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Juice Scruggs, The Detroit Lions’ Most Surprising Premier Talent in 2026
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- Juice Scruggs, The Detroit Lions’ Most Surprising Premier Talent in 2026
| Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Sue Levine, Editor
At the mid-point of the Lions' 2026 season, Detroit boasts several players who rank among the NFL's premier talent, but perhaps none more surprising than Juice Scruggs.
Playing the best football of his career, the previously underrated offensive lineman has become one of the NFL's most accomplished centers. Despite spending most of his NFL career at left guard in Houston, PFF.com currently ranks Scruggs 3rd overall out of 35 qualified NFL centers.
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The Detroit Lions' Most Surprising Premier Talent in 2026
When the Detroit Lions traded running back David Montgomery to Houston in exchange for two draft picks and Scruggs, the offensive lineman was mentioned almost as an afterthought in the transaction . With pundits focusing on Detroit receiving a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for Montgomery, the trade was given a favorable rating.
However, as it turns out, the under-the-radar lineman may prove to be one of Brad Holmes' better offseason acquisitions . At the time of the trade, Scruggs was widely viewed as a versatile lineman whose most recent experience in Houston was as a backup left guard in 2025.
While Holmes signed former Carolina Panthers' Cade Mays to be the Lions' starting center, Scruggs' versatility offered a backup center option. However, when Mayes went down early in training camp with a wrist injury, Scruggs was tapped to be the starter for the Lions.
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The "next-man-up" philosophy isn't just filling a gap or applying a temporary bandaid as a personnel solution until the injured player returns. It's an opportunity for a previously overlooked talent to step into the limelight and make the role his own. That is exactly what Scruggs has been doing; quietly going about his job and earning the praise of his coaches and teammates.
Nov 1, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions offensive line Tate Ratledge (69), guard Juice Scruggs (70), and offensive line Christian Mahogany (73) point to Minnesota Vikings defensive line Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (90) after he was offsides during the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Cade is good. In the two games that he played for the Lions, he demonstrated why Holmes pursued him as a free agent. Mays, who returned to the Lions' active roster two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers , was given the starting assignment over the last two games. In both the Green Bay game and his injury-shortened stint against the Minnesota Vikings , he was a dominant force on the Lions' offensive line. To date, PFF has graded him an overall 57.2, on 90 snaps with only two pressures allowed, no QB hits, and 1.0 sack.
Scruggs, The Next Man Up
Even though playing center in the NFL wasn't his primary role, Scruggs did have prior experience with the Texans and had been a standout collegiate center at Penn State. A former team captain, Scruggs was also the recipient of the school's Dick Maginnis Memorial Award for the top offensive lineman.
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Drafted by Houston in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, analyst Lance Zierlein described Scruggs as " dependable and consistent in carrying out his assignment to the best of his ability…He plays with solid technique and possesses the play strength to hold his own in the middle."
During his tenure with the Texans, he appeared in 37 games with 20 starts, including 11 starts at left guard, eight starts at center, and one start at right guard during his three years in Houston. In 2025, he earned a 57.7 pass blocking grade from PFF.com. Scruggs didn't allow a single sack in 351 offensive snaps. However, his low 40.5 run block grade resulted in a dismal overall score of 45.
Perhaps Houston didn't realize the caliber of talent they had at center, or what's more likely is that under Hank Fraley's guidance, Scruggs has blossomed, grown, and developed his skill set to become one of the NFL's premier players.
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Juice Scruggs (70) after practice during mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Scruggs, Making The Starting Role His Own?
According to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, Dan Campbell admitted that due to Mays suffering a low ankle sprain against the Vikings, he is unlikely to practice or play against the Miami Dolphins this week. Although Campbell was quick to shoot down any mention of a competition for the starting assignment, he did admit that he was impressed by how quickly Scruggs was ready to step in at center after Mays went down.
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"What I would say is that Juice came in and played very well," Campbell said. "That's what I would definitely say. He took the mental reps this week; he got a couple live, but really, it was more mental at center, and to get thrust back in there against that defense with everything that they were doing, to have that production, I mean, that was impressive. He was locked in. He was so ready to go."
The Last Word
At the mid-point of the Lions' 2026 season, on 391 offensive snaps played this season, Scruggs has earned a PFF pass-blocking grade of 67.9 that ranks 15th, allowing nine total pressures, 1.0 sack, and two QB hits. However, his run-blocking grade of 80.7 currently ranks 2nd at the position.
Scruggs wasn't expected to be among the NFL's elite players. His performance has been a welcome surprise for the team. While it's unknown how the Lions will handle the starting center assignment once Mays is healthy and returns, the bottom line is that having two talented players to rely on is a far different scenario for Detroit than one year ago, when Detroit's offensive line was a huge liability. Credit Holmes for making fixing the Lions' no-line a priority in the off-season, and they now have a choice to make among two very qualified individuals.
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