With just one game left in the 2024 NFL season, all eyes will soon shift to the offseason following the Super Bowl.
While the Detroit Lions are disappointed about missing the big game, they are determined to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history in 2025. This offseason is crucial for general manager Brad Holmes and his team as they plan for the future.
As February begins, the Lions have an estimated $46,684,933 in cap space and $44,021,652 in effective cap space, according to Over the Cap. This places them ninth in the league in available cap space, with the New England Patriots leading the way, projected to have over $120 million for their new head coach, Mike Vrabel.
These projections are based on a base salary cap estimate of $272,500,000, which represents a $17.1 million increase from last year’s cap.
The official salary cap for the 2024 season will be revealed later this offseason, with the announcement expected on February 23, just before free agency begins.
Last season, the salary cap saw a $30 million increase from the previous year, surprising many across the league. It remains unclear how much financial room teams will have this year.
The Lions will also have to plan for hefty contracts starting in 2025 when considering free agency decisions. For the upcoming season, the team’s total cap liabilities stand at $252,067,830.
Quarterback Jared Goff has the largest cap number at $32.6 million, followed by Taylor Decker at $23.098 million. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ranks fourth with a cap hit of $13.91 million, as all three players signed extensions last offseason.
Center Frank Ragnow comes in third at $14.05 million, and 2024 free agent addition DJ Reader rounds out the top five with a cap number of $12.93 million.
The Lions will have some flexibility in spending this offseason, but with extensions taking effect in the next two years, Holmes and his team will need to be strategic in their free agency approach.
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How many draft selections do the Detroit Lions hold in 2025?
The Detroit Lions now have seven picks in the 2025 NFL draft, thanks to a relatively new rule in the league.
On January 22, the Lions received a compensatory third-round pick after Aaron Glenn was hired as the New York Jets’ head coach.
Under the revised NFL Rooney Rule in 2020, teams that lose a minority assistant coach to a head coaching position with another franchise are awarded two compensatory draft picks at the end of the third round, following other compensatory selections, and in consecutive years.
For developing Glenn, who served as the defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024, the Lions will receive additional third-round picks in the upcoming drafts, with the exact slot to be determined later this spring.
Here’s a breakdown of the Lions’ picks for the 2025 draft, which will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 24-26.
Lions Draft Picks for 2025 The Lions are currently set to pick 28th in each round of the 2025 NFL draft. Below are the seven picks they own:
- First round: No. 28 overall
- Second round: No. 60 overall
- Third round: Projected No. 101 overall
- Fourth round: TBD
- Sixth round (from Buccaneers): TBD — acquired in the Carlton Davis III trade
- Seventh round (from Cowboys): TBD — received in the 2024 trade for Terrion Arnold
- Seventh round: TBD
*The Lions received a compensatory pick due to Aaron Glenn being hired as the Jets’ head coach.
The Lions currently lack a third-round pick, as it was traded to the Jets in 2024 in exchange for the Gio Manu draft pick.
The Lions sent their fifth-round pick to the Browns in the Za’Darius Smith trade before the 2024 trade deadline.
The Lions also traded their sixth-round pick to the Browns as part of the Donovan Peoples-Jones trade before the 2023 deadline.
