A year ago, the Detroit Lions were being talked about like a team with real Super Bowl gravity. Now, after a 9-8 season, some NFL executives are already treating them like a club that’s just okay.
That’s the swing Mike Sando found in The Athletic, where he polled six NFL executives and asked them to rank every NFC team. The Lions landed at No. 8 with an average ranking of 7.2, putting them squarely in the middle of the conference and, in one executive’s view, on the edge of something more uncertain.
One executive had the Lions as high as fifth and only one called them Super Bowl contenders. Another dropped them all the way to 10th and said, "They are teetering on the seesaw of whether they're going to go into one of those two-year dips to restock the roster with draft picks."
The concerns didn’t stop there. One executive pointed to the lines of scrimmage, saying, "Offensive line is still a concern for me with those guys, but I like what they have in place on that side of the ball." That same executive added, "Defensively, I think it's going to be a struggle to produce the style of play they need."
The ranking also puts Detroit behind two NFC North rivals. The Chicago Bears checked in at fifth, the Green Bay Packers at seventh, and the Minnesota Vikings at 12th. One executive even had the Bears as the best team in the NFC, citing their "elite" head coach in Ben Johnson and the growth of quarterback Caleb Williams.
That kind of spread makes the whole exercise feel a little loose, and the Lions weren’t the only team drawing head-scratching placement. The Dallas Cowboys came in fourth in the NFC, with half the executives labeling them Super Bowl contenders, even though they finished 7-9-1 last season and allowed the most points in the league after trading star EDGE Micah Parsons.
One executive said the choice between Detroit and Dallas came down to offense, explaining the hesitation around the Lions because of the uncertainty under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, while pointing to the Cowboys’ "continuity" on that side of the ball. That’s a tough sell when you remember the Lions beat the Cowboys by multiple touchdowns last season, even during one of Detroit’s messiest stretches.
This wasn’t the first time these same executives were lukewarm on the Lions, either. In April, when Sando asked them to assess each team’s free agency, one said, "They did not do anything notable from a personnel standpoint outside of some special teams guys they added."
For now, the Lions are being slotted as the NFC’s third team in their own division and the kind of club some around the league are still waiting to fully trust. Dan Campbell can use that however he wants. And after a year like this, there’s no shortage of material to work with.
In Other News...
Lions Suddenly Need Backfield Help Before Week 1
The Lions backfield picture got thinner just as the season is about to begin, with Isiah Pacheco landing on injured reserve and set to miss at least the first four games. That leaves Detroit looking for help behind Jahmyr Gibbs, and the current plan has Jacob Saylors stepping into the RB2 role for now.
Detroit is already weighing outside options to shore up the depth chart, with Trayveon Williams, Raheem Mostert and Antonio Gibson among the names in the mix. It is the kind of early-season adjustment that can change quickly, but for the moment the Lions are clearly treating running back as a spot that needs reinforcement before Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Sent A Clear Message With One Surprise Pass Rush Decision
Brad Holmes made it clear this summer that Eric ONeills path onto the Lions initial 53-man roster was about more than filling a camp body spot. The undrafted free agent earned attention with his playmaking instincts, his ability to handle multiple roles and the way he fit the culture Detroit has built under Holmes and Dan Campbell, all traits that matter for a team trying to keep its edge up front.
Ray Agnew has also pointed to the defensive line as one of the rosters real strengths heading into the season, and it is easy to see why. With Alim McNeill, Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, D.J. Wonnum and Derrick Moore in the mix, the Lions have loaded up on talent and depth, which makes ONeills presence even more notable. It is the kind of surprise pass-rush decision that says as much about Detroits standards as it does about one young players rise. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face A Real Receiver Dilemma With Two Roster Spots Open
The Lions still have some flexibility to sort through at wide receiver after trimming their group to four and opening up two roster spots. With depth always a priority in a long season, Detroit is at least looking at ways to add another body to the room, and veteran Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has emerged as one possibility after spending time on the Colts practice squad.
Westbrook-Ikhine brings six years of NFL experience and has worked as an outside receiver, which gives him a clear fit in Detroits offensive mix. The question is whether the Lions want that kind of addition more than a player who can also help in the return game, and with those two openings still available, the front office has a little room to decide what matters most. [Read more 🡒]