Every move the Lions made points to the potential plan for Ahmed Hassanein, Mekhi Wingo, and the rest of Detroit’s young defensive linemen

Every move the Detroit Lions made this offseason points to a bigger plan for Ahmed Hassanein and Mekhi Wingo. And it could mean much bigger roles in 2026.

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (61) practices during rookie mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 9, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions did a lot of work in the trenches this offseason. They upgraded big on the defensive side of the ball with Derrick Moore and D.J. Wonnum. But there are some questions about the rest of the Lions’ young defensive linemen. Let’s take a look at some of them and talk about what their 2026 could look like.

Ahmed Hassanein

The thought process with Hassanein in your head says he’s another pass rusher. He can certainly do that. At Boise State, he put up 62 pressures and 10 sacks in his final year there. But the thing that really fits Hassaein in Detroit is to play that Marcus Davenport role.

By that, I mean this team has been trying to find an athletic big end who can set the edge in the run game, but also give some pass rush juice for a while. Hassanein might be that guy, and judging by the fact that the Lions didn’t really aim to find someone who can directly replace the role they wanted Davenport in, everything points to that role being set for him.

Mekhi Wingo

2025 wasn’t the best year for Wingo. He spent a lot of the season as a healthy scratch. This year, the runway is wide open for him to come in and land in a major spot in the rotation. Theoretically, all he has to do is beat Levi Onwuzurike, and he can take that interior pass rusher spot. Like Onwuzurike, Wingo also has some ability to kick outside and play some big end as well. But getting to the quarterback is really where he can shine.

Jay Tufele

DJ Reader is gone now, and the Lions could use some nose tackle help. Tufele is likely to be that guy for them. He can flex in and be a run stuffer on early downs, and can eat space in the pass rush game on the later downs. It makes a lot of sense

Myles Adams

Adams could be a bit of both at a depth spot. He has pass-rush ability, but he can also run stuff. The Lions have kept him around for three seasons. You keep wondering at what point they really put him out there and see what he has. 2026 could be that year.

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