The Detroit Lions ended the 2024 season with 86 players under contract with the organization, spread out amongst the active roster, practice squad, and injured reserve. Heading into the offseason, 52 players are under contract, 21 are unrestricted free agents, four are street free agents, five are restricted free agents, and four are exclusive rights free agents.

Let’s take a look at which Lions players fall into each of the four potential free agent categories and rank them in the order we believe Detroit will prioritize them.

Unrestricted free agents (21)

A pattern has emerged when it comes to the Lions re-signing their own unrestricted free agents. In 2022, the Lions re-signed six of their 13 UFAs, then nine of their 18 UFAs in 2023, followed by 10 of their 20 UFAs in 2024. Therefore, if these patterns hold, that means the Lions, at best, will likely only re-sign half of their pending UFAs.

With that in mind, let’s rank how we think the Lions will prioritize their unrestricted free agents this offseason. Note: Offensive guard Netane Muti has already re-signed for 2025

1. CB Carlton Davis

When Davis joined the Lions, he brought a calming presence and leadership to the cornerback’s room that had been lacking for some time. Davis’ combination of man coverage skills and physicality made him a perfect for the Lions scheme and is a solid representation of the style of play coach Dan Campbell wants to keep in place in 2025 and beyond.

While Davis worked through multiple injuries in 2024, a side-effect of his physical gameplay, it took a broken jaw before he was finally forced to miss time. The Lions’ corners performed well in his absence, but depth in the secondary is paramount, which is why he lands at the top of the pending free agents list.

2. RG Kevin Zeitler

If Zeitler wasn’t turning 35 years old in May, he’d sit atop this list of free agents. The Lions offensive line operates best with a mauler at right guard and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more consistent mauler in the NFL. After recording his first Pro Bowl season in 2023-24, Zeitler is the third alternate in 2024-25, despite earning a career-high 87.2 run-blocking grade from PFF—the fourth highest amongst guards in the NFL this season.

Beyond his age, the only other obstacle that could impede a re-signing is that Christian Mahogany (91.1 run blocking grade, third in NFL) could be viewed as a starter in waiting—although Mahogany should also be a contender for a starting role at left guard.

The Lions offensive line is the engine that makes the team run and having a premium of players—both starters and depth—is very important.

3. DL Levi Onwuzurike

After injuries plagued his first three seasons in the NFL, Onwuzurike appeared to have put the injury woes to bed in 2024, as he played in every game this season. At 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, Onwuzurike showed off his positional versatility by rotating between defensive end and interior defensive tackle, earning starts at both spots.

Onwuzurike showed the ability to rush the passer from the interior, was solid against the run, and while he was wasn’t always flashy, he took over games against the Titans and Vikings in Week 18.

4. LB Derrick Barnes

An ideal fit for the Lions’ SAM linebacker role, Barnes showed capable of rushing the passer and dropping into coverage. His experience at MIKE linebacker was something the Lions leaned on while Jack Campbell acclimated, but that role is firmly Campbell’s now and in the future.

Moving forward, it’s fair to speculate if the Lions will use the same SAM linebacker role with former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn now the Jets head coach, but with Kelvin Sheppard stepping into the defensive coordinator role, we may see the SAM role stick around, or at least a variation of it.

If the role sticks, it’s fair to argue Barnes should be bumped up this list, but if the Lions change their linebacker roles and Barnes ends up as a reserve, you could also argue he should be a bit lower on the list.

5. WR Tim Patrick

After two season-ending injuries, the Broncos felt they didn’t have enough room for Patrick on their roster. But their loss was the Lions’ gain, as he stepped into a starting WR-X role and was more than happy to play 60-75% of snaps and see three of four targets a game.

Patrick was exactly what the Lions were searching for all offseason and was a perfect complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. A big-bodied reliable target who could be counted on when Jared Goff looked his way, Patrick didn’t demand the focus be on him the majority of the time.

At 31 years old, Patrick is likely not the Lions’ long-term answer for the position, but he should be relatively inexpensive to retain and fill a critical role.

