Getty Chris Godwin celebrates a 2021 touchdown with Antonio Brown.
The Detroit Lions have spent the last few years trying to build up one of the key spots on their offense in the form of the line, and it appears that work has finally begun to bear fruit.
In 2021, the Detroit line had to deal with the early injury to Taylor Decker as well as an unfortunate season ending ailment for Frank Ragnow. Amid all of that, the team had to bring along rookie Penei Sewell, ride out a potential sophomore slump for Jonah Jackson and hope for a bounce-back year from Vaitai. Everything seemed to go smoothly for the team in spite of a ton of upheaval at the position.
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Sewell passed his test and looks elite, Halapoulivaati Vaitai rebounded, Decker came back and was his rock-solid self and Jackson was selected to represent the NFC at the Pro Bowl as an alternate player. All of that leads to confidence for the 2021 season, which is something that Johnson was quick to point out when he was recently speaking in Indianapolis during the NFL combine to reporters including Chris Burke of The Athletic.
New Lions OC Ben Johnson: “We have the ability to be dominant up front. Not just good, but dominant. … Those guys, over the course of last year, showed the ability to be not just a good unit but one of the best.”
“New Lions OC Ben Johnson: “We have the ability to be dominant up front. Not just good, but dominant. … Those guys, over the course of last year, showed the ability to be not just a good unit but one of the best,” Johnson said as tweeted by Burke.
That’s quite a bold statement for Johnson to make all things considered, but he likely sees what most others do around football. Detroit is going to get healthy next season and be able to inflict some damage on opposing teams up front in the trenches thanks to the developing skill of the players on their front.
As time goes by, guys like Decker, Jackson, Ragnow and Sewell are only going to get better and continue to develop. When that occurs, the Lions might indeed be able to boast one of the best offensive lines in the entire league.
Their new offensive coordinator believes that day is coming for the team sooner rather than later.
Lions Line Has Building Blocks, Depth for 2022
With their starters in the fold across the front, the Lions look like they have the makings of a formidable line for the future. Decker was locked-in with a long-term deal a few years back, and has played elite at left tackle since learning the ropes in the league. Jackson came in as a rookie and started 16 games, following that up with another full season in 2021 which led to the Pro Bowl. While Ragnow was hurt and suffered an unfortunate toe injury this year, he has already looked like one of the best centers in the NFL the last few years. On the other side, Vaitai rebounded well and lived up to his massive free agent contract. Sewell took on the look as one of the top rookies in the league on the right side.
All of this isn’t even to count Detroit’s depth, which showed itself well in 2021. Right tackle Matt Nelson showed he is capable of playing a solid role up front, and center Evan Brown came on and played well in a pinch. Other names such as Ryan McCollum also showed to be capable of potential future roles on the interior, which is the great news for the Lions in terms of depth.
Add it all up and the Lions seem to be on the right track as it relates to fulfilling Johnson’s prediction and having one of the top lines in football.
Johnson Wants to See Lions Add Playmakers for Offense
With a solid offensive front and a running game that has shown it is capable of pushing around some of the best of the best in the NFL, what is on the menu for the Lions next? According to Johnson, the team has to be able to get better at wide receiver, and specifically as it relates to making big plays down the field. That was a major challenge for Detroit during the 2021 season, and with free agency and the draft now rolling around, Johnson left no doubt about what he wants to see happen in terms of the players that can be added to the mix.
Speaking during the combine, Johnson was asked about what the offense needed for the future, and he was quite direct in his answer. As he explained in a piece at DetroitLions.com by Tim Twentyman, the team is looking to add weapons for the offense that can stretch the field:
With Johnson now running the show offensively under the vision of Campbell, Johnson’s self-scout of the offense identified one key need. Detroit’s on the lookout for an X receiver that can make plays outside the numbers and in the deep part of the field.
“We feel like we attack the middle of the field really well,” Johnson told local media members Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “The more we can expand both vertically and horizontally, outside the numbers and deep down the field, that’s going to make those guys on the inside that much more dangerous.”
That quote would seemingly point to the Lions being players for a couple of deep threats for their offense, both within free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. That would be good business for the Lions to add a couple of those players in order to help give their offense more teeth.
With an elite offensive front and a better passing game, things could be looking up in a hurry for Detroit’s offense in 2022.
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