The Lions’ latest signing could point to Detroit finally giving fans their dream haul in the 2026 NFL Draft
At this point it’s hard to see the Lions adding any more pieces to their secondary in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Detroit Lions have put a ton of work into their secondary during free agency, and now they’re adding another piece before the 2026 NFL Draft. Well, bringing one back might be a better way to put it.
The Lions are bringing back defensive back Avonte Maddox
Maddox was with the Lions in 2025 and played well for Detroit in multiple positions. He played both safeties and got some time at cornerback as well. With him coming back, he joins Christian Izieen as two guys who are going to be able to do multiple things all over the Lions’ defense. It’s clear they’re looking to have some different looks.
With Maddoxx coming back, the Lions are in really good shape in the secondary. It’s very deep at the moment. to the point where you have to wonder if they would even consider bringing in more defensive backs in the 2026 NFL Draft. Where would they even put them at this point?
| LCB | Terrion Arnold | Rock Ya-Sin | Nick Whiteside | |
| SS | Brian Branch | Christian Izien | Avonte Maddox/Dan Jackson | |
| FS | Kerby Joseph | Thomas Harper | Chuck Clark/Loren Strickland | |
| RCB | D.J. Reed | Khalil Dorsey | ||
| NB | Roger McCreary | Ennis Rakestraw |
With that in mind, this could point to the Lions going very heavy in the trenches in the 2026 NFL Draft. They may look to add mostly just edge rushers and tackles. It’s the dream draft haul for Lions fans. They’re pretty set in basically every territory except for the defensive line, linebackers, and the tackle spots on offense.
Last year, the Lions walked into camp with eight edges. They have four right now. It’s not crazy to think they could walk out of the draft with an extra three and then grab one of the remaining veteran edges who are expected to sign somewhere after the draft. It’s all starting to come together.
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