The Detroit Lions are hoping to put a disappointing 2025 season behind them. Plenty of things went wrong for the Lions last year, even if their disheartening year still ended with their third-consecutive winning season. The fact of the matter is this roster is too talented to go 9-8, and the bar has been raised to the point that any season that doesn’t involve the playoffs should be considered a significant failure.
So this year, Detroit underwent several changes. They’ve got a new offensive coordinator. They’ve made some pretty significant changes to the roster, particularly on defense. They’ve reinvested in the offensive line. And they’ve even changed some of the ways they approach the offseason and practices.
Advertisement
The Lions have a pretty firm identity, and they’re confident in their methods. But they also aren’t averse to change and adaptation. So today’s Question of the Day is:
What is the biggest difference between the 2025 and 2026 Lions?
Note this question of the day was inspired by our friends at Blogging The Boys.
My answer: I think the biggest changes are coming via some philosophical shifts on defense. I don’t believe the Lions will abandon their principles of man-coverage and stopping the run first, but it’s clear Detroit is willing to be a little more flexible in 2026.
For one, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has already said multiple times this offseason that they intend to move away from so much base defense and toward more nickel personnel this year. Detroit also invested pass rushers along the defensive line with draft picks Derrick Moore, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Tyre West—while letting run stoppers DJ Reader and Roy Lopez walk. And based on some other personnel decisions, it wouldn’t be surprising for the team to lean a little more into zone coverages, as they did toward the end of last year.
Advertisement
Most of those would be welcome changes for Detroit’s defense, and Sheppard’s willingness to be flexible shows that he’s far from an Aaron Glenn clone.
What do you think is the biggest change from the 2025 to 2026 Detroit Lions? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Read the full article here