Summary

Detroit faced their first year without Calvin Johnson and got themselves into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They ended up losing to the Seahawks in the Wild Card round, but they exceeded expectations.

The offense was below average, scoring 21.6 points per game. While the rush offense was near the bottom of the league, Matt Stafford led the passing offense to be the 11th best in the league. Stafford had one of his best seasons with 4,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and a passer rating of 93.3. Marvin Jones and Golden Tate are solid receivers for him, but they could use some depth behind them.

Detroit has a great offensive line going into this season, as they signed Ricky Wagner and T.J. Lang. If there is a weak spot, it’s at left guard.

The defense was average in terms of yards allowed, giving up 3,975 passing yards and 1,701 rushing yards.

In order to improve the defense, the Lions need to get some help on the defensive line. They had just 26 sacks last season, which was second worst in the NFL. Linebackers also need to be addressed, because they don’t have a great one on the roster. D.J. Hayden was signed to help out at corner, but he was signed hoping he can play better than he ever has. If they feel like he has shown in the past, they need more corners.

Picks and Needs

The Lions have eight picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. To get back to the playoffs they will need to get a few impact players.

First round: (1) No. 21

Second round: (1) No. 53

Third round: (1) No. 85

Fourth round: (1) No. 128

Fifth round: (1) No. 165

Sixth round: (2) No. 205, No. 215

Seventh round: (1) No. 250

These needs are in no particular order.