2024 NFL Season Preview: Detroit Lions

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Detroit Lions (Last Year: 12-5)



Season Summary:
The Lions had a Super Bowl appearance in their grasp. They were up 17 against the 49ers in the NFC Championship, but their great season was ruined by a series of mistakes to end the game.



2024 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
G Kevin Zeitler, DE Marcus Davenport, DT D.J. Reader, CB Carlton Davis, CB Amik Robertson.
Early Draft Picks:
CB Terrion Arnold, CB Ennis Rakestraw, OT Giovanni manu, S Sione Vaki. Lions Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Teddy Bridgewater, WR Josh Reynolds, G Jonah Jackson, DE Romeo Okwara, DE Julian Okwara, CB Cameron Sutton, S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

2024 Detroit Lions Offense:
No one would have believed this a few years ago, but the Lions now have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. They ranked fourth in offensive EPA last year, scoring 31 points twice in the playoffs, which includes the NFC Championship matchup against the 49ers.

There’s no reason to think the Lions will regress. Jared Goff has revived his career in Detroit and was rewarded with a $212 million contract. Goff will continue to perform on a high level, as he’s surrounded with a terrific supporting cast, including the offensive line. Goff has some of the best blocking in the NFL. This includes the tackle tandem, as Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker are both Pro Bowl-caliber players. Sewell is especially terrific, as he has evolved into one of the top blind-side protectors in the pros.

The Lions are also loaded in the interior. Frank Ragnow, though injury-prone, is an elite center when healthy. Guard Graham Glasgow is also coming off an excellent season. The other guard from last year, Jonah Jackson, is no longer on the team, but Detroit may have upgraded him via former Raven Kevin Zeitler.

Like Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown was rewarded with a huge contract this offseason. St. Brown received a $120 million deal, which seems appropriate for a receptions machine like him. There isn’t a proven No. 2 receiver, as former first-round pick Jameson Williams has failed to live up to expectations, but rookie tight end Sam LaPorta compensated for that last year. LaPorta would have been in consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year if C.J. Stroud didn’t have such an amazing rookie quarterback season, but LaPorta should continue to improve now that he has experience.

Another rookie from last year, Jahmyr Gibbs, showed off his electrifying ability as both a rusher and a receiver. David Montgomery started and handled 37 more carries than Gibbs, but Gibbs was the superior runner. He also caught 52 passes out of the backfield. Now that the coaching staff trusts Gibbs more, he’s expected to have an amazing sophomore campaign.



2024 Detroit Lions Defense:
The Lions were able to pair their explosive offense with a defense that shut down the run well and generated good pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Detroit had one weakness, however, and that was the inability to stop the pass.

The front office correctly diagnosed this liability and addressed it twice during the 2024 NFL Draft. They traded up several spots in the opening round to select Terrion Arnold, a talented cornerback who could have gone as high as No. 15 overall. The Lions then doubled up on the position, obtaining Ennis Rakestraw in the second frame. Between Arnold and Rakestraw, one of them should thrive, and if not, there’s also former Buccaneer Carlton Davis, who was acquired this offseason. Davis is coming off a down year, but he had played well in the past, so perhaps he can rebound in a new system. Meanwhile, slot cornerback Brian Branch just had an exceptional rookie campaign, so perhaps he’ll be even better with experience.

Branch can also play safety, though the Lions will likely keep him at nickel because they seem set at the position. Ifeatu Melifonwu came out of nowhere to perform on an extremely high level down the stretch when he entered the starting lineup. He’s only 25, so the sky’s the limit for him. There’s also Kerby Joseph, who wasn’t as good. Joseph is also young, however, and as a recent third-round pick, he has some potential.

Detroit sought to help their secondary via its pass rush as well. The front office added two players to the defensive line. The biggest acquisition, both literally and figuratively, is D.J. Reader, a massive nose tackle. Reader was an excellent play-maker for the Bengals, both as a run stuffer and a pass rusher. The other addition is Marcus Davenport, who has undergone and up-and-down career. With Reader and All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson commanding so much attention, the opposition won’t be able to focus very much on Davenport.

Speaking of Hutchinson, he has evolved into one of the top edge rushers in the NFL. He had 11.5 sacks in his second season, and yet that number doesn’t indicate how dominant he was. The final starter on the defensive front is Alim McNeill, who has developed into one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL. McNeill, who is only 24, is like Reader in that he can thrive as both a pass rusher and a run stuffer.

Reader and McNeill will aid a linebacking corps that has some potential to improve. That’s because 2023 first-rounder Jack Campbell is coming off an uneven rookie campaign. While Campbell played the run well, he struggled in coverage. Having experience could help in that regard. Elsewhere in the linebacking corps is Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes. Anzalone is coming off a solid season, while Barnes was a liability at times.



2024 Detroit Lions Schedule and Intangibles:
Michael Badgley attempted only four kicks last year due to injury. He hit all four. He was also 3-of-3 in the playoffs.

Punter Jack Fox was in the middle of the pack in net punting average, but he did a solid job of placing the ball inside the 20.

The Lions play against the AFC South and NFC West this year, so they’re going to have some very difficult matchups in addition to some easy ones.



2024 Detroit Lions Rookies:
Go here for the Lions Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.



2024 Detroit Lions Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks		Offensive Line		Secondary
Running Backs		Defensive Line		Special Teams
Receivers		Linebackers		Coaching