Detroit Lions Off-Season Review

The Detroit Lions shocked the world with their unexpected run to the NFC Championship. The Lions had a double digit lead at halftime, but didn’t quite have enough to put the 49ers away. It was a bittersweet end to the season, but it gives the team and fan base hope for the future. This off-season wasn’t the typical rebuild Detroit seems to always be going through; this was about gearing up for another shot at a Super Bowl. Let’s see what moves they made to reach that goal, and dive right in to the Detroit Lions Off-season Review!

2024 Off-season Player Movement

2024 NFL Draft Class

Preseason Projected Depth Chart

Detroit Lions Off-season Review

Continuity was a theme in Detroit this off-season, as Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell all got deserved contract extensions. General Manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell also got new deals. The entire Lions offensive coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, returns intact. Detroit will also only have one new offensive starter in offensive guard Kevin Zeitler. A free agent signing from Baltimore, Zeitler is slated to start at right guard, while Graham Glasgow will take over for Jonah Jackson at left guard. Jackson signed with the Rams in free agency, and started only 12 games due to injury.

Graham Glasgow was re-signed to start at left guard after playing well this past season as a fill-in starter. Glasgow didn’t come into the season with high expectations, but he stepped in nicely for Jackson when he got injured. He even started at center when Frank Ragnow was out of the lineup. Christian Mahogany and Sione Vaki are the only rookies on the team expected to compete immediately for backup spots (at guard and runningback, respectively). Vaki could also contribute on special teams early on.

While the offense returns largely intact, the defense received some much needed upgrades. Defensive tackle D.J.Reader, a free agent signing from Cincinnati, is one of the best run-stuffers in the NFL. Reader was an important piece to Cincinnati’s run defense, and he will boost an already strong front. Edge rusher Marcus Davenport signed a one year deal in free agency and will provide depth opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Sixth round defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo should be a rotational interior pass rusher as a rookie.

Cornerback was a major weakness this past season, and the pass defense was one of the worst in the NFL. Detroit aggressively attacked the position, kicking off free agency by trading a 2024 3rd round pick to Tampa Bay for Carlton Davis. Davis will hold down one of the starting spots on the outside, and was an excellent addition. First round pick Terrion Arnold should be the other starter opposite Davis. Arnold was the top cornerback on many teams’ Draft boards, but fell due to the run on offensive players. Free agent signing Amik Robertson and second round pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr. give Detroit quality depth, and both are capable of playing either outside or in the slot. Rakestraw Jr. is slightly undersized, and can be overly aggressive at times, but he could’ve easily gone higher.