By Moses Joshua 
Detroit can’t flip its entire roster this offseason — but these overlooked contributors have earned the chance to be part of the 2026 rebound.
The 2025 season has been a jarring crash back to earth for the Detroit Lions. Twelve months removed from looking like one of the NFL’s true heavyweights, the franchise now finds itself limping toward the finish line with more questions than answers.
Change is coming. It has to. But the Lions don’t have the cap flexibility or draft capital to simply sweep everyone out the door. And maybe they shouldn’t.
Buried inside this frustrating season are a few individuals who, despite circumstances stacked against them, deserve another look before Detroit moves on. Here are three Lions who shouldn’t be written off yet.
Kelvin Sheppard: A Coordinator Who Deserves a Fair Shot
Kelvin Sheppard’s baptism by fire as defensive coordinator was exactly that — fire. His inexperience showed, particularly when Detroit struggled to adjust midgame. But context matters.
The Lions were decimated in the secondary. Losing key pieces like Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch would have crippled even the most seasoned play-caller. Add in Alim McNeill never fully rediscovering his pre-injury form, and it’s no surprise the middle of the defense wobbled.
Detroit is already staring at a coaching change on offense, with John Morton’s play-calling experiment clearly not working. What the Lions don’t need is to rip out every voice in the room.
Sheppard deserves one more year — one with a healthier roster — to show what his system looks like when it isn’t duct-taped together.
Dominic Lovett: The Rookie Who Never Got a Real Chance
Dominic Lovett was one of the darlings of training camp, flashing enough to make fans believe the Georgia product could carve out a niche role.
Then reality hit.
Lovett logged just 14 offensive snaps all season, largely a victim of Detroit’s obsession with two-tight-end sets — a strange decision considering how banged up that position group became. With Kalif Raymond headed toward free agency, there is a clear opening for a young receiver to step in.
Drafted 244th overall, Lovett was always climbing uphill. But the lack of production doesn’t mean the lack of potential.
2026 should be his real audition.
Avonte Maddox: From Depth Piece to Necessary Piece
When Avonte Maddox signed a one-year deal, he was supposed to be a special teams contributor and insurance policy.
Instead, injuries shoved him into a starting role — and he answered.
The Super Bowl champion didn’t just survive; he showed real versatility, lining up at both corner and safety. That adaptability is gold for a defense that spent most of the year scrambling for healthy bodies.
He won’t cost much. And at this stage of his career, the opportunity to contribute to what should again be an NFC contender may be exactly what he’s looking for.
Maddox didn’t ask to become a focal point — but when Detroit needed him, he was there.
The Bottom Line
The Lions don’t need to burn everything down.
Kelvin Sheppard, Dominic Lovett, and Avonte Maddox aren’t the reasons Detroit fell short — but they may be part of why the team climbs back up. With smarter offseason moves and better health, all three deserve the chance to prove 2025 was the anomaly, not the definition of who they are.