The NFL offseason is upon us, and teams will begin working to craft their 2023 rosters in the coming months. In this series of offseason previews, we will look at what each team has to work with and their biggest needs. Today we begin w𓂃ith the Detroit Lions offseason preview.
As a reminder, here are dates to k﷽eep in mind for the 2023 NFL offseason:
You can find previous team’s offseason previews here: Bears | Bengals | Browns |
2022 Summary
The Lions were a Seahawks loss away from a playoff berth. Still, even after that wasn’t possible, they finished strong by beating the Packers at Lambeau Field to end their season.
Detroit had one of the best offenses in the league in 2022. The Lions ranked fifth in the league in scoring, putting up 26.6 points per game. Detroit’s high-scoring offense helped them go 8-2 over the final 10 games of the season after a 1-6 start.
Jared Goff had one of the best years of his career and seems t🧜o be the long-term answer in Detroit. Still, the Lions have plenty of work to do on the other side of the ball before they can be taken seriously as a playoff contender inꦅ 2023.
Key Positional Needs
Here’s where the Lions need to find help this o൲ffseason:
Key Free Agents
Here’s a look at the Lions upcomin🍌g key free agents:
Salary Cap & Draft Capital
Here’s a look at the salary cap room and draft capital tha✤t the Lions have to work with this offseason:
Offseason Outlook
The Lions’ defense ranked 28th in scoring, allowing 25.1 points per game. Will Harris, DeShon Elliot, and other defensive players will be free agents this season. Detroit must spend to get the defense up to par with the offense.
If Goff is indeed the long-term answer under center for Detroit, they have two picks꧑ (6, 18) in the top 20 in April in which they can invest in the defense. Detroit also has a pair of second-round picks that they can work with. All told, the Lions have four picks in the top 81 in the NFL Draft.
If the Lions have a strong offseason, they can ༒be in the conversation for the NFC North title next season.
If you’re looking for more offseason reading, Sam Hoppen at 4for4 (one of our Betsperts companies) is previewing each division:
