We are back for another series of Detroit Lions mock offseasons. Fresh off the Super Bowl–a game the Lions unfortunately came up short of playing in after the majestic 2024 campaign–it’s now full-time offseason mode.
The mock offseason covers not just a mock draft, but also personnel decisions on existing Lions free agents, potential roster cuts, outside free agent signings and (of course) the draft.
Here’s an example of one of the mock offseason scenarios from 2022, one that wound up nailing both Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams to the Lions in the first round:
As with prior years in the series, each mock offseason represents a potential path Lions GM Brad Holmes and the team can follow. It’s not a recommendation or endorsement of any course of action. It’s not a straight prediction either, just a look at how the Lions might approach the offseason.
Lions free agents to re-sign
The Lions have a lengthy list of pending unrestricted free agents this offseason. Using the projected contract values from Spotrac as a guideline, the Lions bring back these 2024 players who are UFAs:
CB Carlton Davis – 3 years, $40 million
RG Kevin Zeitler – 1 year, $10 million
LB Derrick Barnes – 3 years, $24.5 million
OL Dan Skipper – 1 year, $1.78 million
CB/RS Khalil Dorsey – 1 year, $1.6 million
DT Kyle Peko – 1 year, $1.35 million
LB Ben Niemann – 1 year, $1.3 million
DL Pat O’Connor – 1 year, $1.25 million
Among the notable UFAs not re-signed, be it bigger contracts elsewhere or a lack of interest from Detroit:
DL John Cominsky, DL Levi Onwuzurike, WR Tim Patrick, QB Teddy Bridgewater, S Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB Emmanuel Moseley, CB Kindle Vildor, K Michael Badgley
Detroit has three restricted free agents:
OL Kayode Awosika
RB Craig Reynolds
TE Shane Zylstra
In this mock offseason, all three will be offered the original round/right of first refusal tenders, which would allow the Lions to match any offers they get from any other team. The Lions can only match the offer; if any leave, Detroit isn’t due any compensation. With this year’s trio of RFAs, there is potential for Awosika and/or Reynolds to get outside offers.
In this scenario, Reynolds gets an offer from the Chicago Bears and the Lions let the 29-year-old running back rejoin Ben Johnson. Awosika and Zylstra return.
Players under contract to cut/restructure/trade
Za’Darius Smith, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and DJ Reader are the primary subjects here.
Modifying Smith’s bonus-laden contract to a higher base of one year and $3.5 million saves the Lions a little over $2 million in 2025 cap room.
In this scenario, Reader returns on his existing contract, which is already packed with three void years. Reeves-Maybin gets released here, costing the Lions $2.8 million in dead cap but freeing up $1.9 million in ’25 cap room. Ben Niemann can play the same reserve LB/special teams role for under 35 percent of Reeves-Maybin’s contract.
There is a trade as well. The Lions deal DL Josh Paschal and their own 7th-round pick (No. 246 overall) in 2025 to the New York Jets for that team’s 6th-round pick in 2025, No. 188 overall (after compensatory pick projections). Paschal is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Aaron Glenn sees more value in the long term than the Lions in this scenario.
This mock offseason sees the Lions execute the projected contract extension with Aidan Hutchinson, five years and $170.5 million. Any extension with safety Kerby Joseph doesn’t get done here.
Free agents to sign
The re-signings and extensions take a big bite out of any spending on outside free agents. In this scenario, GM Brad Holmes focuses on more stop-gap/depth solutions that can be signed economically or coming off an injury — a staple of Holmes’ team-building strategy.
Because the Lions opt to keep Za’Darius Smith to compete for the No. 3/No. 4 EDGE spot, but let Onwuzurike and Davenport walk, this scenario sees Holmes & Co. eschewing the bigger names and targeting another vet into that mix.
EDGE Matthew Judon fits the long, “crush the can” style of EDGE presence the Lions have coveted. He bagged just 5.5 sacks in 15 games in Atlanta in 2024, the 31-year-old’s first season returning from a torn biceps. Judon made four straight Pro Bowls, ending in 2022, and had four sacks in as many games in his final year in New England before the injury. Two years, $9.5 million.
The Lions throw a bone to new OC John Morton and bring in one of his Denver Broncos wideouts, Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The 26-year-old Texas product played every game in the last two seasons in Denver, starting 15. He’s a giant target at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, catching 31 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown in 2024. He’s effectively the Tim Patrick replacement, but younger and blessed with durability and better quickness over the middle. One year, $2.1 million.
OL Andrus Peat, who spent the first few years of his career in New Orleans with Dan Campbell, fits the model of a budget-friendly grizzled veteran. Peat didn’t work out well in his one year in Las Vegas, but he’s 31, can play guard (primarily) or tackle and figures to be inexpensive. He’s well beyond his Pro Bowl days (2018-2020) but Peat represents a nice potential upgrade to the depth for one year and $1.3 million. This is the pattern the Lions followed last offseason with players like Netane Muti, Kyle Peko and Allen Robinson.
No other free agents of consequence beyond training camp invites in this mock offseason. This scenario favors giving more opportunity to young players already on the team, guys like Kingsley Eguakun, Giovanni Manu, Nate Lynn, Trevor Nowaske, Isaac Ukwu, Loren Strickland, DaRon Gilbert and Jake Fromm.
2025 NFL draft, first round
The Lions stick at No. 28 overall and bolster the defensive front. In a draft class loaded with quality DTs, Detroit strikes as early as they can to land Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen.
A player the Lions met with during Senior Bowl week, Nolen plays with a gap-attacking style, using his quickness and burst at his 6-foot-4, 293-pound size to disrupt and make plays behind the line. He fits the style new Lions DL coach Kacy Rodgers favored from his 3/4 techs in Tampa Bay (think of a longer, sturdier Calijah Kancey), notably with his ability to stunt and twist with fellow linemates. Nolen’s athleticism offers some ability to play DE in odd-man fronts, too.
Rest of the 2025 draft
2nd round: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
3rd round (Aaron Glenn comp pick): Ozzy Trapillo, OL, Boston College
4th round: Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech
6th round (from above Jets trade): Ja’Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville
6th round: Caleb Ransaw, S, Tulane
7th round: Howard Cross, NT, Notre Dame
7th round: C.J. Dippre, TE, Alabama
Whipping through these quickly…
Hairston is a Detroit native, slightly underweight but not lacking physicality as an outside or slot corner who plays the ball very well. Trapillo is a surly, powerful and long-levered right tackle with starting upside who can instantly step in as OT3. Peebles thrives as a gap-shooting 3-tech with a relentless motor. Brooks is extremely undervalued here, an alpha-dog outside/slot WR who has struggled with consistency and playing strength. Cross is a plug-and-play rotational nose tackle with good pedigree–his dad played with Dan Campbell on the Giants. Dippre is an inline blocking tight end who flashed some nice hands and chip-and-release skills at both Alabama and Maryland.