American Football

Top remaining NFL free agents at Detroit Lions positions of need

March 13, 2024

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions — Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Looking at the top remaining NFL player for the Detroit Lions’ area of need after the first wave of free agents.

The 2024 NFL new league year is almost upon us. At 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, it will officially mean the 2024 season is upon us. Teams will have to be immediately cap compliant, free agents will officially become free agents, and agreed upon trades and free agency deals over the last two days will become pen-to-paper official.

But this doesn’t represent the end of free agency. While most of the top options have been claimed, there are still plenty of players who can help the Detroit Lions build out their 2024 roster.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top remaining options that may interest Detroit, particularly at their biggest positions of need. These are my best fits for the Lions, not necessarily the best remaining options at each position.

Note: Ages reflect how old they’ll be in Week 1 of the 2024 season

Guard

Kevin Zeitler (34 years old)
Connor Williams (27)
Dalton Risner (29)
Greg Van Roten (34)
Laken Tomlinson (32)

The Lions still have a massive hole at left guard following the departure of Jonah Jackson. While they have in-house options with Colby Sorsdal, Netane Muti, and Kayode Awosika (if given an ERFA ender), none of those options come with much of any proven experience.

Zeitler is the best remaining option, although he has played right guard for his entire 12-year career. Graham Glasgow could theoretically move to the left, but I’m not sure that’s in the cards. Williams has most recently played center for the Dolphins, but he was the Cowboys’ starting left guard for four seasons,. The youngest of the bunch, he’ll also likely be the most expensive.

Van Roten may be the most cost-efficient way to find a stopgap solution, and Tomlinson would be a neat story, but one has to wonder how much he has left after a couple of rough years with the Jets.

Wide receiver

Marquise Brown (27)
DJ Chark (27)
Michael Thomas (31)
Josh Reynolds (29)
K.J. Osborn (27)

I left most of the top-tier receivers off the list, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, and Antoine Green under contract. Given St. Brown’s likely extension, I don’t expect the Lions to be big spenders here.

“Hollywood” Brown doesn’t exactly fit the type of an X receiver the Lions may be seeking (he’s 5-foot-9), but he may be worth a flier on as a relatively low cost free agent after a couple of down years in Arizona.

Chark and Reynolds are both economical, short-term options to fill a role that the Lions already know both can fill. While Michael Thomas could reunite with Dan Campbell this late in his career, but injuries have really taken a toll on the former three-time Pro Bowler.

Lastly, there’s Osborn. He’d bring some inside-outside versatility, but he has a relatively low ceiling after four pedestrian seasons with the Vikings.

Defensive tackle

DJ Reader (30)
Arik Armstead (30)
Sheldon Rankins (30)
Shelby Harris (33)

Reader feels like the most likely candidate for a “splash” signing, given that Detroit is reportedly hosting him for a meeting this week. And while his ridiculous disruption in the run game would be welcomed in Detroit, his torn quadricep should give the Lions serious pause.

Armstead is expected to be released at the start of the new year, and the veteran defender would give Detroit the versatile player capable of both rushing the passer and stopping the run. It will be interesting to see the kind of market he draws.

Rankins is also a strong fit given his history with the New Orleans Saints—and, subsequently, some of the Lions’ current coaching staff. Rankins is coming off a 6.0-sack season, so he still has plenty of juice.

Safety

Justin Simmons (30)
Eddie Jackson (29)
Quandre Diggs (31)
Jordan Fuller (26)
John Johnson (29)

The safety market is completely saturated and has seen some relatively low movement this early in the process. Justin Simmons is the king of the class, but unlikely to sign with Detroit. The Lions will be priced out, and I’m not sure they’d be looking to put

Personally, I like the idea of bringing Eddie Jackson to Detroit. He knows the division well, and despite a down year in 2023, he’s a captain that could help lead a pair of starting, young safeties who are still on their rookie deals.

The rest of the list is filled with safeties with ties to the Lions. Quandre Diggs could come back to Detroit and finish his career where it started. Meanwhile Fuller and Johnson are two players who were drafted by the Rams when Brad Holmes was the team’s director of college scouting.