Who should be the Detroit Lions’ starting 5 offensive linemen?

Early in training camp, coach Dan Campbell expressed some urgency in settling on a starting offensive line for the 2026 season, so the unit could build some chemistry going into the regular season.

“As fast as we can get them and the secondary to work together. You know ‘Okay, these are the guys,’ now we need them to work together and get as many reps as we can. So, look, we’re trying to figure this out as fast as we can,” Campbell said on Day 1 of training camp.

Unfortunately, the Lions got thrown a couple curve balls. Potential starting left guards Christian Mahogany and Ben Bartch both missed a significant amount of practice early in camp. Then Detroit got dealt a blow last week with starting center Cade Mays suffering a broken wrist, which will likely sideline him for at least two months. And backup center Juice Scruggs missed about a week of practice, too.

Detroit seems to have settled on three positions: left tackle (Penei Sewell), right guard (Tate Ratledge), and right tackle (Blake Miller). But the other two spots remain up for grabs.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

What should the Lions’ starting offensive line look like?

My answer: Don’t overcomplicate things. The starting lineup should be what we’ve seen the most common starters at each position this camp among the healthy players. That means:

LT: Sewell
LG: Mahogany
C: Scruggs
RG: Ratledge
RT: Miller

I thought Mahogany had a better preseason game than many gave him credit for. It seemed his down-to-down performance was overshadowed by two penalties. Campbell gave Mahogany plenty of credit for what he put on tape.

“I thought he was a physical force,” Campbell said. “And when he does it right, it’s pretty and it’s powerful. It’s explosive. And in the pass game he’s got anchor. And then sometimes it just gets a little out of sorts. So, it’s just the consistency of it.”

Now, Campbell did also say the left guard position will remain a competition, whether it be Ben Bartch or even Juice Scruggs nipping at Mahogany’s heels. Still, I think Mahogany remains the man for the job, because it’s tough to even trust Bartch to stay healthy, and I think Scruggs’ best position is at center.

Which leads me to the center competition. I thought Seth McLaughlin’s Lions preseason debut was somewhat encouraging. Sure, there were lapses and some mental errors (that should probably be expected given the mash-up offensive line they started on Thursday), but there were a lot of really solid reps he put on tape, as well.

“He’s quick. He’s super sharp and he’s quick and he’s really good at the second level,” Campbell said of McLaughlin. “And then pass game is the anchor. He’s just got to bend. […] I thought he did that the other night. I did think he anchored better. I thought he strained. I though he tried to do all the little things and that’s a credit to him. So, I certainly was not disappointed with him the other day.”

Still, I think Scruggs is the guy. He’s more experienced at the position, having made eight starts for the Texans at center and producing an average PFF score during those reps. McLaughlin should certainly be given every chance to compete for the job, but I have Scruggs as the favorite, especially considering he took first-team reps on Saturday upon his return from injury.

What is your preferred offensive line starting combination? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.