Lions

Lions Have Been ‘Sniffing Hard’ Around Free Agent OTs

February 19, 2026

During Daniel Jeremiah’s pre-NFL Scouting Combine conference call, he said the Lions have been “sniffing hard” around the free agent OT class, per Jeff Risdon.

The upcoming offensive tackle class doesn’t seem to be particularly deep, as only Packers OT Rasheed Walker, Bears OT Braxton Jones and Colts OT Braden Smith made our Top 100 2026 NFL Free Agents list.

Should Detroit explore going tackle in the first-round of the draft, Jeremiah named Gerogia’s Monroe Freeling as an option he’s a big fan of, per Risdon.

The Lions have RT Penei Sewell locked in as a franchise cornerstone, but they could create up to $17.9 million in 2026 cap space by releasing LT Taylor Decker. He’s scheduled to carry a cap number of $21.048 million in 2026, and OverTheCap.com valued his 2025 season at $8.236 million.

Walker, 25, earned an honorable mention for All-Big Ten honors in 2020 and was selected by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State.

He just finished out a four-year rookie deal worth $3,740,873 that included a signing bonus of $80,873.

Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason.

In 2025, Walker appeared in 17 games for the Packers and made 16 starts at tackle. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 53 tackle out of 84 qualifying players.

Jones, 26, is a former fifth-round pick by the Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Southern Utah. He’s in the third year of a four-year, $3,959,552 rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

In 2025, Jones appeared in 6 games for the Bears and made four starts at left tackle.

Smith, 29, is a former second-round pick of the Colts back in 2018. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $7,193,688 rookie contract that included a $3,311,772 signing bonus when he signed a four-year, $70 million extension.

In 2025, Smith appeared in 13 games for the Colts, making 13 starts at right tackle. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 50th-best offensive tackle among 89 qualifying players.