The Lions might have won just three games in 2021, but this still felt like a team that was moving in the right direction. Dan Campbell has been an infectious presence since taking over as head coach last summer. He had the team playing hard in his first year and six of their losses came by one score or less. With the front office and coaching staff benefitting from another offseason under their belt, this feels like a team that is primed for improvement in 2022.
Offseason additions and losses
For a team in the midst of a rebuild the Lions weren’t as active in free agency as people might have expected. The one-year, $10 million deal they handed out to DJ Chark was their biggest free agent signing of the offseason. They also added further depth at receiver with Josh Reynolds on a two-year $8 million deal. On the defensive side of the ball they also made some nice upgrades to their secondary. Adding Mike Hughes and Deshon Elliott for less than $4 million combined was certainly savvy business.
The biggest name to leave Detroit this offseason was Trey Flowers. Flowers had struggled to stay on the field since joining the team in 2019 and releasing him saved over $10 million in cape space. They also parted ways with a number of starters from last season, including defensive lineman Nick Williams, safety Dean Marlowe, and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. None are household names but they all played 600+ snaps for Detroit last season.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.2 | Aidan Hutchinson |
| 1.12 | Jameson Williams – WR, Alabama |
| 2.46 | Josh Paschal – EDGE, Kentucky |
| 3.97 | Kerby Joseph – S, Illinois |
| 5.177 | James Mitchell – TE, Virginia |
| 6.188 | Malcolm Rodriguez – LB, Oklahoma State |
| 6.217 | James Houston – LB, Jackson State |
| 7.237 | Chase Lucas – CB, Arizona State |
It speaks volumes of the Aidan Hutchinson pick that the Lions were reprimanded by the NFL for making the pick too quickly. Hutchinson is a hometown hero who is already a fan favourite without having stepped on an NFL field. The decision to then trade three picks for Jameson Williams coming off an ACL injury was a little more divisive, but there is no doubt they got an electric talent with plenty of speed and WR1 potential. The rest of the class has some real potential. Their next four picks could all see playing time as rookies and have long-term starting potential.
Offense
The Lions have quietly managed to build a really dynamic offensive unit. All of this starts in the trenches with one of the league’s best offensive lines. In Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell they have a truly outstanding tackle pairing capable of being a force as both pass protectors and run blockers. The interior is solid and dependable and is helmed by one of the best centers in the NFL in Frank Ragnow. Left guard Jonah Jackson looks primed for a breakout 2022 season.
Outside of the trenches they have constructed a young and talented skill position group. DJ Chark and Jameson Williams are both speedster receivers capable of stretching the field or creating after the catch. They are complemented by Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot, who exceeded all expectations as a rookie, finishing with 90 catches for 912 yards. TJ Hockenson is a do-it-all tight end and D’Andre Swift can beat teams as both a runner and as a receiver.
The obvious weak link and the piece that threatens to derail this unit is quarterback. Expectations were low for Jared Goff in 2021 but he still managed to disappoint. He ranked 29th in big-time throw rate and 27th in yards per attempt and was a big reason the team only won three games. Some will be hoping for a return of the player we saw with the Rams, but in reality he likely places a substantial cap on this offense’s potential.
Defense
As with their offense, the Lions defense is built from the trenches. Their front four entering 2022 looks legitimately impressive. Charles Harris was a dependable pass rusher for them last season, leading the team with 52 pressures. They also have Romeo Okwara returning from injury after he had 61 pressures in 2020. Add Aidan Hutchinson into the mix and they have a very impressive trio of pass rushers, backed up by some toughness in the middle supplied by Alim McNeil, Michael Brockers, and Levi Onwuzurike.
A number of additions in their secondary is likely to improve things too. Mike Hughes is an underrated cornerback who is coming off a strong year in Kansas City where he had seven forced incompletions on his 65 targets. Deshon Elliot should be an improvement on Dean Marlowe at safety too. The team also get Jeff Okudah back from injury. Okudah underwhelmed significantly as a rookie, but in 2022 he will be playing in a different scheme with a better supporting cast.
The concern for Detroit on defense is the level of uncertainty, particularly in the secondary. Just two of their projected starters were starting for them last season. We still don’t know how this new group will gel. We also don’t know whether Okudah can take that leap. This was a really poor unit in 2021 and whilst they might be better this season, they have a long way to go before even being an average NFL defense.
Prediction
The Lions’ prospects look much better entering 2022 than they did last offseason. Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes are slowly putting the building blocks in place for a successful team. They might still be a year or two away from competing, but this is a team who could very plausibly double the three wins they had in 2021.
