2 veteran defensive linemen emerge as biggest winners after Lions draft

The Detroit Lions have finished the 2025 draft process, and now, attention will turn to getting their rookies acclimated with the veterans on the roster in preparation for next season.

Now that the dust has settled, it's easy to see where Detroit's roster is deeper. While that's great news for fans, it does set up some complicated situations for players. It's likely competition during the offseason workout period and training camp will be at its highest level in a long time. Which players have lost and gained the most since the draft? Here's a look.

The biggest winners and losers after the Detroit Lions complete 2025 NFL draft

Winner: Marcus Davenport, Edge

There's no other way to spin it. Davenport is easily the team's biggest winner after free agency and the draft. The Lions haven't prioritized another big-ticket pass rusher thus far this offseason, and though it seemed they may target one early in the draft, they passed on that option as well. All the while, Davenport returned on his own prove-it contract.

The Lions are putting full faith in Davenport being a major complementary piece opposite Aidan Hutchinson. There are questions as to whether he can stay healthy and deliver, but at this point, it's Davenport and little else coming off the edge. Even if the Lions sign Za'Darius Smith, the duo can co-exist. Davenport is a feature piece this season for better or worse.

Loser: Christian Mahogany, G

After a stellar playoff start, it seemed like the Lions would turn over the keys to Mahogany as a starter in 2025. Perhaps that's still the case, but he's going to have to earn it after the Lions selected Tate Ratledge in the second-round and traded into the fifth-round for Miles Frazier.

Either Ratledge or Frazier could change positions in the future, but given both play guard first, it's likely they will spend plenty of time at their natural position. No matter what happens, Mahogany will be pushed to earn his role. It isn't a bad thing to have competition, but Mahogany was likely counting on a bit less to show up so fast.

Winner: Jared Goff, QB

The rich continued to get richer, especially after the Lions drafted a pair of young guards in Ratledge and Frazier. That should help keep Goff's protection on point while also continuing the dominance of his stellar run game in the future.

In the third-round, Goff had to be pleased to see Detroit trade up for Isaac TeSlaa, one of the most underrated wide receivers in the draft. They followed that up by adding Dominic Lovett in the seventh-round, who is a lottery ticket Goff can help develop. It's never a bad idea to surround your quarterback with protection and weaponry, and the Lions have once again quietly done it.

Loser: Tom Kennedy, WR

Detroit's fan-favorite receiver has been the ultimate grinder, doing everything asked of him on the practice squad since 2017. At this point, however, there's reason to wonder if Kennedy's time as a super sub and gadget star is coming to a close. Roster realties will be heavy at wide receiver, where the Lions drafted TeSlaa and Lovett, and already have youngsters Antoine Green and Ronnie Bell scrapping for roles as well.

Kennedy has won heated roster battles before, and will have a chance given his familiarity with Goff and Detroit's offensive scheme. Still, numbers are beginning to crunch in a way that could leave him looking for a new team sooner rather than later.

Winner: DJ Reader, DT

It might be a surprise to see Reader as a winner, but prior to the addition of Tyleik Williams, he was staring down the barrel of major snaps given the injury recovery of Alim McNeill. Reader and McNeill are very different players, so heavy pressure on the aging tackle to replace him statistically and otherwise wasn't likely to be good.

Now, though, the 30 year old Reader can breathe a sigh of relief that he's once again set to be part of a deep rotation. He can serve as a quality mentor for Williams while also chipping in fresh snaps when he does see the field. Long-term, Reader is easily on the outside looking in, but in the short-term, the addition of Williams is a bonus for the veteran.