One of the bigger talking points throughout this season for the Detroit Lions was the defensive line. More specifically, the pass rush.
After seeing their pass-rushing depth get tested last season, Lions fans thought that general manager Brad Holmes would make it a priority to bolster the unit. However, Holmes did not make any major additions to the group in free agency or in the regular season. Instead, Detroit's GM hitched his wagon to Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Aidan Hutchinson.
Muhammad and Hutchison had an incredible season, but Davenport was a major disappointment for the second consecutive year, leaving plenty of room for improvement.
That said, seeing how things played out this season, Lions fans were hoping to hear a different tune from Holmes this offseason. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as he seemingly doubled down on their plan on Thursday when speaking with reporters.
According to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, Holmes said Detroit's approach to adding pass rushers will “be the same approach that we took last year. The position wasn’t ignored in the draft, it just didn’t come together.” He also added, "I'm not sure how many other teams had an 11.5-sack and 14.5-sack guys.”
Brad Holmes Repeating Same Costly Mistake That Hurt Lions in 2025
The fanbase wasn’t happy to hear this from Holmes, as it appears he hasn’t learned anything just days after the season ended.
While he’s right about Hutchinson and Muhammad, the Lions' next pass rusher, Tyrus Wheat, only had 1.5 sacks in 15 games. That’s not good, considering that Jack Campbell (five sacks), Derrick Barnes (four sacks), Alex Anzalone (2.5 sacks), Brian Branch (2.5), and Roy Lopez (two sacks) had more sacks.
That said, if you’re a Lions fan, you hope Detroit can re-sign Muhammad, who had a career-high 11.5 sacks. At the same time, the Lions shouldn’t put all its eggs into Muhammad’s basket as it's unfair to him.
This season could’ve been an anomaly or a sign of things to come. But as Al Kartsen of Pride of Detroit pointed out, Muhammad was a consistent pass-rushing threat, playing under 40% of snaps in nine of 17 games, and under 50% in 13 games.
Based on those numbers, it is clear that the Lions need more depth and guys who can get after the QB. If Holmes refuses to do that or brings in another Davenport-type player, he’ll be putting himself on the hot seat, with no one else to blame.
In today’s NFL, teams can’t just lean on two players to carry their pass rush, as it's unsustainable. They need a wave of guys to pitch in, so they can rotate and throw fresh guys at opposing QBs. If Holmes doesn’t realize that, the Lions could be in a world of trouble next season and possibly in this same spot.