The Green Bay Packers haven’t had the splashiest free agency, and you could argue that they’ve lost more than they’ve gained. But with next month’s draft providing another data point, the Packers can rest easy after seeing what has happened around the NFC North.

The division is in a different landscape than it was a few months ago, with Kyler Murray joining the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears aggressively retooling their roster. The Packers may also take joy in watching the Detroit Lions’ offseason plans blow up in their face.

After taking both meetings from the Lions last year, there wasn’t a lot the Packers needed to do to stay on top. While Green Bay has stayed neutral despite losing key talent, Detroit appears to be heading in the opposite direction, giving the Packers a clear advantage heading into the draft.

Packers Offseason Continues to Go Smoothly Amid Lions’ Turmoil

The Lions were down to begin the offseason, only for several obstacles to stack up once the new league year began.

One of the biggest has been at left tackle, where Taylor Decker announced his intentions to return for an 11th season and was promptly asked to take a pay cut. The request led to his release, and the two sides haven’t talked since, giving the Lions a gaping hole on the blindside that is expected to be filled by free-agent acquisition Larry Borom.

Detroit’s pass rush has also gotten an underwhelming lift in free agency. While fans demanded a big move, the Lions only managed to sign D.J. Wonnum, whose efforts are more workmanlike than a superstar who can get to the quarterback. Detroit also bought a lottery ticket by signing former first-round pick Payton Turner, but his injury history suggests that there’s still work to be done to add depth in the trenches.

These are just some of the storylines that have dropped the Lions’ stock since the offseason began. David Montgomery’s trade to the Houston Texans led the Lions to sign Isiah Pacheco as his replacement. Still, it’s a clear downgrade to a player who looked like a rusted-out Chevy with 200,000 miles on it during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Lions could justify these moves by preparing for long-term extensions with Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, and Sam LaPorta. Conversely, they also might have lingering concerns about the availability of safeties Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles), making it hard for the Packers to look at this and not feel like they’ve taken a step back.

Green Bay Was More Prepared Than Detroit

That’s a different situation compared to what’s happened in Green Bay.

The Packers have suffered some losses, trading Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys, releasing Elgton Jenkins, and watching Romeo Doubs leave for the New England Patriots in free agency. However, in each of these cases, Green Bay figures to have a replacement ready to step in with Lukas Van Ness, Sean Rhyan, and Matthew Golden, respectively, ready for bigger roles.

The Packers also have fine-tuned the weaknesses on their roster, adding Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle and Benjamin St-Juste at cornerback, perhaps creating the depth they didn’t have one year ago when a 9-3-1 start turned into a five-game losing streak to end the season.

After being swept by Green Bay last season, it doesn’t seem like Detroit has made enough offseason moves to avoid a similar fate next season. That lack of change could give the Packers one fewer team to worry about as they make sure to finish what they started in 2026.

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