Getty Dan Campbell and Penei Sewell on the field in 2021 against Cleveland.
The Detroit Lions have been building what most see as one of the top young rosters coming up in the NFL, but even though this is the case, some spots are going to be stronger than others within the pecking order.
Early on, it certainly appears as if the Lions have begun to build their offensive line in solid fashion, and a new analysis of that spot has once again singled it out as the strongest position on the team for 2022.
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ESPN, with the help of Football Outsiders, recently took a look at naming every team’s strongest position group before the season. Not surprisingly, a stacked Detroit offensive line came up as the answer for the team. The reason, as the analysis saw it, was mostly a solid pair of bookend tackles and a good center.
“On the line, Taylor Decker is a solid left tackle, while Penei Sewell really came on strong at right tackle down the stretch. last season and should only be better with another offseason under his belt. The Lions also return center Frank Ragnow, a force in the run game who will help with sorting out protections in the passing game better than backup Evan Brown last season. The guards are nothing to write home about, but when flanked by good players on either side of them, they will be enough to keep this unit rolling,” the write up said.
Detroit’s guards, while noted as “nothing to write home about” in the analysis, also played solid in 2021. Jonah Jackson cracked the Pro Bowl, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai had an important bounce-back season on the field relative to some of his struggles in the past. The team is also building depth with names such as Brown, Ryan McCollum, Logan Stenberg and Tommy Kraemer. Add it up and it seems as if the team is in very good position for their future.
At this point, most understand that the offensive line is easily the strongest position on the Detroit roster as it stands now.
Lions’ Offensive Front Could Dominate in 2022
Right off the bat, the Lions could be primed to dominate up front. It might be a bold statement by some to call this group one of the best in the entire league, but it shows the confidence the Lions and others have to start the year, and with good reason. Detroit has a pair of solid tackles in Decker and Sewell, an elite center in Ragnow, a Pro Bowl guard in Jackson and a player who had a very strong bounce-back 2021 season in Vaitai. Along with the depth the team has found in the likes of Brown, McCollum, Matt Nelson and Kraemer, there is no reason this can’t be the case almost immediately.
After a 2021 season which saw him refuse to back down from Aaron Donald, Sewell might have set an entire new tone himself:
Detroit is taking on the look of a line that is gritty and hard to play against and has depth. Not only can they push people around in the run game, but they might be able to give their quarterback an elite pocket in 2022. If that is the case, advantage Lions next season in a big way.
Perhaps even enough of an advantage to make them one of the best groups in the entire NFL let alone strongest on their team.
Lions Creating Other Major Roster Strengths
At this point, it’s easy to see how Detroit’s offensive front is the strongest part of the team based on the caliber of players they have added and depth. Still, there are other places that have managed to look just as strong for the future. Quietly, the team’s defensive line might be taking an imposing look after the recent additions of Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Detroit also has what many would consider a strong running back room with D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson. Wide receiver could become sneaky good as well, with young names like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds and Jameson Williams locked in for the future.
A good problem for the Lions to have would be an ongoing debate about which roster position is strongest and deepest on the team. Right now, the offensive line is the easy answer, but that might not always be the case if Brad Holmes keeps building things well.