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Detroit Lions Offseason (brought to you by: Being Forced To Go To The Office.)

This will be a huge off-season for the Lions. For this first time in a long time, the team is finally on the upswing. They finished the season incredibly strong, ended up with a winning record and could very likely be the favorites to win the NFC North (something the Lions have never done since the NFC North was formed 21 years ago).

The Bears are in the midst of a massive re-build. (Let's hope they go crazy and decide to trade Justin Fields and draft Bryce Young!)

If the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers, they should take a step back with Jordan Love.

The Vikings have to shed salary and should regress some after winning so many close games.

So, for the first time in over two decades the Lions may have a shot at this thing.

The Lions have picks 6 and 18 in the first round and three more picks in the top 82 (thanks to the Hockenson deal) and have a decent amount of cap space available and will have more once they shed some contracts from players who didn't really contribute last year.

Offense

Offensive Line
The Lions had a pretty great offense last year. Their offensive line is their strength with Decker, Jackson, Ragnow and Sewel. They still need a RG, but the other four are really solid. Getting a solid starting RG and making a position of strength even better is a strategy I support.

Running Back
Jamaal Williams is a free agent and D'Andre Swift is always hurt, so the Lions will need to address RB in free agency or the draft. The RB class in this draft is super deep, so I think they could get a decent player in the later rounds. I love Jamaal Williams. He's a heart and soul guy, loves anime and runs hard. You just can't spend a ton of money on a RB in this league. So, not sure how this will play out.

Tight End
After trading Hockenson, the Lions tight ends were Zylstra, Brock Wright and rookie James Mitchell. That group was quite productive, especially in the red zone. I know there has been a lot of speculation that the Lions might spend a day one or two pick on tight end in this draft (and it's a pretty solid tight end class), but I am not sure if that'll happen given how well the TE-by-committee approached his year. Maybe if one of the TEs falls.

Wide Receiver
The Lions will, essentially, have a third first rounder this year due to Jameson Williams barely playing last year. He caught one pass (a 41 yard touchdown) and had one rush (a 40 yard run). That's it. He showed his explosiveness and a healthy, fully-integrated J-Mo could be a huge addition. Amon St. Brown is fantastic. After Jamar Chase, he could be the best WR in the 2021 draft class (Waddle and Devonta Smith the other two). After that, things thin out considerably. Chark is UFA and played well when healthy. They'll need do something here.

Quarterback
This is the big one on offense. Goff played exceptionally well last year. He seems to have really clicked with OC Ben Johnson and had a great statistical year. That being said, he's still Jared Goff and has all the limitations that come with it. After watching the Super Bowl and Hurts and Mahomes super human performances, it's hard to imagine winning it all with Goff as your QB. I just don't see what the other options are.

I don't think the Lions are in a position to trade for or sign a veteran QB that would supplant him.

I am not in love with the draft class. Even if all of the QBs happened fall, such that the Lions wouldn't have to give up draft capital to move up, (which won't happen), I am not sure if Bryce Young, CJ Stroud (who seems to be like a young Goff in that he can be really good so long as he isn't facing pressure), Levis, or Anthony Richardson are really all that.

The Lions are poised to make a push now - and even making or dare I say winning a playoff (a feat that has only happened once since 1957 and that was back in 1991) would be huge for this franchise - and spending that pick on a QB wouldn't help the Lions next year or could even push them back a few years. They will need to address the QB position at some point. I have no problem with them using a lower round pick on a young, back-up QB without any intention of him becoming the full time starter, because I can't recall the last time the Lions had a back-up QB of note.

The Lions can hang onto Goff this year without having to make a big decision on his future, but after that something will have to give.

I think the Lions view Goff as their starter this year and into the near future and, unless something weird happens, stand pat and don't draft a QB early.

Defense

The first half of the year, the Lions defense was historically bad. Absolutely awful. They started to turn it around the second half of the season. They weren't amazing, but played well enough (save that game against Carolina) to keep the Lions in most games.

The positive spin is that, a lot of the second half success was due to younger players coming through and playing bigger rolls. Aidan Hutchinson became a bit of a force as the season went on. I think he got injured in that Commanders game early in the season, which slowed him down, but the Lions started to move him around more and deploy him differently, which really helped. Josh Paschal was injured the entire first half of the season and came on late. Malcolm Rodriguez played exceptionally well at LB for a 6th round pick. James "The Problem" Houston (6th round pick) had 8 sacks in 8 games. Kerby Joseph (3rd round) started to make plays.

