The Detroit Lions aren’t leaving their draft approach to guesswork. Lions insider Tim Twentyman highlighted five key positions, with the defensive line drawing immediate focus.

With the 2026 NFL Draft officially around the corner, GM Brad Holmes has given the five positions that he will be eyeing to fill throughout the draft. With nine picks available in total,  Holmes will be on the lookout for those impact players.

"Absolutely. Yeah, if it's the right guy," Holmes said. "You guys know me. I feel like you guys get mad at me sometimes, like I do it too much sometimes…We're going to go and get him."

According to the Detroit Lions' official website, the Lions still could use some depth on these five positions: tackle, edge rusher, safety, tight end, and cornerback.

Tackle 

The departure of Taylor Decker has left the blindside of Jared Goff vacant. On their side, Penei Sewell gives the Lions the flexibility to add a tackle in this year's draft. 

They only have to worry about the draft prospect, but not the position in which he plays. 

The Lions signed Larry Borom in free agency, but with just 38 NFL starts, he does not have the required depth the squad requires. 

With Giovanni Manu already at the depth, there is still room to add more talent, competition, and depth to the position.

Edge Rusher

In free agency, the Lions lost Al-Quadin Muhammad to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This has left a position opposite to the Lions star Aidan Hutchinson. 

Hutchinson recorded a career high of 14.5 sacks last season. In free agency, the Lions signed DJ Wonnum with Levi Onwuzurike, Payton Turner, Tyler Lacy, and Ahmed Hassanein already at the depth. 

The Lions would look for someone to replace 11.0 sacks of Muhammad, drafted opposite to Hutchinson. 

Safety

The safety position is packed with Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Thomas Harper, Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Loren Strickland, and Dan Jackson.

However, the Lions' secendary defense lost their rhythm following the injuries of Joseph and Branch. With several safeties and CBs injured this season, the Lions' secondary defense ranked nearly 17th in the league.

The Lions could use some versatility in the form of a player who can play deep safety, play in the box, be a big nickel, or line up on the ball as a blitzer, as per Twentyman.

Tight End

According to Twentyman, the Lions do not 'immediately' need a tight end for their roster. 

He claims Holmes and Campbell have signalled for a potential recruit by showing interest in Sam LaPorta’s re-signing. 

With LaPorta recovering from a herniated disc, they signed Tyler Conklin to increase depth at TE. 

Previously, Brock Wright was filling in for LaPorta, adding another young tight end to the mix to compete with Wright and Conklin as a long-term opposite of LaPorta. 

Cornerback

"Cornerbacks typically suffer more injuries than any other position on the football field given the skillset they must have from a speed and quickness perspective while also having to tackle 200-to-250 pound ball carriers," wrote Twentyman.

He also highlights the Lions' secondary defense's injuries during the regular season. With DJ Reed's injury in Week 1 and Terrion Arnold's injury in Week 9, the cornerback room lost their momentum in the regular season.

A prospect could help the new signees, Roger McCreary and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Rishab Nandi