Brad Holmes believes Lions’ depth in trenches is better than ever

Q: What changes did the Detroit Lions make to their offensive line this offseason?

The Lions released veterans Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker, replacing them with free agent Cade Mays and first-round draft pick Blake Miller.

Q: How does Brad Holmes describe the Lions' current depth in the trenches?

Brad Holmes believes the Lions are in the best position ever regarding depth on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Q: What impact did the 2025 season have on the Lions' approach to their roster?

After a disappointing 2025 season, where Jared Goff faced a high number of sacks and the running game efficiency dropped, the Lions focused on improving their trench play.

Q: Who are some key players added to the Lions' defensive line?

The Lions added DJ Wonnum and Derrick Moore to the defensive line, replacing Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport.

Detroit Lions first round draft Blake Miller, center, poses for a photo with his father Chris Miller, left, and mother Karen Miller at his introductory press conference at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, April 24, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Detroit Lions football under Dan Campbell has largely been rooted in trench play. For a team that boasts its physicality and grittiness, it makes sense for them to develop an identity that starts with the offensive and defensive lines. As they’ve said from the beginning, it all starts with running the ball and stopping the run—things you cannot do without strong trench play. And according to Lions general manager Brad Holmes, the Lions are in the best position they’ve ever been on both sides of the line. “This is probably the deepest that we’ve been probably on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Holmes told “Good Morning Football” on Friday. “We were able to get younger on the offensive line, we’ve got a lot of good depth in the secondary and on the defense, as a whole. So with what we already had established on offense, we feel really, really good about where we’re at right now.” This offseason has certainly been focused on those trenches both in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. On offense, there was a clear and necessary youth movement. Detroit released Graham Glasgow (33 years old) and Taylor Decker (32), and replaced them with free agent signing (27) and first-round pick Blake Miller (22). “In terms of just his makeup and intangibles, he fits us like a glove,” Holmes said of Miller. “You’re talking about a guy that rarely missed a practice and when he did he didn’t feel great about it. He didn’t feel great about it because he felt like he was letting his teammates down. So those are the type of guys we want in our locker room.” Beyond that, Detroit also filled out their reserves with strong players. Veteran now gives the Lions a swing tackle option who started 11 games last year and played well over that time. and gives Detroit experienced players who can step into the lineup if injuries occur. And with a ton of young options at each guard position, if those players can develop as expected, Detroit will have youthful starting options for years to come. That investment will hopefully pay off for Detroit after a clear step back in 2025. Last season, took more sacks than at any point in his career, and The defensive side of the ball also got some attention, but not as much. They again got younger on the edge, with DJ Wonnum (28) and (23) replacing (31) and (29). But there haven’t been clear one-to-one replacements on the interior for free agency losses DJ Reader and . They’re obviously hoping for growth from second-year defensive tackle , and 26-year-old signing could also provide some support. Regardless, they Lions have shown a clear investment in the trenches. And if they can even capture some of the magic of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, they could be right back in the category of contenders after a disappointing 2025 season.