For most of last season, the Detroit Lions looked like the best team in the NFC, if not the entire NFL.
They led the league in points scored with 33.2 per game, which was the 17th highest average in NFL history and the best in this decade. In Dan Campbell, they had a popular head coach who played 10 years in the league and looks like he still could play at the age of 49.
In offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, they had the kind of inventive mind that every team wanted.
Of course, what the Lions also have is a sad history. They’ve never been to a Super Bowl and they last won an NFL title in 1957 when Dwight Eisenhower was president.
That looked like it had a chance to change in each of the last two seasons. Two years ago, the Lions blew a 24-7 halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Last season, after winning a franchise record 15 games to secure the top seed in the NFC, they played their worst game of the season in the NFC Divisional round and were routed by the Washington Commanders.
Now the question for the Lions is this: Are they finally ready to reach the Super Bowl?
It’s a question of interest to the Eagles and their fans because coach Nick Sirianni’s team is going to try to become the franchise’s first repeat champions since 1949.
The ESPN Bet Sportsbook has the Eagles listed at the plus-300 favorite to win the conference for the third time in four years with the Lions as the second choice at plus-400.
Let’s examine the Lions’ offseason so far and see if they’ve done enough to run down the Eagles and finally reach the Super Bowl.
Free agency
Much like the Eagles, the Lions did not make a big-splash move in free agency. In fact, the Eagles’ move to retain linebacker Zack Baun was more significant than any move made by the Lions. Detroit’s biggest addition was cornerback D.J. Reed, who was signed to a three-year deal worth $48 million after 2024 starter Carlton Davis signed a three-year deal worth $60 million with the Patriots.
Detroit’s only other multi-year free-agent move was to keep linebacker Derrick Barnes, who received a three-year deal worth $25.5 million. Barnes missed all but three games last season with a knee injury.
The Lions also made a bunch of other one-year signings, including former Eagles slot cornerback Avonte Maddox. They tried to add depth on defense because injuries ravaged the team a year ago.
After allowing an average of 320.9 yards and 16.9 points per game through the first 12 weeks of the season last year, the Lions’ decimated defense surrendered 409.5 yards and 30.7 points over their final five games. That included their 45-31 playoff loss to the Commanders, who put up 481 yards of offense.
Fixing that problem was the primary focus of both free agency and the draft for the Lions.
Draft
The Lions’ biggest need to improve their defense was another pass rusher to complement Aidan Hutchison, who had 21 sacks in his first two seasons and was off to a sensational start in 2024 before going down for the season in Week 5 with multiple fractures in his left leg. He had 7 1/2 sacks in the Lions’ first five games. Detroit had just 22 sacks as a team in its final 13 games without Hutchinson and finished tied for 23rd in the league with 37 sacks.
Instead of going with an edge rusher in the first round, however, the Lions selected Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the 28th overall pick. Williams is considered a better run stopper than pass rusher so it remains to be seen how much the Lions’ pass rush will improve in 2025. It will improve some just because Hutchinson will return.
The Lions did eventually add an edge rusher in the sixth round with the selection of Ahmed Hassanein, who had 22 sacks in his last two seasons at Boise State.
The Lions used their second-round pick to get a guy from Georgia, the Eagles’ favorite feeder program. Guard Tate Ratledge will likely immediately step in as a rookie starter at right guard for Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Titans after one season in Detroit. Like the Eagles, the Lions have an outstanding offensive line with Pro Bowlers at center and both tackle positions.
Quarterback Jared Goff, coming off the best season of his career, is blessed with lots of weapons: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams at wide receiver, Sam LaPorta at tight end and Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery at running back.
That’s why it was a bit of a surprise when they used a third-round pick on Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who started his college career at Division II Hillsdale before playing two years in the SEC.
He’s expected to line up a lot in the slot. The Lions finished off their draft with two more Georgia guys — safety Dan Jackson and wide receiver Dominic Lovett.
NFL.com gave the Lions a draft grade of B and Pro Football Focus issued a B-minus. The Athletic gave the Lions an F, saying “out of their seven picks, four were considered reaches by our consensus board, including all three in the top 70.”
By comparison, the Eagles received an A-minus from NFL.com, an A from PFF and a C from the Athletic.
The conclusion
The Lions still have a ton of talent on the offensive side of the football, but Johnson’s departure as offensive coordinator to become head coach of the Bears (he was replaced by former Denver passing game coordinator John Morton) is significant. The Lions also lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who is now the head coach of the Jets. Former linebackers coach Kevin Sheppard will call the defensive signals for the first time in his career.
Detroit has only made the playoffs three years in a row (1993-95) once since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger and the Lions should repeat that feat in 2025, but based on their offseason they haven’t caught the Eagles in the talent department.
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Bob Brookover can be reached atrbrookover@njadvancemedia.com