Lions still have 2 glaring holes on the roster ahead of 2026 season

Regarding these positions, Manzano offered the following:

The Lions addressed their biggest needs in the draft, but after selecting offensive tackle Blake Miller in the first round, it’s not a given that the other players will make an immediate impact.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea if Detroit signed another veteran edge rusher to take pressure off second-round pick Derrick Moore, the Michigan product with 10 sacks last season. And cornerback has been an up-and-down group for the past few years now. Terrion Arnold, the 2024 first-round pick, can’t be trusted to start all season.

As Manzano mentioned, the Lions did a decent job of patching holes in the draft, but it's hard to fix everything in one weekend.

If the season started today, the Lions would roll with rookie second-rounder Derrick Moore as a starting edge rusher. Moore is an intriguing prospect, but relying on a second-round pick is never the best option. There's also not much depth behind Moore and star Aidan Hutchinson.

At cornerback. the Lions have Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, and free agent addition Roger McCreary penciled in as the starters. Reed and McCreary are reliable veterans, but Arnold has struggled with injuries and inconsistency. The depth at cornerback is also a little sketchy.

The Lions had the 21st-ranked pass defense last year, and on the edge, Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had 11 sacks last year, left in free agency. Has the team done enough to improve at these spots? It's questionable, but luckily, there are still some options available in free agency.

Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa are among the best-available edge rushers, while Rasul Douglas and Trevon Diggs are some of the top cornerback options.

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