Detroit Lions Dealt a Major Blow as Season Nears

There’s a lot to love about the summer months, from swimming on a hot day to enjoying sunsets on the beach at night, but one thing that summer doesn’t really have is Detroit Lions football. Thankfully, there are just about two months to go until the NFL season kicks in, and the Lions will start their 2025-26 season with a game against the Green Bay Packers on the road on Sept. 7.

The Lions have enjoyed some good news this offseason, including several of their players being named among the best in the NFL in their positions. But, they’ve also lost both their longtime offensive and defensive coordinators, so there are some unknowns going into the new season. Will Dan Campbell still be able to deliver without the same crew around him? We hope so.

Now, the Lions are being dealt another blow, in the sense of some skepticism being thrown their way for some offseason moves. Hopefully it’s just talk about won’t actually be a prediction of what’s to come. Regardless, now is a good time to look at some moves the Detroit Lions have made during their offseason and see where they stand in the NFL.

Detroit Lions Get a Not-So-Great Grade

In school, getting good grades meant a lot, but not everything. So, let’s not get too worked up about the Lions getting a not-so-great grade in a new ESPN feature. In a story published on Thursday, July 10, by ESPN, Seth Walder grades each NFL team for their offseason choices and moves.

He says that the Detroit decision that he likes the most is signing cornerback D.J. Reed. The move he disliked was reaching for defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Overall, he gave the Lions a B- for their offseason moves, which isn’t great. Would you be happy with a B- in school? But, the Bears got a B-, too, so there’s that.

In the piece, Walder notes that Detroit is “dealing with the challenge of their previous success, which resulted in the departure of both of their coordinators for head coaching jobs.” Then, he asks, “Did Dan Campbell hire well again when he made former Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton his offensive coordinator and promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator? Those answers could define Detroit’s 2025 season.”

Lions Players Remain Intact, Which is Positive News

In good news, or at least what this NFL reporter deems as good news, not many of the team’s players are changing this season. The Lions will need that consistency, especially with the changes on the coaching staff. Walder agrees that “not too much is changing for Detroit player-wise.”

Overall, his “biggest qualm came during the draft. At least according to ESPN’s Draft Day Predictor, the Lions reached in the first round when they selected Williams. They then traded up to make a severe reach in Round 3 for TeSlaa at pick 70.”

He adds, “While we don’t always know how the league perceives a player, the Lions have made a habit of this inefficient behavior. It has worked for thus far for this regime, but it’s still bad process.”

So, Walder isn’t hot on how the Lions do things during the draft, and comments such as that have been made before. But, the real test will be when the team hits the field in September.