Preseason power polls are flying off the presses now that the exhibition games are actually starting. For once, you don’t have to scroll way down the list to find the Detroit Lions in these preseason power rankings.
While they’re inherently speculative, these power polls do give a strong indication of how the Lions (and all teams) are viewed around the league. Based on these polls, there is very real validation to the Lions fan excitement that is guzzling the Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid this summer.
At NFL.com, the Lions are perched just outside the top 10. Coming in at No. 11, Detroit is upwardly mobile thanks to a much-improved (on paper anyway) defense, notably the secondary.
For the first time in what feels like ages, it looks like Detroit has some actual, real depth on defense. Peering beyond the clear-cut standouts, such as second-year edge Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions appear to have some tough decisions to make on who starts and who plays what role. The additions of CB Cam Sutton and especially versatile DBs C.J. Gardner-Johnson and rookie Brian Branch give DC Aaron Glenn some real flexibility on the back end. The first-round selection of Jack Campbell appears to have pushed 2022 rookie standout Malcolm Rodriguez into a leaner role. Up front, guys like Charles Harris and Josh Paschal could be pleasant surprises after tough 2022 seasons. It’s another reason to be excited about Detroit this season.
The ranking is a little lower at Touchdown Wire, where USA TODAY analyst Jarrett Bailey slots Detroit 14th. Bailey also cites the defensive upgrades in his breakdown, while also noting the skepticism that the Lions franchise has earned for failing to meet expectations in the past,
The secondary was the worst unit for Detroit in 2022, and all they did to fix that was sign all of the hottest available defensive backs in Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Mosely, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. I like the direction of the Lions. We’ll see how they do with actual expectations.
Over at The Sporting News, things are more bullish on Detroit. The Lions are No. 7 in their preseason power poll. Analyst Vinnie Iyer writes,
The Lions are buzzing with their rookies and young players to build on a budding offensive and defensive core. A year removed from “Hard Knocks” and following a 9-8 finish, Detroit has given no reason to indicate that isn’t the new preseason favorite to win the NFC North under Dan Campbell.
Detroit is also seventh over at Yahoo Sports in analyst Frank Schwab’s preseason listing. The lowest listing comes from Pro Football Focus, where Detroit sits 15th.
It will be interesting to check back in after the preseason concludes and see what impact, if any, the exhibition games have on the rankings.