The Detroit Lions have been one of the NFL’s premier contenders in recent years, and a big reason has been their work in the trenches. The offensive line has been a dominant group for the majority of head coach Dan Campbell’s tenure, and the defensive line has pressured quarterbacks as part of a strong front seven.
Those values went down the drain in 2025. While the offensive line struggled with sudden departures and injuries, the defensive line suffered from a lack of depth, leaving Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad to do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to getting after the quarterback.
With that in mind, the Lions' defensive line could have a few new faces coming into next offseason. But one face that will likely stick around is defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo.
Mekhi Wingo Could Have Massive Opportunity Entering 2026
When it comes to the Lions' needs this offseason, the interior of the defensive line may be toward the top of the list. Detroit looked ahead to the future with its most recent draft class, drafting Tyleik Williams in the first round to pair with Alim McNeil, but the rest of the group is in flux, with Roy Lopez and D.J. Reader becoming free agents.
The Lions are always looking for depth, and keeping trusted veterans like Lopez and Reader around aligns with their win-now window. But with the duo combining for a market value of $8.6 million, according to Spotrac’s projections, the Lions could choose to allow one or both to move on and clear up a roster spot.
The top three spots on the interior are locked in with Williams, McNeil, and Levi Onwuzurike, the latter of whom is also coming off a torn ACL, which knocked him out for the entire 2025 season and caused his contract to toll to 2026. If Onwuzurike needs some time to knock off the rust, it could open the door for Wingo to get an increased role.
This would be an opportunity that Wingo has been waiting for over his first two seasons. His rookie season was cut short in 2024 when he suffered a meniscus tear in a Thanksgiving win over the Chicago Bears and spent most of the offseason program rehabbing from the injury before appearing in just two games this season. Although that feels like a downward trajectory, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers revealed the Lions still have faith in Wingo entering this offseason.
“It’s just this all comes down to a numbers game,” Rodgers said via Sports Illustrated’s John Maakaron. “I was watching when the show team was out, (Mekhi has) been running some reps, and his explosiveness, he’s just ripping through there. He said, ‘Coach, you know I’m just ready when you need me.’ So that’s kind of it, because of the way it is.”
Those quotes could be the catalyst Wingo needs to get his NFL career going. Although the top of the depth chart is set, Wingo could climb into a key reserve role as the offseason program continues. Even if the Lions add a free agent or take a player in the draft, Wingo should have the inside track with a couple of years in defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.
It’s something that could see Wingo among plenty of new faces along the defensive line, but it could also mean that Lions fans will be seeing a lot more of him in 2026.