Through five games, the Detroit Lions have a 3-2 record and plenty still to sort out. The early returns have been good enough to stay in the race, but the next stretch could say a lot more about this team, especially with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings coming out of the bye week at home.
A few players have already pushed their stock up. Others haven’t answered the bell.
One of the biggest bright spots has been the play of Marcus Davenport? Actually, the source lists Wonnum, and he has quickly become one of Detroit’s most productive front-line additions.
The Lions brought him in on a one-year deal hoping he could pair well with Aidan Hutchinson, and he has done more than that. Through five games, Wonnum leads the team with five sacks and has registered at least one in three straight games.
His career best for a season is eight, so he’s already in line for something special if this pace holds. He’s also been solid against the run, and his pass-rush win rate of 11.6 percent trails only Hutchinson and Alim McNeill among Lions defenders.
Jahmyr Gibbs has also taken full advantage of his expanded role after Detroit traded David Montgomery. The workload has been heavy, but Gibbs has looked like exactly what the Lions hoped he would be: a true difference-maker.
He ranks fourth in the league in rushing and is also on pace for a career-high in receptions. There are fair questions about how much he’s being asked to carry, but for now he’s handling it and then some.
Up front, Christian Mahogany has turned what could have been a shaky situation into a real win for the Lions. Detroit made no secret that he’d need to earn his job back, with veteran Ben Bartch added and Juice Scruggs also in the mix.
Injuries changed that competition, though, and Mahogany seized the opening. He missed the Week 2 loss to Buffalo, but across his first four starts he has played at a high level and helped settle the interior line.
His 86.4 overall offensive grade from Pro Football Focus ranks third on the team.
Not everyone has climbed the ladder.
Amik Robertson has had a rougher go of it at corner. The Lions needed him to play like a shutdown option after signing him to a three-year deal before last season, but that hasn’t happened.
He has allowed an opposing passer rating of 124.2, committed four penalties, and given up 17 completions on 27 targets. He has been steadier in run support, with a missed tackle rate of just 7.5 percent, but he has also surrendered two touchdowns.
With Detroit’s secondary under pressure, his performance matters more than ever, and it will be worth watching whether the team adds cornerback help before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
There’s also the matter of rookie EDGE rusher Detroit drafted in the second round, who has had a quiet opening to the season. He saw a career-high 20 snaps against Arizona last week, but had only 17 combined snaps over the previous two games. His pass-rush production has been limited to four total pressures, and Wonnum’s emergence has made it even harder for him to carve out more work in the rotation.
And then there’s the backfield depth chart behind Gibbs. Kenny Pacheco was supposed to back him up, but he still hasn’t played after suffering two training camp injuries and undergoing a procedure that is expected to keep him out until December. Given his injury history and the steady rise of Sione Vaki into the second running back role, Pacheco may not have much room left to make an impact in his first year on a one-year deal.
In Other News...
Former Lions Are Already Giving Detroit Fans Mixed Feelings Elsewhere
Former Lions who landed with new teams this offseason are already stirring up some complicated feelings for Detroit fans, and not always for the reasons anyone expected. The latest updates have been a mixed bag: some familiar faces have settled into new roles and produced the sort of reliable work that made them useful in Detroit, while others are still sorting through early bumps in their fresh starts elsewhere.
David Montgomerys move to the Texans has come with a significant health concern after he suffered a groin injury, and his status now hangs in the balance as the week goes on. Kalif Raymonds stint with the Bears and DJ Readers arrival with the Giants have also given the Lions another reminder that the league has a habit of recycling talent quickly, even if the immediate returns are uneven and a few familiar names are already headed down very different paths. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Gave Lions Fans A Needed Laugh Amid Bigger Concerns
After Detroits road win over Arizona pushed the Lions back above .500, the mood around the team had plenty to celebrate, even if the questions on the field have not gone away. The offense looked the part in a 45-21 result, but the bigger concern remains the defense, which has been struggling badly despite still leading the league in sacks.
Against that backdrop, a viral fan video offered a lighter moment for Dan Campbell and the fan base. Mariannes clip of the Lions coach caught enough attention to make the rounds online, and it even reached Holly Campbell, who noticed it, liked it and then reposted it on her own story. In a week when the conversation in Detroit has centered on what still needs fixing, it was a small reminder that Campbell remains the kind of figure who can give fans a laugh even when the bigger issues are still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Lions O-Line Is Creating A Problem Detroit Fans Will Love
The Lions went into the 2026 season looking to stabilize a unit that had been too uneven a year ago, and the early returns have been better than even the most optimistic projections. Detroit overhauled the group with a few notable offseason additions, bringing in center Cade Mays, using a draft pick on right tackle Blake Miller, and trading for guard Juice Scruggs, while the familiar anchor remained Penei Sewell on the edge.
The result has been a front that looks deeper, tougher and far more reliable across the board, with several linemen earning strong grades through the opening stretch. Sewell has continued to set the tone, Miller has stepped in with poise, and Scruggs has given the offense another valuable piece up front, leaving Detroit with the kind of problem every contender wants: figuring out how to keep a good thing together as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]