The NFL playoffs are still going, but most of the league is in Cancun, as they say. The Detroit Lions are one of them. Going forward, teams will have to make some tough decisions to free up cap space. This is where other teams can pick up a solid player whose previous team probably didn’t want to lose them, but had to.

Over The Cap recently ranked their top 100 possible cut candidates, and there are some guys on the list that the Lions should have their eyes on. Here are 10 of them:

Packers edge rusher Rashann Gary

The Packers are in a spot right now with Micah Parsons and the rising Lukas Van Ness, where Gary’s $28 million cap hit looks like something they just don’t need to take on. Gary is a guy the Lions are very familiar with, and this is usually how the story goes in this division.

A guy gets released by one team and heads to another. Gary and Aidan Hutchinson could be a formidable duo, and the Lions don’t have to pay anywhere near that $28 million cap hit to make it happen. It also probably helps that Gary played for Michigan.

Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips

The Lions need some interior defensive line help this year, with Roy Lopez, DJ Reader, and Levi Onwuzurike hitting free agency. Then there’s the concern after Alim McNeill’s down year when he returned from a torn ACL. Phillips is not a long-term answer, but the former Viking is a solid depth addition.

Commanders center Tyler Biadasz

We talked about a potential trade for Biadasz on Tuesday. If he hits the market, the Lions could have some real interest. It will be hard to nail down Tyler Linderbaum or Connor McGovern. But Biadasz is a starting center who can come in and at least give the Lions a year to develop their next guy. And it won’t cost a ton.

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson

Johnson is coming off a bad year and an injury, so the Bears are likely to cut bait. The Lions need cornerback depth, and if Johnson can get back to the player he was before 2025, he can help the Lions get some more revenge on the Bears in 2026.

The fact that he’s 27 means the Lions might be able to get a couple of years out of him.

Vikings safety Isaiah Rodgers

The Lions don’t need a huge investment at safety, but what they do need is a capable player who can start while they wait to get Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back.

Rodgers is a ballhawk who could go from a solid starter to premium depth off the bench.

Bears tight end Cole Kmet

I had to get one more guy from one more NFC North team. We definitely learned in 2025 that the Lions really need depth at tight end. Kmet gives them a guy who can be a pass catcher and a good pass-blocking tight end.

A duo of Kmet and LaPorta could be a lot of fun and would give Goff an extra weapon.

• Rams tight end Colby Parkinson
• Bears running back D’Andre Swift
• Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey
• Browns cornerback Denzel Ward
• Jaguars edge Arik Armstead

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