CBS shares Detroit Lions' 'reason to believe in 2026'

The Detroit Lions are eyeing a bounceback 2026 campaign after its 9-8 finish in 2025 kept the Lions outside the playoffs for the first time since 2022. After a trip to the NFC championship game in 2023 and after earning the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2024, missing the playoffs entirely in 2025 was a major disappointment.

That disappointment meant urgency for Lions general manager Brad Holmes to reconfigure this roster back into championship conversations in a hurry. Time will tell, but there's hope that Holmes addressed the Lions' necessary needs. In CBS' look at the Detroit Lions' reason to believe in 2026 , the Lions' "defensive youth movement" caught the network's attention.

Like the Cowboys, the Lions ' high-scoring offense struggled to make up for a lackluster defense in 2025. Also like Dallas, Detroit looked to remedy that issue this offseason. The Lions added a slew of defensive depth during free agency, then used their second-round pick to acquire pass rusher Derrick Moore , a local product who tallied 10.

0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 10 tackles for loss during his final season at Michigan. Moore will look to pose a formidable duo with fellow defensive end Aidan Hutchinson . - Bryan DeArdo, CBS In addition to Derrick Moore out of Michigan , the Lions also drafted Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder, Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II, Texas Tech defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard and Tennessee defensive tackle Tyre West.