From time to time during the offseason, Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his X account @ttwentyman in a feature we call, "10 Questions with Twentyman."
With the NFL Draft in the books and OTA practices slated to begin later this month, this seemed like a good time for one.
20man: When I look at the roster as currently constructed, a few things jump out to me comparing it to where it was at this point last year:
- Detroit got younger and more athletic. The offensive line is probably the best example of this. Veteran center Cade Mays, Detroit's top target in free agency, is currently the elder statesman of the room at just 27 years old. Penei Sewell (25), Christian Mahogany (25), Tate Ratledge (25) and Blake Miller (22) make up the potential starting five Week 1 and the unit is young, hungry and much more athletic and versatile. That's just one unit but across the roster the Lions got younger at several spots (defensive line, linebacker, running back, etc…)
- There's a lot of versatility across the roster not only with what Detroit has returning in their core players but with offseason additions like CB Roger McCreary, S Christian Izien, LB Damone Clark, WR Greg Dortch, LB Jimmy Rolder, CB Keith Abney Jr., WR Kendrick Law, DT Skyler Gill-Howard and DL Tyre West.
- I see some deep position groups with good competition expected in camp. Among those to me are safety, cornerback, interior offensive line and wide receiver. I also believe Detroit is deeper on the edge now with Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore and Levi Onwuzurike.
20man: The first part of your question is fifth-round pick (No. 157 overall) Keith Abney Jr., who Lions general manager Brad Holmes said they had a third-round grade on. Holmes really likes the skillset of Abney and believes he can compete for an immediate role in the nickel with McCreary, Izien and others.
For part two, I was intrigued when the Lions selected Kentucky wide receiver Kendrick Law with their second pick in the fifth round (No. 168). Detroit is looking to fill Kalif Raymond's role as a versatile depth receiver and punt returner.
It's a role that fits perfectly for veteran free-agent signing Greg Dortch, who did a lot of that in Arizona with new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Second-year wide receiver Dominic Lovett could also compete for the role. But the more I watch Law, he's like a running back with the ball in his hands and that pick makes more sense to add competition to an important receiver/special teams role.
20man: One of the teams in the NFC I think has potential to have a big turnaround in 2026 is the New York Giants. The Lions have an NFC division crossover game at home against New York in 2026. Jaxson Dart is a menace at quarterback if he can stay healthy. They added wide receiver Darnell Mooney, tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard to the offense in free agency along with rookie tackle Francis Mauigoa in the NFL Draft.
Getting Arvell Reese in the draft gives them a lethal foursome on the edge of their defensive front with Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Reese and Kayvon Thibodeaux. New York also added linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and cornerback Greg Newsome II to the defense in free agency. That's a team that on paper got a lot better this offseason.
The Lions have a home game vs. AFC Champion New England that feels primed to be a big matchup. Quarterback Drake Maye is one of the bright young stars in the league and now has Romeo Doubs (and potentially A.J. Brown if he's traded) to throw to. I liked the Caleb Lomu pick for them in the first round and you know head coach Mike Vrabel will have that defense among the league's best units.
20man: For me, it's defensive lineman Tyleik Williams. I thought he started settling in late last year, but the Lions could use a jump in production from him in Year 2. He should benefit from more reps as a starter and playing alongside Alim McNeill, who will be more than a year removed from an ACL tear and hopefully back to 2024 form.
I felt encouraged about Williams' potential after talking to veteran defensive lineman Roy Lopez about him after the season.
"He's a special talent," Lopez said. "You don't see somebody that size that athletic, that's for sure. He's going to be very, very, very, very fun to watch. He knows he's good and that's something that's special. Confidence in a young player goes a long way and seriously, I can't wait to see him grow. I'll be a fan of his for sure."
20man: Once the rookies report to the Meijer Performance Center to join the veterans in the offseason training program we'll start to see some numbers released for the first-year players.
Fair warning though - we sometimes see players pick a number or be assigned a number in the spring and change it before the season when the roster is trimmed and more numbers become available.
20man: On paper right now, it looks like a tough road to make the initial 53-man roster for edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein but that's why they have training camp. Hassanein came to Detroit as a raw prospect having picked up football late. It didn't help he suffered an injury in training camp and had to wait out an injury settlement before rejoining the practice squad.
He got a chance to be in that room early and late last year and learn from a player like Hutchinson and one of the best defensive line coaches in the league in Kacy Rodgers. What did he learn? How did he grow? Can he take what he learned last year and apply it on the field? He'll get that opportunity like everyone else and it's ultimately up to him to prove he belongs.
20man: This is one of the things I'm most excited to see when the team starts opening OTA practices to the media later this month. I talked with head coach Dan Campbell about this extensively at the Annual League Meetings in Arizona earlier this offseason as he, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and the entire defensive staff did a deep dive into the cut-ups last year and came to the conclusion they need to be more versatile.
Like I talked about earlier, several of the defensive adds this offseason in free agency and the draft really feature position versatility and players with multiple skillsets. The Lions played more base defense than any team in the NFL last year and I wouldn't be surprised if we see that percentage drop some this season as Sheppard looks to be more multiple.
"You're like, 'Alright, what did we do well? What did we not? Where did we go from here? This is who we lost. Here's some pieces that we added. What do we need?'" Campbell said back in late March referencing those meetings with Sheppard and the defensive staff. "And so really, the way Shep's done it – which I love – is we've kind of given ourselves options.
"We've got kind of three options as to where we can go with this. Are we more of this four-down (front)? Do we become more five down? Do we become more nickel depending on – so we've got some flexibility here ready. It's already built into the install for Shep, like, 'Alright. I can go three ways here with my personnel. It's still the same install, but now we've got the pieces to put them where we want, whether that's a nickel, it's a big end, it's a linebacker. So we're kind of flexible here."
20man: Ignoring salary cap, lol. I like it. I'll play along.
Cameron Jordan will be 37 this season. I'd be surprised if he ended up leaving New Orleans, but with the Dan Campbell connection and his size and experience, he'd be a fit as a rotation edge and could possibly take that unit to the next level. Jordan had 10.5 sacks last season.
20man: Onwuzurike is one of the wild cards for me heading into the 2026 season. He played all 17 games and 697 snaps in 2024, generating 47 pressures with a 70.2 overall rating from Pro Football Focus. He was arguably Detroit's top pass rusher from the interior that season.
He's now a full year removed from the ACL injury. His ability to play inside as well as the big end gives the Lions options upfront. He's on a contract year - just like he was in 2024 - and I see him as someone who could have a bigger impact than might people think in 2026.
20man: As of right now I project the depth chart as follows:
- MIKE: Jack Campbell, Damone Clark
- WILL: Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder
- SAM: Derrick Barnes, Trevor Nowaske
Veteran Joe Bachie is also in the mix at the WILL and there's likely to be an undrafted free agent added to the mix as well. Detroit had seven linebackers on their Week 1 roster last season (Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Barnes, Grant Stuard, Anthony Pittman, Zach Cunningham and Nowaske).
I could see them potentially being a little lighter there if they do plan to play less base defense, exchanging the seventh linebacker for an extra versatile defensive back.
Maybe there's a veteran linebacker still out there that intrigues them. Notable remaining free-agent linebackers include Bobby Wagner, Bobby Okereke, Devin White and Germaine Pratt, but I get the sense the team likes the current makeup at linebacker and would add only if it makes sense for both parties.
