The Detroit Lions' exciting 2024 campaign ended abruptly in the divisional round of the playoffs. Without much time to dwell on the loss, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has an uphill battle to climb in the 2025 offseason and NFL free agency market.
Despite Dan Campbell's meteoric rise, the Lions will endure a tough road to build on that success in 2025. Both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have received significant head coaching interest around the league. Both could leave the team over the offseason, which would be detrimental to the system and chemistry Campbell has built over the years.
In addition to the coaching concerns, Detroit will see a large portion of its locker room leave over the summer. Twenty-three members of the Lions' current roster will become unrestricted free agents. Holmes would love to retain all of them, but only a handful will don Honolulu Blue in the fall.
Amid the uncertainty, Holmes has to lead the Lions to a near-perfect free agency offseason pursuit if they wish to return to title contention in 2025.
Lions need to pursue Charvarius Ward in 2025 free agency
One of Holmes' first orders of business needs to be re-signing Carlton Davis III, who is set to become one of the top cornerbacks on the market. Davis was one of Glenn's defensive captains in 2024 and the leader of the team's secondary. Few players are better suited for this team than Davis, especially in a defense that runs man coverage as much as the Lions did in 2024.
If they cannot agree to an extension with Davis — or even if they can — the Lions need to pursue Charvarius Ward. Davis and Ward will be the two top cornerbacks available, and Detroit will be one of the few teams that can acquire both. A Davis-Ward tandem would be easily one of the best duos in the league.
The San Francisco 49ers would hate to see Ward leave their team, but the decision is ultimately out of their hands. Ward has been open about his impending decision and has admitted that the recent loss of his daughter has made it difficult for him to live in California. Taking him by his word, no amount of money could ever lure him back to the Golden State.
From a purely business standpoint, Ward will be an expensive signing but one that fits the Lions' needs. Few players are currently better than Ward in man-to-man coverage. Signing a player of his caliber would certainly ease the pain of losing Glenn, which seems to be an inevitability.
Will Hernandez should be on Brad Holmes' radar
Right behind Davis among the Lions' free agents will be Kevin Zeitler, who signed a one-year deal in 2024. Despite wrapping up his age-34 season, Zeitler remains one of the best guards in the leagues and a key piece Holmes has to prioritize.
However, unlike Davis, the Lions may not have the room to extend Zeitler. There is no suitable way to replace a player like Zeitler, but Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez fits Detroit's needs to a tee. Even in the case of a Zeitler extension, Graham Glasgow has looked very replaceable at left guard.
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Since he entered the league with the New York Giants in 2018, Hernandez has been one of the most underrated players in the league. Coming off a $9 million contract with the Cardinals, he is set to receive a raise but will still be very much within Holmes' budget.
While he missed most of 2024 with a knee injury, Hernandez was quietly one of the league's elite guards before going down. Through the first five games, he earned a player grade of 69.3 from Pro Football Focus, making him one of the highest-rated guards in the NFL. If anything, Hernandez's injury makes him more affordable for the Lions in free agency.
Whether Zeitler returns or not, signing Hernandez would likely solidify the Lions' offensive line as the best in the league.
Diontae Johnson fits nicely within Lions' offense
Few players had a rougher 2024 than Diontae Johnson did. The veteran wideout began the year with the Carolina Panthers and was expected to be Bryce Young's No. 1 target but was traded before the quarterback's second-year breakout. Ensuing stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans only made his disastrous campaign worse.
After all the chaos, Johnson is set to be an unrestricted free agent just two years after signing a sizeable $36 million extension. He is still just 28 years old but nowhere has nowhere near the same value in 2025. Some may see him as an unnecessary gamble, but others may view him as one of the biggest buy-low candidates in free agency.
Before his entire 2024 fiasco, Johnson had topped 700 receiving yards in his previous four seasons. Drops have been a consistent issue for him, but Johnson has established himself as one of the top possession receivers in the league with crisp route running. His target share was consistently elite with the Pittsburgh Steelers, proving how quickly he earned the trust of his quarterbacks.
Johnson may not be a No. 1 wideout anymore, but with Detroit, he would not have to be. His playing style fits in seamlessly with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in an offense where he could realize the most success of his career.
If Ben Johnson leaves the Lions in the offseason, they will need more weaponry to make up for his departing creativity. Diontae Johnson is the type of wideout who could turn an already impressive receiving corps into one of the best in the NFL.
