The Detroit Lions’ roster has been built the hard way, with the draft doing most of the heavy lifting. Brad Holmes has committed to that draft-and-develop approach, and even with a few misses along the way, he’s assembled a core that looks built to last.
That’s a big reason ESPN’s panel slotted Detroit third on its list of teams with the brightest future, specifically for the 2027-29 window. Only the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles ranked ahead of them.
The panel - Ben Solak, Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder - pointed to the Lions’ leadership and the young talent already in place as the foundation for another long run of contention. Solak highlighted how Holmes is now beginning to pay the 2023 draft class that helped spark the turnaround, but still stressed the stability at the top.
“As GM Brad Holmes begins paying the legendary 2023 draft class that galvanized this Lions turnaround, future contention becomes tougher and tougher in Detroit,” Solak wrote. “But between Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, the Lions' leadership is unquestionable.
And Detroit's group of young stars entering their primes (RB Jahmyr Gibbs, LB Jack Campbell, OT Penei Sewell and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) is as deep as any.”
Still, the future picture isn’t spotless. Riddick raised questions about the defense, starting with the pass rush.
The Lions have searched for more consistency opposite Aidan Hutchinson for multiple years, and that issue remains unresolved. He also flagged the secondary, where both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are working back from major injuries.
“I still have concerns about the Lions' ability to rush the passer at a championship level (26th in pass rush win rate last season), although rookie 2026 second-round pick Derrick Moore could lessen some of the burden on Aidan Hutchinson,” Riddick wrote. “What is of more concern is the secondary, where Brian Branch is trying to come back from an Achilles tear and Kerby Joseph is rehabbing a knee injury. Both are among the best in the league at their position, so it would be a major blow if they can't get back to their top form.”
Walder went even further with Hutchinson, making a direct prediction about the edge rusher’s next step. Hutchinson is coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2025, when he posted a personal-best 14.5 sacks. He had been on pace for a monster 2024 before a season-ending leg injury, then came back and showed little sign the injury had dulled him.
Walder believes that’s only the beginning.
“Hutchinson will win Defensive Player of the Year,” Walder penned. “His five pre-injury games in 2024 always stick out in my mind, when he had 7.5 sacks and an obscene 35.0% pass rush win rate at edge (Danielle Hunter led qualifiers that year at 26.1%).
Of course, that was a small sample. But Hutchinson has the capability to be an elite -- even the best -- edge rusher over a whole season.”
Detroit’s ceiling is part of what keeps the buzz around the team so high. The Lions are viewed as one of the league’s best candidates to go from worst to first in their division, and even in a loaded NFC North where every team finished with a winning record, they still have the kind of healthy roster that can push them into serious contention.
So while the 2026 season will bring its own pressure, the bigger picture is clear: the Lions aren’t just trying to stay relevant now. They’ve built enough through the draft to believe this can stretch well beyond the next year.
In Other News...
Dan Campbells Lions Bet On Roster Depth After Another O-Line Setback
The Lions spent the 2026 summer without any joint practices, and Dan Campbells reasoning came back to the same place he has leaned on so often: roster depth and internal competition. With injury concerns part of the calculation, Campbell pointed to a group he believes can push itself without outside help, including several players who made the NFLs Top 100, a sign that Detroit feels it can keep its edge in-house while sorting through camp.
Cade Mays wrist fracture has only sharpened that test up front. The newly signed center is expected to miss 8-10 weeks, leaving Tate Ratledge and Juice Scruggs to handle the work at center for now and adding another layer of uncertainty to an offensive line already dealing with a setback. For a team that wants answers from its own locker room, the next stretch will say a lot about how real that depth actually is. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Get An Early Break In A Week 1 Matchup That Matters
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Jordyn Tyson is also set to miss about two months because of a hamstring injury, further thinning out a Saints offense that was counting on getting through the early part of the season intact. For Detroit, it is the kind of early break that can matter in September, especially in a game where every edge helps shape the tone of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have Big Lineup Questions Heading Into Saturday
Saturdays second preseason game against the Washington Commanders comes with a familiar summer task for the Lions: sorting out a few of the most important spots on the roster before the games start counting. Right tackle is still up for grabs between rookie Blake Miller and veteran Larry Borom, while the edge rush picture has D.J. Wonnum and Ahmed Hassanein pushing to make their case. The secondary is no less unsettled, with Rock Ya-Sin seemingly in line to start opposite D.J. Reed and Keith Abney II battling Roger McCreary for the nickel job.
The back end of the defense has only become trickier with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the physically unable to perform list, leaving Detroit to manage some early-season uncertainty at a premium position group. For a team that likes to build its identity on depth and versatility, these are the kinds of decisions that can shape how the first month looks, even if the final answers are still a little ways off. [Read more 🡒]