For the better part of the last 30 years, the Detroit Lions had been NFL laughingstocks. But last season, their efforts to rebuild and accumulate legitimate talent finally started to compound.
They finished with a 12-5 record, which gave them a first-place finish in their division for the first time since the 1993 season, and they won their first playoff game since the 1991 campaign. In fact, they advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game and held a sizable lead at halftime before succumbing to the San Francisco 49ers.
Detroit has a mostly young core, as well as a solid head coach in Dan Campbell, and therefore it should be competitive for years to come.
In fact, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is very high on the team’s future. He ranked the Lions as the second-likeliest team to end up rolling off a dynasty behind only the 49ers.
“Heading into Year 4 of the Campbell era, Detroit has finally addressed its pass defense, adding the likes of Marcus Davenport, Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.,” wrote Knox.
“On paper, the Lions have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, and they locked up key players like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell this offseason. Detroit has done all of this without sacrificing cap flexibility. The Lions are projected to have $63.6 million in cap space next offseason, so more extensions and additions could still be incoming.”
Goff has seemingly raised his game ever since arriving in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. At the time, it was thought the Lions were getting the short end of the deal, but now that trade looks more even, especially as Stafford has struggled to stay healthy the last couple of seasons.
St. Brown is one of the NFL’s best and brightest young wide receivers, and David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have given them an outstanding tag-team duo at running back.
Defense is the relative weakness of the Lions right now, but Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick in the draft two years ago, is developing into a star. If healthy, Davenport could give him a very capable pass-rushing partner on Detroit’s defensive line.
On the other hand, other teams in the NFC are on the rise. In particular, the NFC North could be very competitive this coming season, with the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and perhaps Minnesota Vikings looking better than they were in 2023, at least on paper.
But at the very least, long-suffering Detroit sports fans finally have an NFL team they can love and be proud of on a regular basis moving forward.
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