ESPN shares Detroit Lions' offseason report card, grade
· Yahoo Sports
Though it's at the end of this month, the Detroit Lions will report for training camp later this month as they gear up for their 2026 NFL season.
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That's pretty exciting as it means the long NFL offseason is nearly over.
As the month of June ends, it also means most of the roster reshuffling is in the rearview, too. Free agency is done, the 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone and teams have made their flurry of post-June 1 trades.
With the offseason all but complete, ESPN shared its updated offseason report cards and grades for every NFL franchise. The Lions' offseason carded a B letter grade from ESPN.
ESPN broke down the Lions' biggest move, the move ESPN liked and the move ESPN disliked:
Biggest move: Drafting OT Blake Miller to help replace Taylor DeckerMove I liked: Trading RB David Montgomery to the TexansMove I disliked: Extending LB Jack Campbell
The Lions selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller at pick No. 17 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many pundits viewed Miller as the most plug-and-play option, which makes sense for Detroit. The Lions want to win and win big right now.
How quickly Miller can acclimate to the NFL and on the Lions' right side will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Lions are Super Bowl contenders.
In terms of player personnel, one key change will be at tackle, as Detroit granted longtime left tackle Decker's request for release. In response, the Lions are expected to move star right tackle Penei Sewell to the left side. They used their first-round pick on Miller to fill the ensuing hole at right tackle.
Similarly, the Lions released veteran center Graham Glasgow, who was due $7 million in cash per OverTheCap.com, after a disappointing season following Frank Ragnow's retirement last summer. They replaced Glasgow with free agent Cade Mays, who should be a mild upgrade for a similar price.
It was the David Montgomery move that ESPN liked best, though.
Perhaps Detroit's best move of the offseason was dealing Montgomery for a fourth-round pick, seventh-round pick and OL Juice Scruggs. Any time a team can get that type of draft capital for a 29-year-old backup running back, it has to jump at the chance. The Lions were right to do so even though Isiah Pacheco, who they signed in free agency, will likely be a downgrade.
While ESPN listed the Jack Campbell extension as the move it disliked, it seems like Seth Walder understands the importance of the move. Walder just wasn't crazy about the final $81 million contract extension price tag.
The Lions also locked up Campbell to a four-year, $81 million extension, securing the linebacker for years to come. That strikes me as a little rich for Campbell, but not wildly out of line.
Lions fans know how much Dan Campbell values toughness. Jack Campbell embodies that in the heart of Detroit's defense.
Campbell enters his age 26 season after earning the NFL's Butkus Award last year. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound linebacker ranked second in the NFL last season with 176 tackles.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: ESPN shares Detroit Lions' offseason report card, grade