Daily DLP: Biggest fear for the 2026 Lions – Detroit Lions Podcast

What Worries Jeff If the Stars Stay Healthy

The Detroit Lions enter 2026 with expectations and scars. Injuries haunted the last two seasons. That remains the existential dread. But on the Detroit Lions Podcast, Jeff set that aside for a day and asked a tougher NFL question. If the core plays most of the year, what could still go wrong?

He laid out the premise. The starting secondary gets at least 12 games together. Aidan Hutchinson plays a full season. Jared Goff plays a full season. Amanra maybe misses one game. Penay maybe one. Gibbs is available most weeks. With that health, the worry shifts from luck to execution.

Downfield Coverage Can Still Break

Cornerback play tops the list. DJ Reed after the hamstring wasn’t the same. Terrion Arnold improved, but there is room to climb. Roger McCreery arrives as a new piece. Keith Abney is a favorite pick, yet the NFL put him in the fifth round. Consensus boards loved the value. He still has to cover.

Safety helps, if healthy. Kirby has a chip and something to prove. Branch comes back after Germany around Week 11 or Week 12. Chuck Clark brings veteran snaps, though there’s concern he’s past his prime. Thomas Harper played well last year. Monte Maddox is back. There are enough bodies to function. The issue is downfield coverage. That remains a real concern, even if the pass rush can hide some of it.

Pass Rush and Front Must Gel

Jeff likes the edge additions for Kelvin Shepherd’s defense. DJ one of them was a smart, shrewd move. Derrick Moore should contribute. Hutch is Hutch. All-Pro. Depth and cohesion inside are the bigger questions. Aleem is a good player. Levi, if healthy, is a solid rotational piece. What does the rotation look like? Do they play without a nose tackle? The Romeo Cornell riff on the Bo Parcells front uses two three techniques and no nose. That can work with elite interior disruptors. The Lions still need to show they have that pairing.

The front and linebackers must mesh as one six- or seven-man unit. There are many moving parts. Personnel and scheme both in flux. Some concern lingers that it won’t click fast enough.

The Interior Offensive Line Is in Flux

The other major worry lives up front on offense. Cade Mays might not work. Tate Ratledge might not be that guy. Left guard is unsettled. Christian Mahogany was good early last year, then got hurt, and wasn’t the same on return, similar to DJ Reed. Penay is moving to the left side. Depending on left guard, there could be four new starters across the line. Call it three and a half at minimum.

Jeff is a big Blake Miller fan and doesn’t worry about left tackle. But offensive lines win as a five-man unit. The Lions will face diverse fronts. Cohesion must arrive early for this Detroit Lions offense to meet the moment.

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Chris
Chris is the founder of everything you see here. A former radio presenter and Detroit native, he now resides in sunny California – and like so many of us, he found himself marooned on an island devoid of other Lions fans. After spending a few years in the Detroit Lions Reddit community he decided to start the Detroit Lions Podcast. Its become the #1 Detroit Lions podcast, and regularly ranks with the top podcasts in Detroit. With a mixture of pre-recorded shows, live & recorded phone-ins, and live post-game broadcasts - this is his slice of Honolulu Blue heaven.