The Detroit Lions may have found a solution for their offensive line in Jawaan Taylor. The former Chiefs tackle is a top target to help protect quarterback Jared Goff. However, his high price tag and on-field discipline are major concerns.

"There are more options in free agency for Detroit to fill a void on the right side of its offensive line, including three-year Kansas City Chiefs starting tackle Jawaan Taylor."

Securing Taylor would provide just part of the solution for the Lions. This involves moving Penei Sewell to the left side, a position he excelled in during his time at Oregon.

And Bill Barnwell of ESPN noted, "Taylor is a good pass-blocking tackle, as he ranked 15th, 17th and seventh in pass block win rate across his three seasons in Kansas City. He hadn't missed a single game to injury during his pro career before an elbow injury cost Taylor the final five games of the 2025 season."

The only problem now for the Lions and Brad Holmes is how much money the right tackle would demand. As per Spotrac, Taylor has a market value of $45 million over a three-year period, which roughly works to $15 million a year. His last contract was at $80 million.

Dan Campbell needs an upgraded offensive line, and Jared Goff would also want better protection when the ball is snapped to him. The star quarterback was sacked 38 times in the 2025 NFL season. 

Could this be another problem for Dan Campbell and the Lions?

There are a lot of things to sort through before Taylor can become a Lion. There’s the issue of position, but that could be sorted with Sewell moving. The other issue is the enormous number of penalties the offensive lineman commits. 

No coach in the NFL, especially Dan Campbell, would like to give up penalties. They can make or break a game, and most of the time, the team committing the penalties loses out. 

Jawaan Taylor has made the referees throw the flag 92 times in his NFL career. As per Barnwell, that is 19 more penalties than anyone else in the league has earned across the last seven seasons. 

This could be a major factor in deciding whether Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell bring Taylor to Detroit, Michigan, or not. 

Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar