When the Detroit Lions built one of the most dynamic and effective offenses in the NFL under Ben Johnson over the last several years, the strength of their offensive line was one of the biggest factors. The offensive line, which had the benefit of continuity, consistently ranked as one of the best groups in the league. The 2025 offseason, however, saw significant changes on that front for the Lions. Kevin Zeitler left in free agency, and Frank Ragnow announced his unexpected retirement, leaving GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell to scramble to find solutions.
Lions' Offensive Line Looks Like a Real Strength Through 4 Weeks
They decided to trust rookie Tate Ratledge and seldom-used second-year player Christian Mahogany to step in as starters. The Week 1 showing against the Packers, where Detroit looked overmatched, allowing constant pressure to get to Jared Goff, suggested that this may have been a mistake. Fast forward three weeks, however, and the Lions' offensive line is clicking.
"Clicking" is perhaps an understatement. In fact, on Sunday, the 2025 Lions became the first-ever team in franchise history to go three consecutive games without allowing a sack, since the NFL started tracking the stat in 1982, per MLive's Benjamin Raven. Doing so against the game-wrecking Myles Garrett on Sunday was particularly impressive.
As a result, the Lions lead the league in scoring once again. They have managed to keep Goff upright, and have scored the second-most passing touchdowns and second-most rushing touchdowns in the league through four weeks. This has silenced the haters who had plenty to criticize about offensive coordinator John Morton after the Week 1 loss to Green Bay.
The lion's share of credit for the offensive line's resurgence, besides Morton and Campbell, of course, once again goes to Penei Sewell. The All-Pro right tackle continues to be as dominant as any offensive lineman in the league, leading all tackles by a significant margin with a 92.6 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus. His consistency and reliability make everything a little easier for the Lions, who had to shuffle personnel in the trenches to begin the season.
The Lions had to slide Graham Glasgow to center, and have Mahogany step in at left guard in his stead. Glasgow and Mahogany have been the weakest links on the offensive line, receiving PFF grades of 57.5 and 53.2. Considering how Glasgow played guard for the majority of his NFL career, and that this is the first real opportunity Mahogany has had after his injury-riddled rookie campaign, that is to be expected.
Those two will have a good opportunity to get things rolling in the coming weeks as well. Their upcoming opponents rank 17th (Bengals) and 30th (Chiefs) in PFF's run defense grade. Once Glasgow and Mahogany get rolling, the Lions' offensive line will be a force to be reckoned with.