How Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell rebuilt the Lions roster: Offense

The Detroit Lions have come a long way in a short time.

Much of the Lions’ recent success can be attributed to a well-developed rebuild at the hands of general manager Brad Holmes. The Lions could only go so far with the remnants of the failed regime under Bob Quinn, and when a rebuild necessitated a full teardown, the Lions had to go all-in on it. Many NFL teams have tried and failed to rebuild while staying competitive—the equivalent of duct taping the boat while sailing it. The Lions were bad in 2020, and when the new regime rolled in, they faced the tough reality: they needed to be bad to get better.

Head coach Dan Campbell was a breath of fresh air after the disaster that was Matt Patricia’s tenure in Detroit. He and his coaching staff made the most out of scraps, putting together the building block mentality that has defined the Lions’ success: grit. The Lions overhauled the roster not for the sake of change, but because the foundation of the Patricia era was built on ill-fitting players on bloated contracts. The only players from the old guard that remained were ones who had proved their worth on the field, not on a checkbook.

To truly appreciate how far the Lions have come, we need to look at where they came from. Specifically, I want to look at three points in time: the final year of the Patricia-Quinn era (2020), the first year of the Campbell-Holmes era (2021), and the current iteration of the Lions. These years should highlight why the Lions needed a rebuild, how they rebuilt, and where their rebuild has taken them.

First up, offense.

Note: For 2020 and 2021, only players who played over 100 snaps will be listed. For 2025, only players viewed as “likely” to make the roster will be listed.

Quarterback

2020: Matthew Stafford

The final season of the Matt Patricia era also marked the final season of the Matthew Stafford era. Stafford had a 4,000-yard season in 2020 despite a depleted cast around him (a recurring thread with these Lions), so the departure was far from performance-based. It was an inevitable split given the rebuild required after some disastrous years, but it still stung to see the once face of the franchise win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams immediately after.

2021: Jared Goff, Tim Boyle

Exit Stafford, enter Goff. The Lions hit the reset button in a major way, trading away their star quarterback for a quarterback in need of a reset himself. There was much debate about whether Goff, coming off a poor season with the Rams, would be a long-term option or a mere placeholder. 2021 was a rough campaign for Goff, missing time with injury and looking overwhelmed more often than not. The calls for a quarterback of the future grew, especially after witnessing Boyle at the helm for three horrendous outings.

2025: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker

A few years later, it is staggering how far the Lions have come under Goff, proving that they were wise to sticking with the former first-overall selection. Much like the roster around him, Goff has seen a resurgence after his initial early struggles in Detroit. Confidence is at the forefront of his success with the Lions. Whereas his 2021 self was struggling to trust the players around him and cratering when called upon, his present-day self shows incredible poise and his pocket presence has taken a phenomenal leap forward. The Lions still have some uncertainty at backup quarterback (could Hooker get usurped by Kyle Allen?), but there are few teams will sure-fire answers anyway.

Running back

2020: D’Andre Swift, Adrian Peterson, Kerryon Johnson

Despite the Lions spending the 35th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft on Swift, it was the aged Peterson that led the team in carries and yards. Swift outpaced Peterson in nearly every metric, yet it was Peterson handling a bulk of the touches on a weekly basis. Swift technically out-snapped him, but that was a byproduct of a 5-11 team trailing more often than not. Johnson excelled as a pass blocker, but sadly, years of injuries had taken their toll on the once-promising back.

2021: D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds, Godwin Igwebuike

Thankfully, Peterson was a one-and-done in Detroit, leaving room for an upgrade to complement Swift. That back would be Williams, and though his 17-touchdown campaign in 2022 would be the peak of his tenure, 2021 was still a positive improvement for the backfield. However, the luster was wearing off on Swift, whose explosive plays were too few and his mental miscues were too many. Factor in an inability to stay healthy, Swift would be dealt during the 2023 NFL Draft. Of note was the breakthrough of Reynolds, who went from a late training camp signee to a 200-yard rusher. He still remains on the roster to this day as valued depth on offense and special teams.

2025: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki

It has been the Gibbs and Montgomery show in Detroit, and 2025 projects to be no different. Gibbs was phenomenal in 2024 and could challenge for the mantle of best back in the NFL, while Montgomery is a near-perfect complement capable of toting the rock at a high level as well. They were the only Lions backs to reach 100 snaps last season, though Reynolds fell just one shy at 99.

Wide receiver

2020: Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola, Quintez Cephus, Marvin Hall, Mohamed Sanu, Kenny Golladay, Jamal Agnew

Prior to 2020, Golladay looked like a rising star, but his final year in Detroit was a giant red flag—one that the New York Giants missed during the following offseason. He missed a sizeable portion of the season due to injury, meaning the top receivers for Stafford were Jones, Amendola, and Cephus—a far-from-intimidating lineup. Jones nearly had a 1,000-yard campaign in his final year in Detroit, capping off a fairly impressive five-year tenure.

