The Detroit Lions' regression after losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators was expected, but this level of regression sure wasn't. If someone told you before this year that Detroit got a full season from Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, then you'd probably say they'd win, at worst, like 12 games?
Instead, the 8-8 Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention before the final week of the NFL season has even arrived. Suddenly, a team that looked on the brink of something big has major concerns. Has the window to win with Goff slammed shut? Is it time to rebuild? Or could Detroit find a way to plug some holes this offseason to make one more major go of things?
Let's assume the latter. Here's how Detroit might navigate the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft if the team's goal is to fill some holes and compete next season.
Round 1, Pick 16: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The most important thing for this Lions team this offseason? Fixing the defense. Yes, quarterback Jared Goff has taken a slight step back, but the Lions still rank fourth in points scored and sixth in total yards. This is an offense that you can definitely win with if you get better play out of the defense.
The biggest issue to address is the secondary. Injuries ruined Terrion Arnold's second NFL season, but he didn't really look like he'd taken that much of a step forward when he was out there, while Amik Robertson, Avonte Maddox, Rock Ya-Sin and Jalen Mills are all hitting free agency. This team needs a lot of help at cornerback.
Drafting the best available corner in Round 1 helps that. There are three corners who make sense at this spot in the draft: LSU's Mansoor Delane, Tennessee's Jermod McCoy and Clemson's Avieon Terrell. I'd have the ranked in this order, and I'm giving Detroit McCoy simply because I expect a team that needs a corner will have already snatched Delane before the Lions pick.
McCoy has the makings of an elite cover corner, someone with the athleticism to keep up with any receiver and the ball skills to get in there and deflect or intercept any pass. The only real concerns here come from his durability, as he suffered an ACL tear this season. Will he be able to return from that while maintaining his high level of play? If so, McCoy immediately improves this secondary.
Round 2, Pick 49: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
The Lions have done a good job getting to the quarterback this season, with the team currently sitting fourth in the NFL with 48 sacks. However, a key player responsible for that is 30-year-old Al-Quadin Muhammad, who is a free agent this offseason. In fact, the only edge rusher on this roster not to be a free agent this offseason is Aidan Hutchinson.
Bringing back Muhammad should probably be on the team's list of priorities, but that can't be the only move this team makes on the edge. It needs to add young talent there.
Missouri's Zion Young is an intriguing prospect. He has the right physical build and strength to play the position at the next level, but isn't quite as athletic as you might like. What that means is that he's got to nail everything else in his transition to the NFL, working hard to refine his technique.
Luckily, playing opposite Hutchinson means he'll see a lot of single coverage when he rushes the quarterback, and the pressure created by Hutchinson should help Young on the other side as well. He might not post elite sack numbers, but he should be able to force opposing quarterbacks to speed things up, improving Detroit's defense and giving the team a better shot at winning football games in 2026.