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Coming off a season in which a team had a 3-13-1 record, it might seem easy to say that their roster has too many holes and lacks strength. The Detroit Lions might be the exception to that rule heading into 2022.
Even though the Lions have struggled on the field, the team has done some nice building off the field in the last few years in order to potentially lead in a turnaround for this season and beyond.
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Looking at the roster for this season, what are the strongest positions, and how should they be ranked? Here’s a look at the analysis.
Offensive Line
As most folks know, the Lions’ offensive front has dominated talk this offseason. Many believe the unit is one of the strongest in the NFL, if not the strongest within their division.
Detroit has several Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber players, from Taylor Decker to center Frank Ragnow, guard Jonah Jackson and tackle Penei Sewell. They are young and have serious upside. As Sewell showed as a rookie taking on Aaron Donald last year, they also are developing a nasty, never-say-die attitude that will serve them well.
Better than the attitude might be the team’s depth. Even though the Lions lost a lot of players last year to injury, they were able to discover some talent along the way. Evan Brown moonlighted at center and looked like a find. Tommy Kraemer played well in a reserve role at guard, and the team has names like Matt Nelson, Logan Stenberg, Ryan McCollum and others perhaps primed for roles.
Add it up and that’s great starters with quality depth. In a short amount of time, the Lions have build a line that folks can be seriously envious of in league circles. Arguably, it’s easily the team’s strongest roster spot for 2022.
Running Back
Detroit’s backfield has long been a weakness since the days just after Barry. Sanders retired, but finally, the team could be set to turn over the best possible new leaf with regards to depth.
In D’Andre Swift, the Lions have a hard-working hopeful star that feels ready to take the next step forward in his career providing health. Right there to back him up is the affable Jamaal Williams, who is as important to the team’s overall chemistry as he is to the offense.
Behind that duo is where the intrigue begins. Godwin Igwebuike showed his strength at times amid fumble problems, and Craig Reynolds made a strong case for roster inclusion with 230 yards in the last five games. Jermar Jefferson, meanwhile, should be primed to show his stuff as he did late in 2021 during a strong touchdown run in Pittsburgh:
Tough decisions may have to be made this offseason, but finally, it looks as if the Lions have built the bludgeoning rushing attack that folks have long craved in the Motor City. This group has everything to be elite, and looks to be one of the deepest and strongest spots on the team this year.
Defensive Line
In a short amount of time, the Lions have seemingly completely flipped the narrative about their defensive front. By drafting Levi Onwzurike and Alim McNeill last year to go with the rapidly progressing Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal in 2022, the Lions have four of college football’s best up-and-coming young talents. Their work is supplemented by standouts from previous seasons like Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant.
Veteran Michael Brockers adds some savvy and depth from a veteran perspective in the middle, while Charles Harris does that on the edge. Add to that the potential resurgence of Jashon Cornell and the addition of John Cominsky, and the Lions could have some seriously strong players set to change the narrative in terms of stopping the run and getting after the quarterback.
There is some developing and growing to do, but the arrow seems to be pointed in the up position for the Lions in a major way into the future. The group is young, hungry and suddenly looking deeper after a couple of lean seasons on the field.
Wide Receiver
At this time in 2021, the Lions looked to have the weakest pass-catching group in the league. In a year’s time, the narrative has changed more than a bit regarding what could play out on the field in the future. Former fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown surged down the stretch to become viewed as a potential top option at wideout.
The Lions signed DJ Chark as well as drafted the electric Jameson Williams to provide them some depth. Add to that the re-signings of Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond, and the emergence of Trinity Benson to go with the return of Quintez Cephus, and things are looking suddenly deep in Detroit. Cephus was strong early last year as he showed with a smooth touchdown against Green Bay:
The emergence of all these players gives the Lions a chance to have a young, exciting group that can make plays for the future. After struggling in 2021 with explosiveness, more could theoretically be on the way.
Special Teams
Given teams typically carry only one punter, kicker and long snapper, it might seem strange to proclaim the Lions loaded at this position. Detroit, though, looks that way. They might be set to put last season’s standout Riley Patterson through a bit of a test at kicker. The team still has Austin Seibert on the roster, and he has kicked at a decent clip in the NFL before given he’s made 82 percent of his league field goals.
No matter who wins that potential battle, the Lions are likely to have a solid option at the position this year. At punter, the team has Jack Fox, who has proven himself statistically as one of the league’s best the last few seasons since breaking on the scene. Scott Daly was promoted to snapper last year following the retirement of Don Muhlbach, and managed to have a perfect season in terms of not making a critical mistake on his end.
Oftentimes, special teams is the difference in winning and losing close games for teams that are contenders or have designs on contention. If this is the case in Detroit, the Lions figure to be in very good shape for the future given the youth, experience and expertise of their specialists. This is a spot that is looking very solid both now and in the future for the team.
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