Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Lions Links for Wednesday 5-28-25

Articles:


Lions players coming off injury to watch in OTAs:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2025/05/28/detroit-lions-injury-update-players-otas-return-to-action/83899811007/


Lions Among Best NFL Teams in 2025 FPI Rankings:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-among-best-nfl-teams-2025-fpi-rankings



Rookie RB Had No Clue What Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson Looked Like:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/giants-rookie-no-clue-what-detroit-lions-calvin-johnson-looked-like


Giovanni Manu 'Holding His Own' Heading into Second Season:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/giovanni-manu-holding-his-own-heading-into-2025-nfl-season





PFF Running Back Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2025 NFL season (4. JAHMYR GIBBS, DETROIT LIONS - Gibbs is a big play waiting to happen on every snap. He placed in the top five in forced missed tackles (68) and runs of 10 yards or more (46) in 2024. He also racked up the second-most receiving yards of any running back last season (587).  21. DAVID MONTGOMERY, DETROIT LIONS - Montgomery gutted out a knee injury that could have removed him from the Lions' playoff plans, earning an 80.1 PFF rushing grade and the highest receiving grade (90.7) of any running back.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-running-back-rankings-top-32-ahead-of-2025-nfl-season

One bounce-back candidate for all 32 NFL teams in 2025 (Detroit Lions: DI DJ Reader - Over the past nine seasons, Reader has established himself as one of the NFL’s premier run stoppers. However, he’s coming off a year in which he posted career lows in overall and run-defense grades. He was tasked with his heaviest workload since 2021, especially after Alim McNeill suffered a season-ending injury. With McNeill returning and first-round pick Tyleik Williams joining the rotation, Reader could thrive in a more balanced role with a reduced snap count in 2025.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-bounce-back-candidates-all-32-nfl-teams-2025

10 schematic lessons learned from the 2024 NFL season:  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-schematic-lessons-learned-2024-nfl-season

Top 10 most complete NFL teams for 2025 season: Bills, Eagles, Lions among well-rounded squads (3. Detroit Lions:  One of the Lions’ biggest offseason challenges is implementing two new coordinators after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn earned head-coaching jobs. Helping the matter: The talent in Detroit remains very strong. GM Brad Holmes has built one of the best rosters in the league.  Jared Goff followed up maybe his finest regular season with a disastrous playoff performance in the loss to the Commanders, but he’s made the Pro Bowl in two of the past three seasons. The bulk of his excellent offensive line returns, along with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who make up arguably the league’s best 1-2 RB punch. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Gibbs are a strong top four targets -- with rookie Isaac TeSlaa waiting in the wings. Even with Johnson gone, the offense still should hum.  Defensively, they’ll improve simply by getting back a hoard of injured players from last season, starting with Aidan Hutchinson, but the Lions also added pieces to all three levels. First-round DT Tyleik Williams joins a solid two-deep up front. D.J. Reed and Avonte Maddox improve the secondary depth. And when healthy, Detroit has a very good group of llinebackers.  No lineup is perfect, and the Lions have jobs up for grabs on offense (namely at guard) and defense (edge rusher opposite Hutchinson). Whether there’s enough pass-rush juice feels like a big question. But all told, the Lions boast a good roster. I expect other teams to raid their players after late August cutdowns.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-s-top-10-most-complete-teams-for-2025-season-bills-eagles-lions-among-well-rounded-squads

2025 NFC North win totals: Projections, best bets, more (Detroit Lions - Over 10.5 (+100) / Under 10.5 (-120).  If the Bears enter 2025 flaunting the upside of a remade staff, the Lions are looking to prove their talent can withstand coaching turnover. Gone are both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, the top assistants to the ultra-aggressive Dan Campbell, leaving quarterback Jared Goff to bounce back from an early playoff exit under John Morton, who's holding an NFL OC title for the first time in eight years. He's still got the line and the weapons to do so, with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta making up maybe the most explosive offensive quartet in football. And the defense should be better with Aidan Hutchinson back in the fold as well. Like the rest of the North, the Lions won't have a cakewalk of a schedule. It's also possible we've seen the peak of the Goff experience. Still, the infrastructure assembled by general manager Brad Holmes is so strong that, barring a major injury, they're probably a safe bet to hit double-digit wins and return to the playoffs.  Lean: Over 10.5):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2025-nfc-north-win-total-picks-best-bets-can-bears-make-big-leap-packers-set-to-leapfrog-lions-vikings/

NFL offseason divisional power rankings: NFC East rules (2. NFC North - Combined record: 45-23 (.661), Interdivisional record: 33-11 (.750).  This was the best regular-season division in the NFL, as the Detroit Lions finished with 15 wins and the Minnesota Vikings ended up with 14. Three teams in the NFC North made the postseason and this was the only division to have three teams win 11+ games. The .750 win percentage outside the division showcased how strong the NFC North was. The playoffs were a different story, as the NFC North went 0-3 in its three postseason games. All the games were decided by double digits as well, which is why the NFC North didn't take the No. 1 spot. The Lions should still be a Super Bowl contender, while the Vikings have a loaded roster but an uncertainty with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. The Green Bay Packers have to beat 11+-win teams and the Chicago Bears should be better with Ben Johnson as coach with a revamped offensive line to protect Caleb Williams. Playing the NFC East and AFC North will be a good test for the NFC North.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-offseason-divisional-power-rankings-nfc-east-remains-on-top-of-close-race-for-best/

Every NFL Team’s Best Player Heading Into 2025: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill Highlight League’s Elite (Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell - The Detroit Lions have a handful of star players to choose from, with Amon-Ra St. Brown standing out as the most notable honorable mention. With two consecutive first-team All-Pro campaigns to his name, Penei Sewell stakes an incredibly strong claim as being their best player. Sewell has been a superstar for much of his NFL career, and he’s arguably the best offensive tackle in the league today. At the very least, he’s certainly the best right tackle, as his consecutive All-Pro nominations would indicate.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/every-nfl-team-best-player-heading-2025/

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Posted by LionsFan at 7:20 PM

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