The Detroit Lions have a new offensive coordinator in Drew Petzing. While Petzing is a relative unknown in the Motor City, he’s been around the NFL for well over a decade, with stops in Minnesota, Cleveland and most recently as the OC of the Arizona Cardinals for the last three seasons.

His work with the Cardinals was a mixed bag, but it gave Petzing the opportunity to personally coach several pending free agents. So did his years (2020-2022) coaching tight ends and QBs with the Browns. Here are a few 2026 free agents who have ties to Petzing who could/should interest the Lions once free agency opens in March.

OT Jonah Williams

The No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Bengals, Williams spent two injury-plagued seasons as Arizona’s left tackle. In his healthy years in Cincinnati, namely 2022-2023, Williams emerged as an adequate starting left tackle. Much like the younger Taylor Decker, Williams was pretty darn good except for a handful of given plays in just about every game that made fans wonder if he’d ever played before.

Injuries are a major issue. Williams missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury, and has missed 19 games over the last two years with separate knee issues, and those don’t include a dislocated kneecap that ended a season in Cincinnati, too. Williams is a good one when he plays, but keeping him on the field is a very real issue. He’s the kind of injury reclamation project that makes sense as a potential option, not the only option–as Petzing and the Cardinals found out the hard way.

TE David Njoku

In his first three seasons in Cleveland, Njoku was viewed by Browns fans largely the same way Lions fans viewed Eric Ebron. He was an overhyped first-round TE with unreliable hands and underwhelming blocking. Then Petzing took over as Njoku’s position coach in 2020.

Njoku’s catch rate skyrocketed, from just over 50 percent for his first three years to over 68 percent for the next three–the seasons Petzing was in Cleveland. His attention to detail in blocking also visibly improved. Petzing’s ability to connect with a mercurial individual like Njoku is one of the reasons I like the hiring; Njoku is a definite character–not malicious or harmful, just a different kind of cat.

The inconsistency has never really left “Chief”, as his teammates know him. Njoku is coming back from a knee injury–suffered while scoring a touchdown–which cost him the final month of 2025. There are enough (largely valid) dings on Njoku that he might be a very attractive and affordable No. 2 TE for the Lions if reuniting with Petzing helps the 29-year-old back to his Pro Bowl self. He’s a much more dynamic athlete and powerful run blocker than Brock Wright.

RG Wyatt Teller

Of all the players listed here, Teller would be my personal preference. The 31-year-old is a great example of what happens when a team, in this case the Buffalo Bills, gives up on a Day 3 player too early.

Teller wasn’t particularly impressive as a fifth-round rookie for the Bills back in 2018. They dealt him to the Browns, in a deal that included the draft pick that became Jermar Jefferson in Detroit, the next summer. Teller wasn’t really very good in his first year in Cleveland, either. Then came the scheme change with Kevin Stefanski, the root scheme Petzing operates.

Since that time, Teller has made three Pro Bowls and twice earned second-team All-Pro. He’s a tone-setting ass kicker of a right guard in the run game, a bully in gap and duo blocks. The Browns moved to/from more of an outside zone blocking scheme and Teller is still a quality player who doesn’t miss in space. The biggest knock is that Teller is not great at picking up outside-in rushes from the edge. But he’s a high-end run blocker who is more than capable of affordably upgrading the Lions RG spot–if Detroit moves Tate Ratledge to center or even left guard.

I’d love Cleveland’s venerable left guard, Joel Bitonio, even more, but it sure sounds like Bitonio is hanging up his cleats.

OG Will Hernandez

For those with a cynical bent towards the Lions’ injuries, Hernandez certainly scratches that itch. He missed 10 games in 2025 with hip and knee injuries, one year after missing 12 games recovering from a torn ACL.

Cue the “Brad Holmes excitedly looking on” meme…

When last he played a full season (2023), Hernandez was an above-average left guard for a Cardinals offense that ranked in the top five in rushing. He’s something of a run-blocking specialist with his short-range burst and brute power. Read as: he’s exactly what the Lions want/hope Christian Mahogany can be. At minimum, Hernandez could be a fine depth signing to replace guys like Kayode Awosika and Kinglsey Eguakun with higher upside but also (significantly more) injury risk.

S Jalen Thompson

Not an offensive player, but Thompson is a pending Cardinals free agent who appears to be a great, albeit pricey, fit for the Lions at a position of need. Arizona is not expected to keep Thompson, who played a lot of the same role with the Cardinals that the Lions have deployed Kerby Joseph. With Joseph’s knee injury casting some doubts, and with Brian Branch out until at least midseason with a torn Achilles, Thompson could be a very effective short-term rental option to buy a year or two. That’s especially true if the Lions continue the late-season trend of playing more zone coverage, where Thompson is better than he is in man coverage. The 27-year-old is also experienced in playing in a 3-safety alignment as the high coverage, a wrinkle the Lions could roll with Branch (when healthy) as the slot DB.

WR/RS Greg Dortch

With Kalif Raymond a free agent, the Lions could very well need to replace WR4 and also their primary return specialist for the last few seasons. Dortch is smaller (!!) than Raymond but can offer those same services for a smaller price tag, albeit not as high-end in the punt return department. In the past two years working primarily (but not exclusively) as a slot receiver, the 27-year-old Dortch has caught 67 of the 83 passes thrown his way and is known for his uncanny ability to make the first tackler miss.