The Offensive Line Shuffle Is Real and One Veteran Might Actually Be Stealing a Job
The offensive line enters 2026 with major changes. Penei Sewell is moving to left tackle. Cade Mays is the new center. And there is a wide open competition at left guard that could reshape the starting five before Week 1.
Detroit’s offensive line was already one of the best units in football. The Lions have spent the offseason trying to keep it that way.
Let’s break it down position by position.
Penei Sewell Is Going to Be Just Fine at Left Tackle
You do not need me to tell you how good Penei Sewell is. He is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. One of the best football players period.
Yes there is some concern about moving him from right tackle to left. But he played left tackle at Oregon. He played left tackle his rookie year and did fine.
He is like Mr. Perfect from the WWE. The guy can do everything you ask him to do. He might have a tiny bit of rust early but I do not think it is going to be the kind of rust where Jared Goff is taking a bunch of sacks.
Sewell is going to be just fine.
Christian Mahogany’s Starting Job Is Not Safe
This one is worth watching.
Christian Mahogany was the starter in 2025. Before and after the injury Mahogany played well as a run blocker. But when it came time to pass protect he struggled mightily, allowing six sacks and well over 20 pressures.
The Lions need to keep Goff clean. When kept clean Goff is a sniper.
That is why there is a real possibility Mahogany could lose that starting job during training camp.
Cade Mays Was the Right Move at Center
Mays is the best center Detroit could have gotten for the money. Tyler Linderbaum was the one everybody wanted but he wound up getting insane money from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mays got about a quarter of what Linderbaum received and is just about as good, if not better, in some areas.
The only concern is his limited experience at center and the fact that he has not been a full time starter for long. But in his time starting for Carolina he showed he does not allow a lot of pressure or many sacks.
This is about as good as the Lions could have hoped for without breaking the bank or gambling on a high draft pick.
Tate Ratledge Has a Ceiling He Hasn’t Hit Yet
Tate Ratledge, the team’s second-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, has so much ceiling left to reach. I honestly think there is a pathway for him to become one of the best right guards in the NFL within a few years.
Year 2 of understanding NFL communication, being around offensive line coach Hank Fraley, and playing alongside a stronger overall line should produce a noticeable step forward.
Blake Miller Was Always the Guy
Blake Miller was always going to be the Lions’ selection. There were considerations to move up for Reuben Bain but the Lions also tried three or four times to trade up specifically for Miller.
When they realized they did not have to they did not.
Miller reminds me a lot of Frank Ragnow. This guy would probably come out and play hurt if he had to. He loves football, has never missed a game, has never missed a practice.
There will be rookie bumps but I do not think you are going to see something so bad that he gets labeled a bust by Week 6. He is going to be fine.
The Left Guard Battle Comes Down to 3 Guys
The real left guard fight comes down to Mahogany, Miles Frazier, and Ben Bartch.
Frazier’s versatility is his biggest asset and oddly might be the thing that keeps him off the starting lineup since the Lions could benefit from having him come off the bench to play any position.
Bartch is more balanced than Mahogany and has more reps than Frazier.
The more days go by the more I start to think Bartch is going to win this job. But I need to see training camp before handing it to him.
The Rest of the Depth
Larry Borum will compete with Miller at right tackle but is more likely to be a swing tackle, an upgrade over Dan Skipper at that role.
Juice Scruggs, acquired from the Texans in the David Montgomery trade, has center ability that makes him valuable as a Mays backup.
Giovanni Manu is likely in his last summer in Detroit after the tackle experiment never worked out. Colby Sorsdal could sneak on as a third tackle. Michael Niese has been here five seasons without meaningful regular season action.
Seth McLaughlin, college football’s best center in 2024 for Ohio State, is a practice squad candidate worth monitoring. Undrafted free agent Melvin Priestley faces long odds to crack the 53.
We will see how all of this shakes out when training camp opens.
Do you trust Brad Holmes to sort this out or are you worried the left guard spot is going to be a liability all season? Drop your take below.
