The good: The final Pro Football Focus offensive line rankings for the 2025 regular season had the Lions ranked 12th among the league's 32 units headlined by right tackle Penei Sewell, who continues to show why he's one of the best players in the NFL regardless of position.
Sewell's 95.2 overall grade from PFF led all offensive linemen this season. His run-blocking grade (96.8) is the highest by any right tackle over the past five years and led all offensive linemen this season by a substantial margin. Sewell allowed pressure on just 3.3 percent of pass plays, a career best that ranked second among right tackles and fifth among all offensive tackles.
He was named First-Team All-Pro for a third straight year and earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod. Sewell is not only the best right tackle in football but arguably one of the top three tackles in all of football.
Give veteran left tackle Taylor Decker a ton a credit for battling through a shoulder injury that cost him just three games this season despite the pain and extensive rehab it took to be available on gameday. In 14 games, Decker allowed just three sacks and three quarterback hits.
Detroit's 39 sacks allowed ranked 18th this season and was a step up from the 33 they allowed in 2024, but Decker and Sewell were responsible for just four of those sacks as they proved to be one of the better tackle duos in the league when on the field together.
| Name | Games | Penalties | Pressures | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penei Sewell | 16 | 2 | 19 | 1 |
| Taylor Decker | 14 | 4 | 33 | 3 |
| Dan Skipper | 12 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Giovanni Manu | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
The bad: Decker is contemplating retirement after 10 seasons and several injuries that have him questioning his quality of life after football. If Decker does decide to retire, the Lions don't have his replacement currently on the roster and ready to step in.
Detroit hoped former third-round pick Giovanni Manu would be that player when they selected him in the 2023 NFL Draft, but that hasn't materialized yet. Manu made one start for Decker Week 5 in Cincinnati and allowed two sacks and two pressures for a 17.5 pass block grade from PFF. He also suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the rest of the season.
"Manu, he's taken steps. I'm not going to sit here and say that we feel convicted that he's ready to be a major contributor," GM Brad Holmes said. "We hope that he is. We're just going to have to wait to see in terms of when we get started in the offseason program, how he comes back in the OTAs – and look, as always, he's going to have to win a job.
"He's going to have to beat somebody out. As much as we're going to surround resources around him, he's going to have to do his part, too, to make sure he's doing everything necessary to be as good of a football player that he can be."
Key stat: Sewell set a PFF record with the highest single-game grade by an offensive lineman in PFF history in Detroit's Week 3 win in Baltimore in which Detroit rushed for 224 yards (5.9 avg.) and four touchdowns in a 38-30 win. On the field for 37 run-blocking snaps, Sewell earned a 99.3 PFF run-blocking grade.
Free agents: Dan Skipper (retiring), Jamarco Jones (unrestricted)
Lions cult hero Skipper announced his retirement after eight NFL seasons, mostly with Detroit. Skipper was a solid swing tackle and spot starter for the Lions over the last four seasons. Detroit scored nine touchdowns this season out of their jumbo package using an extra offensive lineman.
Detroit could have used Jones' veteran presence at tackle in a reserve role, but he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury before the regular season began.
This isn't a particularly strong class of free agent tackles this offseason. The top name is likely Green Bay's Rasheed Walker, who has some issues as a run blocker but is good in pass pro. Other free agent names include Braden Smith (Indianapolis) Jermaine Eluemunor (New York Giants), Braxton Jones (Chicago), Rob Havenstein (LA Rams) and Trent Brown (Houston).
View photos of the Detroit Lions offensive linemen from the 2025 NFL season.
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) in action during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in Landover, Md. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 in Chicago. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Christian Mahogany (73) during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 in Baltimore. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Christian Mahogany (73) during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Christian Mahogany (73) during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Kansas City, MO. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Christian Mahogany (73) in action during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025 in Minneapolis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Graham Glasgow (60) during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 in Kansas City, MO. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Graham Glasgow (60) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Graham Glasgow (60) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Graham Glasgow (60) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) in action during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 in Baltimore. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 in Baltimore. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in Landover, Md. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70) during an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70) during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions guard Kayode Awosika (74) during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in Landover, Md. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions guard Kayode Awosika (74) during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions guard Kayode Awosika (74) during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Miles Frazier (71) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Miles Frazier (71) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Trystan Colon (57) during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in Landover, Md. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Trystan Colon (57) during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in Landover, Md. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Trystan Colon (57) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Giovanni Manu (59) during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Giovanni Manu (59) during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Michael Niese (62) before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Rodney Baylor/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Michael Niese (62) during an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Draft: If the Lions are looking to add a young tackle to the mix in 2026, this is a good year to do it as it's a very strong class in this year's NFL Draft. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had six tackles go in the first round of his recently released mock draft with Spencer Fano (Utah) and Francis Mauigoa (Miami) going in the top 5. Other first rounders included Kadyn Proctor (Alabama), Monroe Freeling (Georgia), Blake Miller (Clemson) and Caleb Lomu (Utah).
Quotable: "We have to each get better and want to get better," Sewell said after the season. "Not only for ourselves but for each other. I think that starts with the offseason. Calling the boys and checking up on them more often. Creating those relationships.
"Going into this offseason we just have to find who we are and get our swagger back and confidence back.
"Right now, we have to get better. That's the most important thing. If you look too far ahead, you're kind of just wasting your time on things that are out of our control. But if we dominate today and we really care about today, then that will set us up."
