Training camp is right around the corner, and you can smell the excitement in the air with a new fresh season. But, unfortunately, every fan base either feels this is their year or gets let down once again.
At the beginning of training camp, you start to see how analysts view each team’s chances of success for the upcoming season, either be a potential playoff contender or the team fighting for the number one pick in the upcoming draft.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield handed out his pre-training camp power rankings, and sorry folks, he did not have the Detroit Lions as a team to reckon with, ranking them 30th on the list, ahead of the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Below is Mark Schofield’s reasoning behind the ranking:
We have all seen the videos of the Detroit Lions on the first night of the NFL draft, overjoyed when tackle Penei Sewell fell to them with their first selection. But the addition of the Oregon tackle might not mask the questions around the rest of the roster. Specifically, how good can Jared Goff be in Detroit, and who will he be targeting in the passing game?
Goff may ultimately be a better quarterback than he showed during some of his time in Los Angeles with the Rams, but in a quarterback-driven league he is going to need to improve in a hurry for the Lions to turn things around. Otherwise, Detroit could be looking at the QB market next draft cycle.
There is plenty to get excited about this team from the massive culture shift, new players, and the potential of kneecaps flying. But, unfortunately, there are just too many questions surrounding this team. Does Jared Goff redeem himself? How will the receiver room shape up? Did they do enough at safety? Will the coaching staff be able to put everything together?
With just too many unknowns around the Lions, it is hard to feel confident in how they will look this coming season which falls right in line with Schofield’s rankings. More than likely, the Lions will be vying for a top draft pick. Thankfully most know not to have their hopes set high for the Lions performance this season, and the standards are low in what would be some considerable success.
Likely from all accounts, this team will be fun to watch, which is saying a lot considering most of last year’s games were unbearable. The Lions will be a team that will put on one entertaining show, and you may never on any given Sunday.