The Detroit Lions will now be on the search for a starting left tackle, which they did not have in the cards when this week began. And it’s the last thing Lions general manager Brad Holmes wanted to hear just days before the start of free agency.Â
On Friday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that veteran offensive lineman Taylor Decker announced that he would be leaving Detroit. In a message posted on Instagram, the standout left tackle mentioned that he and the Lions could not find common ground in contract talks after announcing his return, which ultimately led to Decker asking for his release, and the Lions granted it.
This isn’t ideal news for Detroit, which doesn’t have a starting center after Graham Glasgow’s release. However, the Lions already started doing homework on the left tackle spot, as they hosted former first-round pick Jedrick Wills for a visit on Thursday.
Wills, who did not play in 2025 as he recovered from a knee injury, would be an upgrade over the Lions’ current in-house option, Giovanni Manu. That said, Lions fans are not pleased with the idea of Wills coming in as the starter now with Decker gone.
Lions' Jedrick Wills Visit Has New Meaning After Taylor Decker's Sudden Exit
When it was reported that Wills was visiting with the Lions, it wasn’t a terrible idea, especially since he could learn from Decker and continue to develop his skills after not playing for a whole season.
However, if the Lions were to sign Wills over the next few weeks, there’s a chance that he could be starting, which wouldn’t be ideal. He would be a step down from Decker, who has stabilized that side of the line for the last 10 years.
The last time we saw Wills on the field was in 2024 with the Browns. He only played five games during that season due to a knee injury that forced him to go on injured reserve in November 2023. Therefore, to get an accurate reading on Wills’ career, we have to look at the first three years with the Browns.
His Pro Football Focus grades were as follows:
- 2020 – 77.6 pass blocking, 52.8 run blocking
- 2021 – 67.9 pass blocking, 61.7 run blocking
- 2022 – 69.6 pass blocking, 55.3 run blocking
In addition to his woeful run blocking skills, Wills has had an issue with penalties, racking up 32 across 58 career games.
Based on all those factors, the Lions could get Wills at a lower price on a one-year deal, but that wouldn’t move the needle, especially knowing that Manu would be one play away from being thrown back into the starting lineup.
Detroit would be better off trying to go after Rasheed Walker in free agency, which could get expensive. They could also take the draft route, which would give the Lions a rookie lineman that they could develop and have under contract for at least four seasons.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how everything plays out for the Lions over the next several weeks, as they weren’t the only teams interested in Wills. Detroit will need to explore all avenues to replace Decker, which won’t be easy.