Yes, I know you want edge rushers. I get it. But make no mistake about it, right now, the Detroit Lions’ number one concern is making sure they have the best offenisve line they can put on the field.

Arguably, it’s more important for the Lions to secure that than it is to secure an extra pass rusher. Yes, that is important. But if you can’t run this offense, it doesn’t matter how good your defense is. Just ask the Browns. Myles Garett had a record-setting season, and had help, and that team still only won five games.

The question I have today is simple. How far are the Lions willing to go to make sure they have the best offensive line they can put on the field and potentially the best line in the league? In my opinion, if they do these three things in the next couple of months, they could be there. But it would be a little bit risky, and it would require some luck as well.

Draft Penn State guard Vega Ioane with the 17th pick

Yes, I’m talking about forgoing the tackle early, and I’m also talking about forgoing the edge rusher early. Ioane is one of the most can’t-miss guard prospects the draft has seen in a very long time. He hasn’t allowed a sack in two years. He’s an elite run blocker, and he’s projected to be a plug-and-play guy. He will start day one for the Lions, and they’ll never have to look back.

This is where the luck comes into play. Can he make it 17? It is possible. Right now, his average Draft position is 16th. If he’s there, the Lions would be crazy not to consider it. Frankly, they should just do it. It means that Christian Mahogany and Miles Friazer might be missing out on their chances, but this gives the Lions’ interior a giant shot in the arm with Ioane, Cade Mays, and Tate Ratledge.

Move Penei Sewell to left tackle

We know he can do it. We’ve seen him do it. In all reality, if you asked Sewell to play quarterback, he could probably figure it out and be good enough at it. Moving Sewell to left tackle means you don’t have to find a player to play one of the hardest positions in the game in the draft. It means you can focus on finding your right tackle, which is a lot easier to find. Not saying it’s the easiest thing in the world, but it is easier.

Pick your right tackle in the second round

There are still going to be some good tackles who fall to the second round. Iowa’s Gennings Dunker, Arizona State’s Max Iheanchor, Oregon’s Isaiah World, and maybe, and I mean maybe, Clemson’s Blake Miller, whose ADP is 40, but he’s also a guy who could be rising up the board in the next few weeks. Any one of those guys can come in and start at right tackle. Even if they need a little bit of time, Larry Borom can be a fine right tackle for the time being.

From Week 5 to Week 18, #Lions OT Larry Borom posted an 82.1 PFF pass blocking grade.

That was 5th best among all OTs over that stretch. (min. 200 pass blocking snaps)

Per PFF, he allowed just 5 pressures and 0 sacks over that stretch of 8 starts.

— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) March 15, 2026

This, of course, does put you in a position where you might have to trade up for an edge rusher

Life gets a little hard on the defensive side of the ball in this case, but there are still some good edge rushers on the board in free agency, and if the Lions go get one or two of those guys, they can protect themselves a little bit. The fans might not be happy because the Lions aren’t making the sexiest draft picks. But they’ll be happy when the Lions are hanging forty burgers on teams because their offense works.

There are still some edge rushers to be had outside of the first round. If they traded up even into the third round, guys like Central Florida’s Malachi Lawrence, Michigan’s Derrick Moore, Indiana’s Mikhail Kamara, or Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs will be there. Those guys can play for the Lions right now.

At the end of the day, it’s risky, but it makes a lot of sense for the Lions’ offensive line in 2026 and for the next decade beyond that.