6. DB Ifeatu Melifonwu

A blitzing safety who can drop and cover in the slot or run fill at the linebacker level, Melifonwu is very talented when he gets on the field. With a terrific combination of size-speed-athleticism, Melifonwu can be a weapon for a creative defensive coordinator.

His biggest obstacle is that he’s barely played two seasons worth of football despite being in the NFL for four. This past season he landed on injured reserve twice, only played in four games (three in the regular season), and recorded just a single sack.

With room to further develop his game, he’s worth trying to retain, but the cost involved will likely determine if that happens.

7. EDGE Marcus Davenport

Davenport is exactly the style of player the Lions want to deploy opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but injuries absolutely zapped another NFL season of his. After only playing four games in 2023 with the Vikings, Davenport followed that up by only playing two games in 2024 with the Lions. In fact, he’s never played a full season in the NFL.

So why does he continue to get shots in the NFL? Because he has a rare blend of size and athleticism, and when he plays, he provides starter-level talent with positional flexibility. If the Lions were to try and re-sign Davenport, expect to be a heavy incentive-laden contract that focuses on production and game availability bonuses.

8. OT Dan Skipper

The 6-foot-9 cult hero has carved out a solid role as the Lions’ sixth offensive lineman and fits like a glove in the locker room. He will likely never be more than an OT3—and could get jumped for that role—but he gives the Lions solid depth at offensive tackle. It would be surprising if this deal doesn’t get done.

9. CB Khalil Dorsey

One of the best special teamers in the NFL, Dorsey suffered a brutal leg injury near the end of the season and it’s fair to speculate when he will be ready to return to the field. That could delay his ability to sign his next contract, but the Lions know his value and will likely want to keep him in Allen Park.

10. DL Pat O’Connor

After being drafted by the Lions in 2017, O’Connor finished his rookie season in Tampa Bay. After six more seasons with the Bucs, he returned home in 2024 and gave the Lions valuable reps at reserve nose tackle—a position he was not expected to contribute at but managed to step up when called upon. It’d be wise for the Lions to work to re-sign O’Connor to compete and push Brodric Martin, as the young nose tackle continues to acclimate to the NFL.

11. CB Kindle Vildor

Vildor is a steady but not spectacular veteran corner who the Lions always seem to end up needing, no matter how far down the depth chart he is at the beginning of the season. He has certainly had his ups and downs during his tenure in Detroit, but the Lions need veterans who can fill depth roles in their secondary.

12. DL John Cominsky

Cominsky spent the entire season on injured reserve after playing significant roles in seasons past. Despite his resume with the Lions, he struggled in training camp and looked to be on the bubble before his injury. Still, he’s done enough over the past few seasons to get consideration for a new deal and a shot at competing for a role in 2025.

13. EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad

Muhammad was signed mid-season to the Lions’ practice squad and was eventually promoted to the active roster due to injury and positive performances. He played in 10 games for the Lions and earned almost 300 defensive snaps while registering 26 pressures (per PFF) and recording three sacks. While likely only a back-end rotational edge player, he did enough to earn another shot to prove he can be more.

14. NT Kyle Peko

Peko filled the O’Connor role before he was injured and lost for the season. Like O’Connor, Peko is a steady veteran who could push Brodric Martin and fill a reserve interior role in the interim.

15. LB Ben Niemann

Niemann is a veteran linebacker who makes his living on special teams and as a defensive reserve. The coaches love his work ethic and ability to play all their defensive linebacker roles, but his lack of production can be frustrating. Still, he checks a lot of boxes that the Lions look for in a reserve linebacker.

16. LB Ezekiel Turner

Like Niemann, Turner is primarily a special teams contributor with range to play a reserve WILL linebacker role. Turner played the all-important personal protector role on special teams while Jalen Reeves-Maybin was on injured reserve, and made arguably one of the Lions’ best open field tackles on the season—taking down Jordan Love to help the Lions beat Green Bay for the second time in 2024—which could give him a leg up in the linebacker depth race.

17. WR Allen Robinson

Robinson played a total of 91 snaps for the Lions this season, but he remained on the roster all season because of his reliability. He simply wasn’t needed. How reliable of a veteran resource was he? His role was so important to what the Lions did on offense that he was active virtually every game (once acclimated) yet only saw more than 11 offensive snaps once and did not contribute on special teams. The real question is: Will that role still be there in 2025?

