The Detroit Lions are once again dealing with offensive line concerns this offseasonm.
For the second straight year, the Lions are on the verge of losing a long-term starter on the offensive line with no obvious backups on the roster to take his place. Thirty-two-year-old left tackle Taylor Decker is contemplating retirement, and Giovanni Manu, who was supposed to be his replacement, has been nowhere near where he needs to be. This could potentially create a massive hole in one of the most important positions.
That is why the Lions are reportedly looking at the free agent class for left tackle upgrades. NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah recently revealed that the Lions are "doing a lot of homework on free-agent tackles."
Lions general manager Brad Holmes will presumably cast a wide net to find his starting left tackle if Decker were to retire. One of the options that should emerge is Braxton Jones of the Chicago Bears.
Bears' Braxton Jones Could Be a Free-Agent Option for Lions
After four seasons in Chicago, Jones is now a free agent. The 25-year-old offensive tackle has missed most of 2025 with a knee injury. Once he was activated in the playoffs, he had already lost his spot to Ozzy Trapilo and Theo Benedet. As the Bears completely revamped their offensive line since Ben Johnson took charge, they are unlikely to retain Jones.
While he hasn't played at the level he demonstrated earlier in his career, Jones has a ton of experience for a 25-year-old tackle. He has started in 44 games for the Bears over the last four years and has been mostly solid. It was only in 2024 that he played to a career-best 80.8 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade, allowing only 26 pressures across 471 opportunities.
Considering that we are only one year removed from that, there is no reason to think that Jones couldn't at least be a rotation option for the Lions.
The Lions have the 17th-overall pick in the NFL draft, and they could certainly target a left tackle there. Holmes is generally a decision-maker who believes in his board, taking the player he has the most faith in, regardless of where they may be on other draft boards.
If a blindside protector that he likes is available at No. 17, he could take him and make him the immediate starter in Week 1.
Another option would be moving Penei Sewell to left tackle. The star offensive lineman spent a large portion of his rookie season at left tackle and could very well be Detroit's best option there next season. Plus, it's easier to find a quality right tackle through free agency or the draft.
Regardless of whether the Lions trust a rookie or Sewell to take over at left tackle, having someone like Jones as competition would be a savvy move. Manu has shown nothing to justify starting another season as the backup left tackle. Replacing him with Jones on the roster would be a no-brainer upgrade.