Detroit's 90-man roster is starting to round into form. When the undrafted rookie free-agent signings become official and they're rostered, the makeup of the 2026 Detroit Lions will begin to take shape as the team heads toward the on-field practice phase of the offseason training program later this month.

The core of this roster has mostly stayed intact this offseason with turnover to the supporting cast at some key places. Lions general manager Brad Holmes believes they've fostered increased competition across the roster this offseason.

"I think we have a lot of really good players, but the more competition just brings out even better out of those already good players," Holmes said after the draft. "However high that these guys take it in terms of climbing the depth chart, I do think that they're going to have the ability to potentially make some people uncomfortable."

We started the post-draft breakdown of Detroit's roster by looking at the offense yesterday, and now it's time to turn our attention to the defense.

(Note: Undrafted rookie free agent additions are not yet official and are not included in this breakdown.)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

On the roster: Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Skyler Gill-Howard, Jay Tufele, Myles Adams, Chris Smith

Twentyman: McNeill will be looking to get back to his 2024 form now a full year removed from a torn ACL suffered at the end of the 2024 season. He can be an elite disruptor in the middle when healthy. Williams heads into his second season looking to build on a solid rookie campaign.

Onwuzurike is the biggest wild card of the bunch. He was a dominant interior pressure provider in 2024 when fully healthy, with the potential to also move outside in some packages and play the big end. Gill-Howard has some intriguing pass-rush potential with a quick first step, but will his lack of size be exploited at this level?

EDGE RUSHER

On the roster: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Payton Turner, Tyler Lacy, Tyre West, Ahmed Hassanein

Twentyman: Hutchinson, 25, was named Second-Team All-Pro after setting a new career single-season high in sacks (14.5) while leading the NFL with 100 total pressures. Hutchinson is the first player in franchise history to log multiple 10.0-sack seasons through the first four years of a player's career. With Al-Quadin Muhammad and his 11.0 sacks last year signing with Tampa Bay in free agency, the Lions needed to find Hutchinson a new running mate on the opposite edge.

Detroit added Wonnum in free agency and Moore in the NFL Draft and like what both bring to the table. It will be interesting to see how their unique skillsets fit in Kelvin Sheppard's defense. Onwuzurike is a defensive tackle by trade but could also get some run as the big end.

While Detroit's 49 sacks were the fourth most in the NFL last year, Detroit's average time to pressure of 2.92 seconds was the slowest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. It wasn't always the kind of pressure that affected the timing of opponent passing attacks as opposing quarterbacks finished with a 92.5 rating against Detroit's defense, which ranked 19th.

LINEBACKER

On roster: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder, Damone Clark, Trevor Nowaske, Joe Bachie

Twentyman: The departure of Alex Anzalone means the Lions will have a new starter at the WILL in 2026. The leading candidate to fill the role is the veteran Rodriguez. Rolder has an interesting skillset, but is he ready to step in right away after playing limited defensive snaps at Michigan? Could the versatile Clark potentially be a fit there too? The competition for the starting WILL spot will be one of the better ones to watch in camp.

It will also be interesting to see how Sheppard might evolve his scheme after an extensive sit-down with head coach Dan Campbell this offseason going through all the cut-ups on defense from last year. Detroit wants to be more adaptable and versatile. Will Barnes' SAM role change at all within the defense? Will a team that played the most base defense of any team in the NFL last year play more nickel?

CORNERBACK

On the roster: D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Roger McCreary, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Keith Abney II, Khalil Dorsey, Nick Whiteside

Twentyman: On paper, it appears Detroit has good depth and competition at cornerback heading into 2026.

Opposing quarterbacks completed just 57.1 percent of their passes thrown Reed's way for a 72.8 passer rating with just one touchdown allowed last year. He missed six games with a hamstring injury in the middle of the season.

Ya-Sin could push Arnold for a playing role which should make Arnold a better and more consistent player because of it. Ya-Sin was a savvy signing last offseason as he ended up playing in 17 games with six starts, giving up just one touchdown in his coverage area with a 51.9 completion percentage and a 74.7 passer rating against. Can the former second-round pick Rakestraw finally stay healthy in Year 3 and compete for a role? When healthy, he does flash on the outside.

The competition for the nickel role will be an interesting one with the veteran McCreary the favorite heading in, but Detroit is excited about being able to draft Abney in the fifth round despite having a third-round grade on him. They see him potentially competing for the nickel role right away.

SAFETY

On the roster: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Christian Izien, Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper, Chuck Clark, Loren Strickland, Dan Jackson

Twentyman: It's hard to predict what Detroit's defense will look like to begin the year at safety without a more comprehensive update on the injury rehabs for Branch (Achilles) and Joseph (knee). The good thing is Detroit has a lot of veteran options at safety and good depth at the position overall.

Let's assume Joseph is ready to go Week 1 and Branch starts the year on PUP (Physically Unable to Perform). Izien and Clark are probably the leading candidates to fill that role until Branch can return as both are experienced and versatile players. Izien plays a physical style that fits in Detroit. He could also compete at the nickel spot.

Here's hoping Joseph and Branch return to the players they were in 2024 when they formed arguably the best safety duo in the NFL.

SPECIALISTS

On the roster: Jake Bates (kicker), Jack Fox (punter), Hogan Hatten (long snapper)

Twentyman: The kicking operation remains intact from the previous two seasons, with no competition for any of those roles currently on the roster.

Detroit will be looking for a new punt returner with Kalif Raymond leaving in free agency. Detroit has several options currently on the roster and that will be a fun competition to watch develop throughout the spring and summer.