18. DL Jonah Williams

Yet another mid-season acquisition, Williams was brought in for depth on the defensive line, but only ended up playing in three games and recording just 45 snaps, with 25 coming in his Lions debut, when the defensive line was ravaged by injury. He could be brought back to compete for a “big” edge role, with the likes of Onwuzurike, Cominsky, and others.

19. CB Emmanuel Moseley

Once incredibly full of promise, Moseley just finished his third consecutive on a reserve list. In his two seasons in Detroit, he’s played just three games and only registered two defensive snaps, both of which came in 2023. Despite his hard work, it’s hard to justify bringing him back for a third season.

20. K Michael Badgley

An unlucky injury during training camp landed him on injured reserve for the season, and he was forced to sit back and watch Jake Bates take control of the Lions’ kicking job. Could the Lions bring him back to compete with Bates? Certainly. But I’m not holding my breath.

21. QB Teddy Bridgewater

See you next December Teddy, presumably after you win another high school football championship.

Restricted free agents (5)

While the Lions would surely like to bring back some if not all of their RFAs, the likelihood of any of them receiving a tender is very low. According to projections from OverTheCap.com, tagging a player with an RFA tender would cost a minimum of $3.2 million in 2025 and could go as high as $7.3 million for a higher-level tender. However, even if an RFA is not tagged, it’s still possible to negotiate a contract with them, which is a realistic outcome for all five players.

Here’s how we think the Lions will prioritize their restricted free agents this offseason.

1. RB Craig Reynolds

Reynolds is a reliable RB3, who is more likely to earn a new contract than see a RFA tag applied. Reynolds is steady and has a variety of skills that help him contribute in a reserve running back role as well as on special teams. If he does return in 2025, he’ll have to hold off Sione Vaki, who will surely be making a run at the RB3 role.

2. TE Shane Zylstra

The Lions are set with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright as their TE1 and TE2, and while the Lions played around with their TE3 role, Zylstra proved to be the only reserve who elevated his game and he eventually earned a spot on the active roster. After proving he has a lot of positional range, bringing him back to compete in 2025 makes sense.

3. OG Kayode Awosika

The Lions fully believe in Awosika, but he was clearly passed on the depth chart by Christian Mahogany, and his inability to play center often had the Lions favoring Michael Niece over Awosika on game days. It wouldn’t hurt to bring him back to compete for a depth role.

4. LB Anthony Pittman

Like Niemann and Turner, Pittman is a career special teamer who has carved out a nice role in the NFL. He left Detroit this past offseason, looking for more opportunities to play on defense, but when given the chance to return to the area where he grew up (he played high school football in Birmingham and college at Wayne State) he jumped at the offer.

5. DL Myles Adams

Brought in at the same time as Jonah Williams, Adams adapted quicker to the scheme and was able to play in five games down the stretch. He fit in well in the Lions scheme and that could pave the way for him to get another shot to compete in training camp.

Exclusive rights free agents (4)

For exclusive right free agents, they are only allowed to receive offers from the Lions unless Detroit allows them to pursue other offers. It’s very likely most, if not all, of these players return in 2025—especially considering three were on the active roster to end the 2024 season.

1. LB Trevor Nowaske — Started at SAM linebacker after Barnes was injured
2. IOL Michael Niese — Primary backup at center with guard range
3. EDGE Mitchell Agude — Depth edge defender with special teams range
4. OT Connor Galvin — Tackle depth, spent the season on injured reserve

Street free agents (4)

The main difference between SFAs and UFAs is that SFAs can begin negotiating with other organizations immediately. All four SFAs ended the season on the Lions’ practice squad but were not amongst the 11 players the Lions re-signed to futures contracts. What that indicates is that the team was not interested in retaining them or the players elected to not re-sign in hopes of joining another organization.

• RB Jermar Jefferson
• WR Maurice Alexander
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
• LB Kwon Alexander

Note: Tight end James Mitchell was amongst this group when the season ended but he has already signed a futures contract with the Carolina Panthers.