The Lions picked up Hutchinson's (lower leg) fifth-year option Friday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Hutchinson is now under contract through 2026 and has a projected salary of $19.78 million in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. The 2022 first-round pick continues to rehab and recover from a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg that he suffered in Week 6 against the Cowboys, and he's expected to participate in OTAs and be fully healthy by the start of training camp in July.
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Lions' Dan Jackson: Added by Lions
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The Lions selected Jackson in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 230th overall.
Jackson played sparingly on defense through his first five years at Georgia before taking over as starting safety in 2024. Through 14 games in his final season, Jackson posted 64 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and two interceptions. The 24-year-old boosted his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, where he was named the top safety. However, his starting experience is still limited, and he'll need to find a role on special teams in Detroit.
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Lions' Ahmed Hassanein: Lions add fiery Round 6 edge rusher
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The Lions selected Hassanein in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 196th overall.
Hassanein (6-foot-2, 267 pounds) lacks the ideal height and reach (32 and 1/4-inch arms) to play on the edge, but his Boise State production has shown Hassanein has a considerable amount of innate skill at shedding blockers at the point of attack. Hassanein really took off in his third season, at which point he became a three-down starter and raced his way to 22.0 sacks and 32.0 tackles for loss over the next 28 games. As a high-motor grit guy, Hassanein should fit in just fine with the Lions.
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Lions' Tyleik Williams: Links up with Lions
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The Lions selected Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 28th overall.
The interior of Detroit's defensive line got tested last season, particularly when Alim McNeill went down with a torn ACL late in the year. Williams helps bridge that gap and adds depth once McNeill is ready to return. The Ohio State product is a massive presence in the middle at 6-foot-3 and 334 pounds with an ability to penetrate and make stops in the backfield (18 TFL, 5.5 sacks over last two seasons). If Detroit was searching for a big body with some disruptive capabilities, Williams fits that bill perfectly.
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Lions' Kerby Joseph: Resets safety market with new contract
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The Lions and Joseph reached an agreement on a four-year, $86 million extension Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
In the midst of many of his fellow Detroit defenders getting injured in 2024, Joseph played in all 18 games between the regular season and playoffs, and he parlayed it into a breakout as a playmaker with an NFL-leading nine interceptions, which surpassed the eight combined picks he tallied in his first two pro campaigns. The 2022 third-round pick has reset the safety market with the highest overall and annual values at the position, and he'll continue to hold up the back end of the Lions defense for the foreseeable future.
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Lions' Khalil Dorsey: Sticking with Detroit
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Dorsey re-signed with the Lions on Thursday.
The cornerback suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Detroit's December loss to the Bills last year, but he appears to be healthy again. Dorsey played on 70 defensive snaps in 14 regular-season games with the Lions in 2024 and on 76 defensive snaps in 13 regular-season games the year before. Dorsey projects as a depth corner behind free-agent signing D.J. Reed, 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold, 2024 Pro Bowler Brian Branch and Amik Robertson.
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Lions' Rock Ya-Sin: Heads to Detroit
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Ya-Sin signed with the Lions on Thursday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
The depth corner played in 13 games and on 54 defensive snaps for the 49ers last year, though he also saw action on 107 special-teams snaps, making three solo tackles in total. Ya-Sin has started one game over the past two seasons with the Ravens and 49ers. The 2019 second-round pick of the Colts started 38 contests across his first four seasons in the NFL, three with Indianapolis and one with Las Vegas.
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Lions' Al-Quadin Muhammad: Brought back by Detroit
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The Lions re-signed Muhammad to a one-year deal Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Muhammad saw action in 10 games for the Lions between the regular season and playoffs in 2024, recording 11 total tackles and three sacks. After returning to the Lions, the 29-year-old is expected to serve as one of the team's top rotational defensive ends in 2025 behind star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (lower leg).
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Lions' Patrick O'Connor: Returning to Detroit
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O'Connor and the Lions agreed on a contract Tuesday.
O'Connor will return to Detroit after recording a career-high 18 tackles (five solo), including 1.0 sacks, over 12 regular-season games in 2024. The defensive end will provide the Lions with a depth option behind Aidan Hutchinson (lower leg) and Josh Paschal off the edge.
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Saints' Jonah Williams: New Orleans is next stop
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Williams signed a contract with the Saints on Friday, John Hendrix of AthlonSports.com reports.
Williams played for three separate teams during the 2024 regular season, suiting up for eight games with the Rams, one game with the Vikings and two contests with the Lions. He'll work to carve out a consistent reserve role along the Saints' defensive line.
