Edge Derrick Moore
Look, we all saw what Brad Holmes did when he traded up to grab this Michigan kid. The pedigree is there. The talent is obvious. But let’s pump the brakes on expecting Moore to walk into Allen Park and immediately terrorize quarterbacks like Hutchinson.
The smart play here is D.J. Wonnum starting opposite Hutch while Moore gets his feet under him. Third downs and obvious passing situations? That’s where you’ll see Moore getting his reps early on. Think of 2026 as his apprenticeship.
2027 is really more of the season to expect him to be the guy opposite Hutchinson. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and edge rushers coming straight from college usually need some runway before they take flight.
Edge Ahmed Hassanein
Rookie season. Full stop.
If you watched training camp last year, you know Hassanein needed time to adjust to the speed and complexity of NFL football. High ceiling? Absolutely. Immediate impact? Probably not.
The Lions are going to focus on getting him reps and letting his game develop naturally. Expecting him to come out blazing right away is a recipe for disappointment. Patience, grasshopper.
S Brian Branch
Here comes the part where some of you are going to lose your minds unnecessarily.
Branch suffered a season-ending injury. He’s coming back in 2026, and yes, there’s probably going to be some rust. It’s the most predictable storyline in football. Guy gets hurt, comes back the next season, looks a step slow for a few weeks, and suddenly half the fanbase thinks he’s washed.
He’s not washed. He’ll be fine by the end of the year. But don’t expect him to pick up exactly where he left off on day one.
OL Miles Frazier
I know some of you think Frazier can waltz into camp and beat out Christian Mahogany at left guard immediately. I get the optimism. But this summer will be Frazier’s first training camp ahead of his first full season.
The guy has played so little NFL football that seeing him as the Week 1 starter would genuinely be surprising. Will he compete? Hell yes. Will he compete hard? Absolutely. But expecting him to leapfrog an established veteran right out of the gate might be asking too much.
WR Isaac TeSlaa
The Lions gave up significant capital to get TeSlaa, and that’s got some people thinking thousand-yard season or bust. Let’s be realistic here.
You’ve got Amon-Ra St. Brown eating up targets. You’ve got Jameson Williams doing his thing. Goff has weapons all over the field. TeSlaa’s going to get his, but 500-600 yards is probably the more reasonable expectation.
That doesn’t make him a disappointment. That makes him a piece in a loaded offensive puzzle.
Which one of these guys do you think is most likely to exceed expectations anyway? Or are we just setting ourselves up for another round of unrealistic hype? Let me know in the comments.
This is the kind of reasonable take I can get behind. Yeah Moore needs time to develop but I’m not worried at all. Brad Holmes knows how to build an edge group and we’ve got Hutch there as the anchor. 2027 can’t come soon enough but I’m actually cool with the patient approach here.
You’re right about Branch probably being fine by midseason but man it’s going to be stressful watching those first few games wondering if he’s still the same player. I hope you’re right about this being predictable rust and not something more. Holmes has earned the benefit of the doubt but I’m definitely gonna be nervous opening day.
This is exactly the kind of level headed thinking this fanbase needed to hear. We’ve been burned too many times expecting rookies and young guys to walk in and be stars immediately. Holmes and Campbell actually seem to understand how to build something sustainable instead of just hoping for magic. That’s refreshing to see.
Love the TeSlaa take. People see the capital we spent and immediately think superstar but yeah having multiple weapons actually takes the pressure off any one guy. He can be productive without needing to do everything himself and that’s actually a better recipe for his success anyway.