2021: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, Josh Reynolds, Trinity Benson, KhaDarel Hodge, Quintez Cephus, Tom Kennedy

Talk about an overhaul. Only two receivers returned to the Lions between 2020 and 2021: Cephus and Kennedy (who spent 2020 on the practice squad). Everywhere else, it was new faces for the receiving corps. Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman were signed to lead the receiving room, but it was instead Raymond who proved to be the most valuable free agent signing—Williams and Perriman combined to play one game for the Lions. It took a few weeks for St. Brown to take off, but he eventually put together a fantastic six-game stretch with 560 yards and five touchdowns to close out the year—little did we know this was the beginning of an elite career for the rookie. Meanwhile, the Lions swung and missed with a trade for Benson, but struck gold picking up Reynolds off waivers.

2025: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Isaac TeSlaa

St. Brown continues to be the unquestioned top threat in the receiving room (and among the league’s best). Williams emerged in 2024 as a dynamic weapon capable of blowing the top off any defense, finally putting together a campaign worthy of his draft spot. They pair nicely with Patrick, the de facto replacement for Reynolds last season, while the rookie TeSlaa projects as his long-term replacement. Raymond has seen a reduced role on offense, but he is still a valued contributor and depth option.

Tight end

2020: T.J. Hockenson, Jesse James

With the depleted receiving corps, it was Hockenson picking up the slack on offense, posting his best season as a Detroit Lion, though he still faced critics given his status as a former eighth-overall selection. It was viewed optimistically as his first 700-yard receiving season of many in Honolulu Blue, but it was actually his one and only. Meanwhile, 2020 was the final year of the horrendous four-year deal for James.

2021: T.J. Hockenson, Brock Wright, Darren Fells

Hockenson could not build upon his 2020 season, finishing the year with just 583 yards in 12 games, missing the conclusion of the season with a thumb injury. The Lions would pick up Hockenson’s fifth-year option the next year, but his long-term future was questionable—a question that was answered when he was shipped out of Detroit in 2022. The only other tight end to make a mark in 2021 was Wright, an undrafted rookie.

2025: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright

The Lions found a replacement for Hockenson in quick fashion, with LaPorta blossoming immediately into one of the NFL’s best. LaPorta took a step back in 2024 relative to his rookie season, but 726 receiving yards still eclipsed Hockenson’s best in Detroit—the future is still bright for LaPorta, as is the present. Wright, meanwhile, is locked in as TE2 on the roster, the undrafted player having carved out a nice role for himself. The Lions will likely carry a third tight end, but whether that is Shane Zylstra, Kenny Yeboah, or another name is still unclear.

Offensive line

2020: Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Tyrell Crosby, Oday Aboushi, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Joe Dahl, Matt Nelson

For all of the faults that the Lions had during this era, the offensive line was at least serviceable. The Lions had three solid starting linemen in Decker, Ragnow, and then-rookie Jackson. The remaining two spots saw a wide variety of names, however. Crosby and Vaitai were the starting right tackle and right guard, respectively, but injuries forced both in and out of the lineup over the course of the season. Vaitai in particular was a disappointment, brought in on a five-year, $50 million deal to be the starting right tackle, a spot he never claimed until Crosby got hurt. Aboushi made a surprising eight starts for the Lions in 2020, mostly at right guard. Meanwhile, 2020 marked the final snaps of Crosby’s career.

2021: Penei Sewell, Jonah Jackson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Evan Brown, Matt Nelson, Taylor Decker, Tommy Kraemer, Frank Ragnow, Ryan McCollum

The Lions entered 2021 with a great offensive line on paper. Decker, Jackson, and Ragnow returned after solid 2020 seasons. Vaitai was fully healthy and had an offseason to grow accustomed to right guard. Meanwhile, the Lions added a generational prospect in Sewell at right tackle. Injury luck did not work out for the Lions, however. Ragnow and Decker played just nine and four games, respectively. Coupled with Jackson and Vaitai missing a few games, we saw the likes of Brown, Nelson, Kraemer, and McCollum getting starts—how many of you genuinely remembered Ryan McCollum starting at center for the Lions?

2025: Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Dan Skipper, Giovanni Manu, Miles Frazier

Detroit enters 2025 with some serious question marks along the offensive line, but also some intriguing options. Sewell and Decker are locks, though every position along the interior is up for grabs. It is likely that Glasgow, Mahogany, and Ratledge will be the starters (though rookie Frazier could challenge), but their exact positions are still unknown. Glasgow has center experience, but will that spot go to him or converted rookie guard Ratledge? Mahogany was dominant in limited appearances in 2024, so the optimism is that he can continue that positive trend.