The Detroit Lions had more than one problem in their 41-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, but the biggest one may be the one that keeps showing up: their recent draft classes just haven’t delivered enough.
A leaky offensive line, a shorthanded secondary and an offense that didn’t wake up until late all helped sink Detroit. Still, the Bills also exposed something deeper. The Lions’ recent influx of young talent hasn’t produced much impact, and that lack of cheap, reliable depth showed up in a big way.
Brad Holmes built the Lions’ foundation through the draft from 2021 through 2023. His first pick as general manager, alongside head coach Dan Campbell, was Penei Sewell at No. 7 overall in 2021, and that class also brought in Alim McNeil, Derrick Barnes and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The 2022 group was even stronger. It started with Aidan Hutchinson going No. 2 overall, then Holmes landed Jameson Williams in a trade up with the Minnesota Vikings and later added Kerby Joseph in the third round and Malcolm Rodriguez in the sixth.
That momentum carried into 2023, when Detroit took Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round and then got Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in the second round.
Since then, though, the returns have dropped off hard.
Terrion Arnold’s time in Detroit ended after he was charged with eight felonies following an alleged kidnapping incident, and he had already been underperforming before the legal trouble. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a 96.9 passer rating when targeted over his first two seasons.
The rest of the 2024 class hasn’t done much to change the story. Ennis Rakestraw, Giovanni Manu and Mekhi Wingo are among the names that have fallen short, and the 2025 group has been uneven too.
Tyleik Williams and Tate Ratledge have become starters, but the rest of the class has largely been quiet. On Thursday, with 2026 first-rounder Blake Miller out because of a knee injury, second-round pick Derrick Moore posted a 49.4 overall grade, had no tackles and recorded one pressure on 17 defensive snaps.
That lack of development mattered against Buffalo. With Joseph and Branch unavailable, Josh Allen carved up the Lions for 248 passing yards and three touchdowns. And with Miller sidelined, Detroit had to lean on Larry Borom, who gave up seven quarterback pressures and two sacks across 44 pass-rushing snaps.
There were other places where young, affordable help would have made a difference. Instead, Buffalo looked like the more complete team for most of the night, and Detroit’s late two-touchdown push only made the final score look a little closer.
The problem isn’t just about one loss, either. If the Lions don’t start getting meaningful production from these recent draft classes, the margin for error gets awfully thin. And because Detroit hasn’t been picking near the top of the draft, it may have to keep searching for stopgaps in free agency as some of the core players from those early classes get older or become too expensive to retain.
The Lions have plenty to clean up before hosting the New York Jets in Week 3. But if the young players from the recent drafts don’t start contributing soon, Thursday night could end up looking like a warning sign for both the present and the future.
In Other News...
Lions Got Caught In Buffalo's Big Night For One Clear Reason
The Lions found themselves on the wrong end of Buffalos first night at the new Highmark Stadium, a 41-31 Bills win that felt as much like a franchise celebration as a regular-season opener. The pregame and in-game scene had the full Buffalo treatment, from live mascots to Bills Mafia table-breaking and a performance by the Barenaked Ladies singing O Canada, all of it building a loud, charged backdrop for a team eager to christen its new home the right way.
Josh Allen made sure the occasion belonged to Buffalo on the field, too, with five total touchdowns powering the Bills past Detroit. For the Lions, it was the kind of game where the atmosphere, the opponent and the stakes all seemed to point in one direction, and Buffalo seized the moment from the opening emotions of the night. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Fans Finally Have An Update After That Brutal DJ Moore Injury
There was a collective exhale after DJ Moore went down against the Lions, because any shoulder injury to a top pass-catcher can look worse in real time than it does once the cameras pull back. The Bills wide receiver was checked out after the hit, and the early read is encouraging for Buffalo and anyone who was watching that moment with a little extra concern. He was able to walk off the field on his own, and the team sent him for an X-ray before getting a clearer picture.
For now, the injury is being treated as day to day, with medical sources not considering it serious and a chance he suits up next against the Chargers. For the Lions, it is a reminder of how quickly one collision can become a storyline that lingers beyond the final whistle, especially when the player involved is central to an opponents offense. The immediate scare appears to have passed, but the next update will still matter for both teams short-term outlooks. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Face A Jared Goff Problem Against The Jets
The Lions loss to Buffalo was about a lot more than one bad afternoon, but the pass protection issues stood out immediately. Jared Goff was under pressure on 38.6 percent of his dropbacks and took four sacks, a reminder that Detroits offense can look a lot different when the pocket starts collapsing around him. With injuries already thinning out the offensive line, the timing is not ideal for a group trying to steady itself.
Cade Mays, Christian Mahogany and Blake Miller have all been part of the lines recent shuffle, and Miller and Mahogany may be on track to return for the next game against the Jets. Even so, New Yorks defense flashed real bite as a pass rush in Week 1, which gives Detroit another sturdy test up front. For a team built around timing and rhythm, the health of the line could end up being the biggest storyline before Goff even takes his first snap. [Read more 🡒]