Getty The Lions offensive line prepares to block the Cardinals in 2020.
The Detroit Lions have invested plenty of money and time into building one of the league’s best offensive lines, but has their work paid off in actual improvements?
At this point, the Lions’ new group has not played a single game together, but on paper, they have the makings of one of the best groups in the league. That’s a fact not lost on anyone who is paying attention and recognizes some of the changes the team has made in recent years.
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So where does Detroit stack up in terms of their NFL competition? After years of being seen as one of the worst lines in the league, perhaps surprisingly, the Lions have now surged to near the top of the NFL in terms of line talent. Recently, Pro Football Focus writer Steve Palazzolo ranked every line in football, and Detroit placed a very respectable 10th for 2021.
As for why, he wrote:
“Left tackle Taylor Decker is coming off career-highs in overall grade (82.0) and pass-blocking grade (85.8) while ranking 12th overall among tackles last season. He’s ranked above average in both pass blocking and run blocking since entering the league in 2016.
The Lions will trot out rookie Penei Sewell at right tackle after drafting him with the seventh overall pick. He was the top offensive tackle on the PFF draft board. Sewell posted the highest grade we’ve seen from a true freshman and the highest overall grade for any offensive tackle since 2014 prior to his opting out of the 2020 season. Sewell has the tools and production to become one of the better all-around tackles in the league very soon.
Center Frank Ragnow has improved in all three of his NFL seasons, headlined by an 80.3 grade last season, the third-best mark among centers. Ragnow allowed half as many pressures last season as he did in 2019 on just about the same number of snaps.
Guard is the biggest question mark for the Lions’ offensive line. 2020 third-rounder Jonah Jackson started at left guard last year, but his 57.0 overall grade ranked just 58th out of 84 qualifiers. Jackson showed plenty of potential as a pass protector in college, so the hope is that his 67th-ranked 51.2 pass-blocking grade will improve. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is the starter at right guard, where he performed well on 282 snaps a year ago. Vaitai has spent most of his career at right tackle, but his power is a better fit at guard, which should mitigate some of his pass-blocking woes.
The Lions appear to have built the foundation of an excellent offensive line for the foreseeable future.”
A foundation for an excellent line would be good news for the Lions, who have not been known for having the best lines in football for the past few decades. Classically, the team has struggled with protection and consistency, which has led to problems at quarterback and running back as well. It’s been a bad trickle down effect through the years.
Perhaps now, that is finally set to change.
Detroit’s Offensive Line Suddenly Deep
Even though the Lions have Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow in the fold as well as quality young depth pieces like Crosby and Logan Stenberg, the team could need one more elite piece to perhaps cement their transformation toward one of the best groups in the NFL. Obviously, the team now has the makings of an elite group with Penei Sewell in the fold.
Now, it’s more than possible that the Lions have one of the best lines in the NFL as a result of this move. They have plenty of depth, and that could lead to the team being much better than expected in 2021.
How a Powerful Line Would Benefit Lions’ Offense
On paper, the Lions might have a weaker offense as a whole considering some of the major losses they have take, but a stronger line can help them make up for that in a big way. Protecting Jared Goff and allowing him time to survey the field will be huge, as will be allowing what figures to be a solid ground game a better chance at flourishing. A solid line will give the Lions a shot at play action passing and give Goff a better chance to survey the field and make confident throws for his team.
If the Lions are indeed a top 10 line in the NFL and play like it, that could go a long way toward helping them surprise in 2021.
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Lions Offensive Line Takes Home Surprising New NFL Ranking