The Detroit Lions have made some big investments to help quarterback Jared Goff in recent years, adding a slew of talented skill players and putting together one of the league’s top offensive lines.
But a pair of offseason departures could leave the Lions a bit soft up front, leading one insider to suggest the team may need some more help at the offensive line. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder suggested the Lions could add a veteran interior offensive lineman to make up for some of the losses in the last few months.
Lions Need More Edge Up Front
Holder noted that the Lions still need some help in their edge rushing group to make up for the departure of Za’Darius Smith, but offensive line could be a more immediate need due to one retirement and another free agency departure.
“Meanwhile, Detroit surprisingly lost longtime starting center Frank Ragnow this summer to retirement,” Holder wrote. “That leaves the offense with some question marks on the interior offensive line, and swinging a deal for a veteran would be a smart move for an expected Super Bowl contender.”
While Holder didn’t identify a specific target, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus noted that Houston Texans guard Kenyon Green could be a trade candidate this offseason. The former first-round pick could be in need of a fresh start after struggling with the Texans, recording overall PFF grades of 37.7 and 38.6.
“Texans general manager Nick Caserio assuredly understands that his team’s interior offensive line needs to be totally revamped, and that would theoretically leave Green on the trade block,” Locker wrote. “One would expect Green to have supporters throughout the league, given his age (23) and strong career at Texas A&M not long ago.”
Lions Could Promote From Within
In looking to replace outgoing free agent guard Kevin Zeiter, the Lions could already have a candidate from within. Guard Christian Mahogany impressed coaches during his rookie season, earning a big place on the depth chart after joining the team as a sixth-round pick.
Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus identified Mahogany as a potential breakout candidate for 2025, naming him as a potential candidate to replace whatever player moves to center to fill Ragnow’s spot.
“Detroit is still figuring out the alignment of its interior unit with Graham Glasgow and Tate Ratledge both being candidates to play center,” Wasserman wrote. “Mahogany’s familiarity at both guard spots is a major asset. The production of those three players could decide the fate of the Lions’ season, but the team should have faith in what Mahogany has put on tape.”
The Lions could face pressure to keep Goff clean after some struggles in the playoffs. The quarterback was hit seven times and sacked twice in a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders, leading to three interceptions. The Lions threw another interception on a failed trick play for wide receiver Jameson Williams.
The Lions are looking to win a third straight NFC North title and move beyond the disappointment of last season, when the team tied with the Kansas City Chiefs with the most regular-season wins at 15 but went one-and-done in the playoffs.
