With DJ Reader agreeing to terms with the New York Giants this week, the Detroit Lions’ have now seen 11 of their own free agents sign elsewhere. You can see the full list of the Lions’ free agency losses and gains here with our 2026 Detroit Lions offseason tracker. For a team that really values […]
The 2026 Detroit Lions offseason figures to be a busy one. The team is going through a serious transition on the offensive line; they’ve already agreed to trade away a key skill position player, and with a bunch of pending free agents on the defensive side of the ball, the 2026 roster could look significantly […]
The Detroit Lions’ 2025 season was the first time in 15 years that an undrafted rookie didn’t make the team’s initial 53 50-man roster. Even players who appeared to have strong training camps—like safety Ian Kennelly—didn’t make the team or the practice squad. That said, a couple of those players have hung around a year […]
Former Detroit Lions nose tackle DJ Reader has reportedly agreed to terms to join the New York Giants. Per Ian Rapoport, it’s a two-year, $12.5 million deal for Reader, as the 31-year-old defensive lineman becomes the latest to leave the Lions this offseason via free agency. Reader had spent the last two years in Detroit, […]
It’s hard to grade individual moves in an NFL offseason without seeing the larger picture. How the Detroit Lions handled offensive tackle this offseason is the perfect example. Releasing Taylor Decker, on its own, seemed like the Lions were potentially going to get worse at tackle. The finances of the decision made sense, but for […]
The 2026 NFL schedule release is expected sometime in May, but we already know the 17 opponents for the Detroit Lions. Based on a repeating formula, the Lions’ nine home opponents and eight road opponents have already been determined. And based on that, strength of schedule can be calculated before the official schedule even drops. […]
There’s no such thing as “winning” the NFL Draft, but the closest a team can come to it is maximizing the value in each of their picks. Obviously, that simply means drafting the best players available to you, but every draft that challenge is easier for some teams than others. The more and earlier your […]
It is safe to say that after the letdown that was 2025, the Detroit Lions needed to hit reset in 2026. They did not require a major overhaul, but there was a clear need to add affordable talent. With limited capital in terms of salary and draft picks, it was going to be a difficult […]
With no Detroit Lions rookie minicamp this year, it may be a while before we’re formally introduced to what the 2026 NFL Draft class can do on the field. While the group of seven picks may participate in organized team activities (OTAs) at the end of this month, there will be a lot of other […]
The Detroit Lions traded up from pick 50 to pick 44 in the 2026 NFL Draft and selected edge defender from the University of Michigan, Derrick Moore. They gave up the latter of their two fourth round picks (pick 128) in order to make the deal with the New York Jets happen. Moore is a […]
No NFL Draft is perfect, and Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is not immune to the occasional miss. And while we here at Pride of Detroit are far from professional scouts, there are certainly times in which our outlook doesn’t align with that of Holmes. So in today’s 2026 NFL Draft roundtable discussion, our […]
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf is not facing any criminal chargers stemming from an incident with a fan during the team’s Week 16 win over the Detroit Lions. “No charges will be filed against Steelers player DeKaylin Metcalf for incident with a Lions fan at game in Detroit in December, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym […]
The Buffalo Bills picked Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant in the fifth round at No. 181 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. They acquired the selection in their trade back with the Lions earlier in the fifth round. This is the seventh piece in my rookie profile series, which is providing a detailed look […]
As Detroit Lions fans continue to get to know the newest athletes to don the Honolulu bBlue, some analysts are already identifying potential standout rookies. In a recent article, NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice named Keith Abney II a sleeper for Detroit. The Arizona State cornerback was drafted in the fifth round this year at pick No. […]
Every year, the lead-up to the draft feels like it takes forever. Then, draft weekend arrives, and the three-day process flies by in the blink of an eye. The 2026 NFL Draft was no different, and for all four teams in the NFC North, the emphasis on improving and separating themselves from the other teams […]
The Detroit Lions’ 2026 NFL Draft—like any year—is bound to have a profound impact on the overall roster. Some players will see their stock rise with the additions. Others may now have a tougher route to the roster or a starting job. Here are six winners and three losers when it comes to players who […]
Now that the 2026 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to the next big item of the NFL offseason—the 2026 schedule release. Back in the day, prior to social media being the force that it is now, the NFL’s schedule release format was fairly low key. There were no […]
With the Detroit Lions’ 2026 draft now nearly a full week in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for the Pride of Detroit staff to take inventory of what transpired. We’ve had time to read the scouting reports, listen to what Lions general manager Brad Holmes had to say about each pick, and do our own […]
The Detroit Lions defense needed some serious changes this offseason after the team’s efficiency dropped from the seventh-best scoring defense to 22nd in 2025. Detroit promised to look at everything, and while a complete overhaul of the scheme they’ve been using since 2021 was always unlikely, coaches have promised that they will tweak the system […]
With the Detroit Lions’ roster nearing completion toward the team’s 90-man limit, we’re starting to get a pretty good idea of what the team will look like for the 2026 NFL season. A team as stacked as the Lions doesn’t have a lot of starting jobs up for grabs. On offense, it’s pretty clear where […]
The 2026 NFL Draft may be done, but the Detroit Lions are still working to fill out their roster. On Wednesday, the team announced that they have signed defensive tackle Jay Tufele and linebacker Joe Bachie. Tufele—6-foot-3, 305 pounds—was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He only spent a single year […]
Matthew Stafford is both the reigning MVP and for the moment only the second-most notable quarterback on his own roster. That could be a first in NFL history. With the draft selection of Ty Simpson, the Los Angeles Rams have shifted the balance interest away from the 38-year-old MVP who is currently negotiating an adjusted […]
The picks are in, and star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is breaking down the 2026 Detroit Lions draft haul. Over on his show, the St. Brown Podcast, St. Brown said he feels general manager Brad Holmes and company did a great job addressing holes in the roster. “I feel like Blake (Miller) is exactly […]
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made it clear time and time again that the team will not draft a player simply because they fill a need. He’s mentioned several times throughout his tenure that doing so could put your team at risk of missing out on talent. “I actually think you can get in […]
When the Arizona Cardinals concluded last season, the receiver group looked pretty good as it was going forward. Michael Wilson had emerged as WR1, and there were injury issues with Marv Harrison. Along with TE Trey McBride, the pass catchers looked pretty good. Greg Dortch was a free agent and signed with the Detroit Lions, […]