
Sewell Decker ++
Mahogany LG Winner + (even if LG winner IS Mahogany I expect progression).
Glasgow Mays +
Rat Rat +
Sewell Miller -
Hutch Hutch +
McNeil McNeil +
Williams Williams +
AQM/rotation Wonnum/Moore/rotation +
Campbell Campbell =
Barnes Barnes =
Anzalone Rodrigo - not much of a minus, Anzalone was starting to dwindle last year
Amik McCreary =
Terrion/Ya Sin Ya Sin + I think Ya-Sin was a better corner anyway
DJ Reed injured DJ Reed +
Branch Safety Unknown - Even if Branch comes back this year, he may not have a great year.
Joseph injured Joseph Healthy??/Maddox/Harper + Didn’t really HAVE Joseph for most of 25, anyway.
My outlook is optimistic. If the Oline interior is simply not a weakness this offense will be more consistent and explosive. The defense has lots of opportunity for improvement over 2025. I think even without Joseph and Branch this secondary can be at least competitive, If DJ Reed is healthy and plays like he did before the hamstring.
I think OP list is top notch. I would add which Alim McNeil are we going to get. If he plays like the one that earned his contract, the entire rest of the DL will be exponentially better.
Second major story line. What does a Drew Petzing offense look like with our pieces?
Right Rod. Alim ‘s play likely determines the path of this defense. He needs to be our top pressure guy AND he has to play the run well. Time to earn that paycheck Alim and I think he is ready for the battle.
Levi is the top rotational guy. Who do we have after Levi? Wingo and the rookies. Gonna need Alim, TyLeik and Levi to be huge this season. As they go the D goes.
Anything close to a performance tie and the rookie gets the nod. Which probably makes sense. But Borom is a good player, and would be a great swing tackle. A real relief after Skipper/Manu.
If Mahogs is the frontrunner at LG, it shouldn’t be by much. Bartch is no slouch and I expect a healthy Frazier, having gotten a sobering taste of life in the NFL trenches last year, to be formidable. I love what Brad did here.
In re actual performance, TA’s not much of a loss. Not having him hurts depth and we now have no one we can hope could develop into a top CB (unless Rakestraw surprises).
I think a healthier Pacheco behind what is hopefully much-improved line play will be just fine. No DMo, but good enough. I’ve never seen anything to be excited about from Vaki, so… But I’m more anxious about Jah holding up than about what’s going on behind him.
Won’t lie: still panging a bit after the Lions almost landed Bain in that draft. That one hurt. I think the run D will be much-improved in any case. But Hutch, Levi, Alim, and Bain on passing downs? Lordy, would have liked to see that.
Agreed on Levi. Lopez and Connor departures leave very little proven depth behind our DT starters.
A couple other storylines I’m definitely intrigued by:
TeSlaa. Once he learns how to get some consistent separation I just don’t think see how they’ll be able to keep him off the field.
The whole right side of the OL. A newbie who’s also newly a default starter at center, a 2nd-year player, and a rookie. Lotta pressure on those guys.
Admittedly, this one is less about competition and more about availability. The 2025 season was a devastating one for Joseph.
Gain: CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
When the Lions released Terrion Arnold, Rakestraw immediately moved up the depth chart and finds himself with a real shot at playing time, in ways he didn’t previously.
Lose: LG Christian Mahogany
There was plenty of optimism about Mahogany entering the starting lineup around this time last year. He filled in admirably in a couple spot-starts as a rookie, while missing his first NFL training camp with mononucleosis. The Lions needed to save money, and having a sixth-round guard with upside on a rookie contract made all the sense in the world. But last year, Mahogany looked like just that — a sixth-round guard with upside. He struggled in pass protection, spent time on injured reserve and probably wants nothing more than to put last season behind. However, unlike last season, the Lions now have competition at the position.
Gain: Edge Derrick Moore and LB Jimmy Rolder
We’ll group the Michigan rookies together for this one. Neither had to travel far to get to Detroit, and they might not have to wait long to see the field, either.
Lose: RB Isiah Pacheco
When the Lions traded David Montgomery and signed Pacheco, most assumed the Lions had their 1-2 punch. Pacheco, when healthy, can do much of the dirty work for this offense as a physical runner and short-yardage option who can be a plus in pass pro. That said, he’ll need to prove his best days aren’t already behind him.
yeah, its funny AQM gets the blame by some for us not stopping the run game. but it was the play of our 3 NT, that had the collapse there. AQM was not great but he wasnt a liability either.
