Detroit Lions

Detroit is squeezed at $12.9M in current cap room, ranking 28th in the league, but relief arrives quickly with $76.8M projected to open next year.

35 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

One starting spot has weak depth behind the starter.

Detroit holds eight picks in the upcoming draft including six in the first two rounds, and 22 selections across a three-year window with three first-rounders, giving the rebuild genuine ammunition to address every positional need.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Chargers, this draft

The roster's top strength is its collection of elite young skill players and pass rushers headlined by four players rated 95 or above, while the weakest spot is the interior offensive line and right edge depth, where starter-level ratings rank near the bottom of the league.

• LGhigh

  Christian Mahogany starts at 73 overall, ranking 27th among starting guards league-wide, and the depth behind him offers little insurance despite a decent group overall.

• REDGEhigh

  Derrick Moore starts opposite Hutchinson at 77 overall, ranked 25th at the position, and the depth behind him ranks 28th in the league, making this the most urgent two-way need on defense.

• CBmedium

  D.J. Reed starts at 80 overall but the group behind him is thin, ranking 28th in depth league-wide, and cutting Rock Ya-Sin or Khalil Dorsey further thins a position already ranked 23rd at the starter level.

• WILLmedium

  Malcolm Rodriguez starts at 74 overall, ranked 25th among starting WILLs, though the depth group behind him ranks a respectable 7th and offers coverage options in a pinch.

• Clow

  Cade Mays starts at 74 overall and ranks 20th at center, a manageable gap that becomes more pressing if depth options like Juice Scruggs are deployed elsewhere on the line.

• RTlow

  Blake Miller starts at 75 overall and ranks 20th at right tackle, a position that could benefit from investment as Larry Borom, the backup, is a cut candidate who frees $2.4M if released.

• 65Brock WrightTEBrock Wright sits third on the TE depth chart at 65 overall, and releasing him frees $3.3M against $1.4M in dead money, making the savings a net positive for a team sitting 28th in cap room.Frees $3.3M · $1.4M dead
• 68Joshua DobbsQBJoshua Dobbs is the QB2 at 68 overall and costs $1.4M with zero dead money on release, making him a clean, no-penalty cut that frees space without any cap penalty.Frees $1.4M · $0 dead
• 64Khalil DorseyCBKhalil Dorsey is the fourth corner at 64 overall and releasing him frees $1.3M against just $350K in dead money, a net positive in a thin cap situation.Frees $1.3M · $350.0K dead
• 59Amen OgbongbemigaWILLAmen Ogbongbemiga sits at the bottom of both the SAM and WILL depth charts at 59 overall, and his release carries zero dead money while freeing $900K the team badly needs.Frees $900.0K · $0 dead
• 70Larry BoromRTLarry Borom backs up Blake Miller at RT and is 70 overall, but releasing him creates $2.6M in dead money against $2.4M freed, meaning the savings do not cover the penalty and this cut requires careful timing.Frees $2.4M · $2.6M dead

Detroit enters this era with one of the most exciting young cores in the league: Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph are all 26 or younger and playing at a high level, giving the franchise a legitimate window to contend deep into the decade. Jared Goff at 89 overall pilots the offense efficiently, and Sam LaPorta at 88 overall gives him a dynamic tight end to work with. The biggest concerns are structural rather than talent-driven: the guard and right edge rusher spots are notably weak, the cornerback depth is thin, and the cap sits at just $12.9M in room this season, ranking 28th in the league, with $30.5M in dead money on the books. Relief is on the horizon, though, as next year's cap room opens to $76.8M, ranking 10th league-wide, and commitments drop sharply to $186.6M three seasons out. Chuck Clark, entering the late stage of his career behind Kerby Joseph at safety, and Tyler Conklin, serving as the TE2 while carrying aging legs, represent succession conversations the team will need to address gradually. With eight upcoming picks including six in the first two rounds, Detroit has both the talent foundation and the draft resources to patch its holes and push for a championship before this window closes.

The Lions are one of the NFL's oldest franchises, beginning as the Portsmouth Spartans in Portsmouth, Ohio, who joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. The financially struggling team was purchased and relocated to Detroit in 1934, renamed the Lions in a nod to the city's baseball Tigers. They won their first Detroit game 9-0 over the New York Giants on September 23, 1934, and launched their enduring Thanksgiving Day home-game tradition that same year. Behind Dutch Clark, the Lions won the 1935 NFL Championship. The 1950s were the high-water mark: led by Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Joe Schmidt and a dominant defense, Detroit won NFL titles in 1952, 1953 and 1957, the 1957 crown a 59-14 rout of Cleveland that stands as the Lions' last championship. The 'Curse of Bobby Layne' became shorthand for decades of futility. The wilderness years that followed featured individual brilliance from Hall of Famers like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, but the team won only a single playoff game between 1958 and 2023, and bottomed out at 0-16 in 2008, the first winless 16-game season in NFL history. The recent resurgence arrived under Dan Campbell (hired January 2021): the Lions won the NFC North in 2023, beat the Rams for their first playoff win since 1991, reached the NFC Championship Game, and posted a franchise-record 15-2 mark in 2024 before a Divisional-round upset by Washington. The 2025 season was a step back: a 9-8 finish, last in the NFC North, and no playoffs.