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Lions' Trevor Nowaske: Re-signs with Detroit
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Nowaske re-signed with the Lions on Thursday, Kory Woods of MLive reports.
Nowaske will return to Detroit for another year after playing in 14 regular-season games this past season as a reserve linebacker and primary special-teamer. The 26-year-old started two games for a Detroit defense ravaged by the injury bug last season, and he's expected to return to a similar role with the special-teams unit in 2025.
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Lions' Grant Stuard: Signs with Detroit
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Stuard agreed to a deal with the Lions on Thursday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Stuard spent the previous three seasons in Indianapolis, primarily utilized on special teams, but he did record 11 tackles in a spot start Week 7 of the 2024 campaign. The 26-year-old will likely reprise a similar role on his new team and provide needed depth to Detroit's linebacker corps.
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Buccaneers' Kindle Vildor: Gets one-year deal in Tampa Bay
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Vildor signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Vildor started two of his 17 regular-season appearances with Detroit in 2024, and he now figures to handle a similar key depth role at cornerback for Tampa Bay. The 2020 fifth-round pick also has the ability to work as a reliable contributor on special teams.
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Lions' Levi Onwuzurike: Re-signs with Detroit
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Onwuzurike is re-signing the Lions on Wednesday via a one-year, $5.5 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Onwuzurike impressed in 2024, with 28 tackles (16 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble across 16 regular-season appearances. Reuniting with the team on a one-year deal now primes Onwuzurike for another chance to prove his ability to thrive as part of an interior defensive lineman rotation, before he hits free agency again in 2026.
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Dolphins' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Moving on to Miami
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Melifonwu (hamstring) is in line to sign a one-year, $4 million contract with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Melifonwu will likely handle a starting role in the Dolphins' secondary, with both Jevon Holland (signing with Giants) and Jordan Poyer (set for free agency) in line to depart the team this offseason. An ankle injury forced the 2021 third-round pick to delay his 2024 debut until Week 16, but once available he handled a starting role in Detroit's secondary until a hamstring issue knocked him out of the NFC Championship Game. Melifonwu figures to be ready for the start of Miami's offseason activities, though.
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Patriots' Carlton Davis: Signing with Pats
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New England will sign Davis to a three-year, $60 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Coming off a strong season with Detroit in which he recorded 11 passes defensed in 13 games, Davis is now getting a big payday to suit up for the Patriots. He projects to start alongside 2023 first-rounder Christian Gonzalez atop the corner rotation in 2025.
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Za'Darius Smith: In line to be released
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The Lions are releasing Smith, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Smith was entering the second of a two-year, $23 million contract and would have been a $5.75 million cap hit for Detroit in 2025. The 33-year-old provided much needed production for the Lions after being traded from the Browns last season, logging 4.0 sacks over the final eight games of the 2024 campaign. Smith totaled 9.0 sacks over 17 regular-season games last year, and he should get plenty of attention this offseason from teams in need of pass-rushing help. Meanwhile, the Lions likely will look to the draft or free agency to find a new edge defender to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson, who is coming off a season-ending leg injury.
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Lions' Marcus Davenport: Gets one-year deal with Detroit
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The Lions signed Davenport (triceps) to a one-year, $4.75 million contract Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Davenport proved to be an effective pass rusher across his first five seasons with the Saints, but injuries have limited him to just six regular-season games over the last two years. His 2024 campaign came to a halt after he suffered a triceps injury against Arizona in Week 3, but the 2018 first-round pick will run it back with Detroit for the 2025 campaign. Davenport's most productive season came in 2021 with the Saints, when he posted 39 tackles (23 solo), including 9.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 11 regular-season games.
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Lions' Derrick Barnes: Sticking around in Motor City
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Detroit signed Barnes (knee) to a three-year, $25.5 million extension Friday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Barnes only played in three games in the 2024 season due to suffering damage to his MCL and PCL in Week 3 at Arizona, and the Lions' defense seemed to feel the impact of his absence the rest of the way. He projects as one of Detroit's starting linebackers in 2025.
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Lions' Ennis Rakestraw: Ends 2024 on injured reserve
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Rakestraw (hamstring) played in eight regular-season games in 2024 and finished with six tackles (four solo).
The rookie second-round pick mostly contributed on special teams through the first half of the regular season, but he was shelved in late November for the rest of the 2024 campaign due to a hamstring injury. He was able to progress enough in his recovery for his 21-day practice window to open Jan. 9, and it's unclear whether he would've been healthy enough to play in the NFC Championship Game if the Lions had advanced that far. Rakestraw will compete with Carlton Davis, Amik Robertson and fellow 2024 rookie Terrion Arnold for the starting outside corner job for the 2025 campaign.