So, there are a few decent young pieces on the defense, but, overall, the defense needs significant upgrades on all levels. You have to imagine that the Lions will spend some money in free agency and use some of their early round draft picks to try to significantly improve their defense.

Defensive Line
Aidan Hutchinson did almost everything you'd want out of a second overall pick. He led all rookies in sacks, had three interceptions and was a disruptive force as the season went on. Second year DL Alim McNeil really showed some flashes (especially against NYG). Isiah Buggs was solid and John Cominksy, who the Lions got off waivers, was really productive. He'sa UFA, so they will need to re-sign him. Lions 2nd round pick from 2021, Levi Onwuzurike, has been injured his entire career so far and has done nothing. It's beginning to look like a wasted pick.

Romeo Okwara just came back from an achilles and was limited. He's a candidate to be cut. There isn't much after that. Brad Holmes has shown a propensity to draft in the trenches early on (Sewel & Onwuzurike in the first and second rounds last year and Hutchinson and Paschal this year). I could see that trend continuing this year.

Linebacker
The league doesn't seem to value this position as much as it once did and based on the Lions roster construction, neither does Brad Holmes. Rodriguez was a sixth round gem, but the fact that a 6th round pick can come in and start right away tells you everything. Alex Anzalone, who came over with Campbell from New Orleans, is the leader of this group. He's fine and he's all in, but he's not a difference maker. Neither is Derek Barnes (a former 4th round pick). James Houston was a revelation as a pass rusher from Thanksgiving on, but it remains to be seen what he can beyond being an excellent situational pass rusher.

I think this could be a great place for a free agent. Lavonte David would seem to be a great fit. I wouldn't mind Drew Sanders out of Arkansas at 18 either.

Secondary
The Lions secondary is pretty awful. Kerby Joseph stepped up really nicely and Jerry Jacobs (UFA) was a huge addition once he got back from his ACL injury last year, but there just isn't much here. Team leader, Tracy Walker, tore his achilles early in the year (the third time in two years that the Lions lost one of their top defensive players to an achilles - Okudah and Okwara went down last year). After being destroyed by Patricia and then blowing out his achilles, Okudah finally started to come around a bit this year, playing some solid ball, until he didn't and was benched for long stretches at the end of the year. I can't see the Lions picking up his 5th year option. Yet, another turd from the Quinntricia era. There isn't much to talk about beyond this.

So, the Lions will need to upgrade their secondary either through free agency or the draft.

The Draft

It still kills me that the Rams pick isn't better. That stupid Bakery Mayfield comeback against the Raiders and that ridiculous Houston victory over the Colts did not help. Two games that should have ended very differently and in the Lions favor. (The Denver/Rams game was, also, very bad for the Lions, but that was such a blowout for the Rams that it's hard to get too upset by it.)

As a result, the Lions are picking sixth. By all consensus, defensively in this draft there is Jalen Carter and Will Anderson and then huge cliff and no consensus third best player.

A lot of mocks have the Lions taking some combination of a defensive lineman and defensive back with their top two picks. In some, it's Tyree Wilson (DE) at six in others its a cornerback - Witherspoon, Porter or Gonzalez. I don't love taking a cornerback that early, but I am not sure what the options are with that pick. Maybe if one of the quarterbacks slips, the Lions could trade down? But that's rather speculative.

With the 18th overall pick - the Lions could, also, go D-Line or secondary. Other potential options would be linebacker, safety (if Branch were still there), or build on their strength and draft a guard to fill that final piece on the O-Line (O’Cyrus Torrence would be amazing along side Penei Sewel). Do they go crazy and draft Bijan Robinson? Given how deep the running back class seems to be, I would think not.

Beyond that, the Lions need to address the defense, as noted, will likely need another running back, maybe a late round back-up QB, and then use picks to fill holes not addressed in free agency.

As it stands now, I'll give Holmes the benefit of the doubt. His drafts have been pretty solid so far. Last year, in particular, seems to be a really solid draft class if trends continue.

Free Agency
I haven't looked too closely at the free agent class yet. Holmes hasn't signed any big time free agents so far. It's been pretty much all one-year deals or two at the most. I don't blame him. The Lions haven't been in a position yet to where spending money a free agent made sense. I feel like that has changed and now could be the time to add a piece or two. Lavonte David would be ideal at LB. There a ton of good free agent running backs who could be had for cheap. The Lions have money and needs, so they could address some here to give them more flexibility in the draft.