In Detroit, everything starts in the trenches. The Lions’ climb to contender status has been powered by brute force up front — and early 2026 NFL Draft projections suggest Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell aren’t done building a bully on the line of scrimmage.

While Hutchinson remains the engine of Detroit’s pass-rush, adding another proven EDGE defender could elevate the entire defense to the next level. With that said, here are three defensive ends – varying in level of affordability – the Lions could target this offseason.

Despite only lasting two seasons in Detroit, former Lions' 1st-rounder-turned-police officer talks about how the NFL prepared him for his current role.

The Lions need to add a few playmakers this offseason. Here are 3 sneaky good free agents who Detroit should pursue during free agency.

Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions did not live up to expectations in the 2025 NFL season, as they missed the playoffs just one season after earning the No. 1 s