The Detroit Lions regressed in unfathomable ways during the 2025 season, and Frank Ragnow's retirement is far from the only thing to blame. Even though there were bright spots, like second-round rookie Tate Ratledge and Penei Sewell, there was constant breakdowns in pass protection that Jared Goff ultimately couldn't overcome.
With that said, the situation is far from unsalvageable. Brad Holmes has his work cut out, but the solution to the team's problems is within sight. It'll take just three steps, and one of them is moving Sewell a few feet to his left.
Step 1: Move Penei Sewell to LT
It's possible that Taylor Decker calls it a career. Certainly, when asked about retirement in early January, Decker sounded like someone ready to choose family over football and not live with regrets like Tom Brady does.
"It was what was necessary and it's what I was willing to do, but it asked a lot of my wife. ... If that's what my future is going to be to continue to play, that's not something I'm willing to do because I'm not willing to put my family through it," Decker said.
If that's the case, Sewell moving to left tackle makes the most sense. Goff needs that blindside protected, with his fumbles in the backfield noticeably high in 2025, and Sewell has proved to be elite in all levels. The alternative is a rookie, and it's less of a risk to trust a first-year player at RT.
Step 2: Sign Tyler Linderbaum
The Lions have Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs' extensions to worry about, which should naturally cause some cap casualties. Center Graham Glasnow is an obvious one, and once $5-7 million is opened up on his release, and other maneuvers on the fringes are done, Detroit can pivot to a premium option like Tyler Linderbaum.
The Iowa product has solidified himself as one of the league's best at the position, notching his third straight Pro Bowl nod in 2025. Only turning 26 this offseason, Linderbaum presents not only an immediate option to bring stability where Detroit needs it most, but also a long-term fixture of the OL who could take the torch from Ragnow.
Everyone in Detroit's hierarchy, from Holmes to Campbell, and on down the line, needs to feel some heat heading into next season. There are few bigger statements, and potential leaps forward, that could be made than swapping out Glasnow for Linderbaum.
Step 3: Draft Max Iheanachor or Another RT
You can't move Sewell without having a replacement, but that's where the draft comes in. The Lions will pick at No. 17, and former Arizona State Sun Devil Max Iheanachor could be available.
Iheanachor is a classic case of a raw international athlete finding his feel for the game almost immediately. The Nigerian native played soccer and basketball growing up, having not played a snap until he was at East Los Angeles College. Quickly, Iheanachor caught on and helped Sam Leavitt become one of the game's best signal-callers.
That's the kind of versatile, quick-learning talent the Lions need as a potential utility lineman in the wake of Dan Skipper's probable departure. If not Iheanachor, then Miami Hurricane Francis Mauigoa and the Alabama Crimson Tide's Kadyn Proctor could be elite fallback options, if they're not already off the board.