The Detroit Lions are in unknown territory. Coming off one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, the Lions have never known expectations this high. They are widely considered to be Super Bowl contenders in the NFC right along with the San Francisco 49ers.
Detroit’s front office had a great offseason, adding a ton of talent to an already good roster. The Lions rebuilt their cornerback room and added key players on both sides of the ball. Detroit has everything they’ll need to make a Super Bowl run in 2024.
If the Lions can get off to a strong start in the regular season, they will be well positioned to win the NFC North for a second straight season. There’s no telling how far Detroit could go in the playoffs if they’re able to secure some home field advantage.
Below, we will explore four bold predictions about the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2024 season.
Jahmyr Gibbs will go crazy in 2024, accumulating over 2,000 all-purpose yards
The Lions shocked the NFL when they drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Gibbs wasted no time in proving that Detroit was right to select him where they did.
Gibbs had an incredible rookie season. As the lightning to David Montgomery’s thunder, Gibbs was an efficient runner and pass catcher during his rookie campaign.
Gibbs rushed for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns at an average of 5.2 yards per carry. The Lions didn’t limit Gibbs to scatback duty either. Gibbs ran every concept there is, inside and out, and was as efficient as they come.
He also added 316 receiving yards and one touchdown on 71 targets.
If you’re keeping track at home, you know that leaves Gibbs with quite the task for 2024. To reach 2,000 all-purpose yards, he would have to maintain last year’s production and add another ~750 all-purpose yards on top. Is that even possible?
I don’t see why not.
There are two big reasons why Gibbs could achieve this monster goal.
First, it took the Lions a number of games to figure out how to best use Gibbs in 2023. Gibbs had fewer than 10 rushes in three of the Lions first four games before they seriously upped his volume in the middle and back half of the season. If we assume that Gibbs will get a larger workload in general, and especially in the early parts of the season, then it is easy to imagine him eating into the 750-yard difference through rushes alone.
However, it may end up being the passing game where Gibbs truly shines. Gibbs worked with Detroit’s wide receivers in training camp and it seems that the Lions will lean into his pass catching much more in 2024.
Gibbs has a chance to put up some absurd numbers in 2024. 2,000 all-purpose yards is absolutely within his range of outcomes.
Detroit’s reinforcements at edge rusher underwhelm, but Aidan Hutchinson still puts up double-digit sacks
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson looks at the sideline after a play against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. © David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Lions added Marcus Davenport on a one-year deal in free agency. They did not add any other significant pieces on the edges this offseason. That means they’re placing a lot of faith in Davenport and the guys already on the roster to back up Hutchinson in 2024.
I don’t see this working out the way that Detroit would like.
Davenport has had a ton of injury concerns throughout his NFL career, so it would be foolish to pencil him in as a full-time starter opposite of Hutchinson. He will play a role, but I don’t see him being a hero.
The Lions have a number of other players who have potential, but are also question marks.
John Cominsky was a solid rotational piece in 2023, but he is down with an injury. James Houston IV had an incredible streak of production in 2022 but struggled in 2023. Josh Pascal is a solid tweener on the defensive line, but he hasn’t necessarily lived up to his second-round pedigree.
There have been some pretty positive reports out of training camp about Levi Onwuzurike. The defensive tackle has the quickness needed to line up outside from time to time, so that could help the Lions get by.
My prediction: the other guys do not get the job done, but Hutchinson continues to thrive applying pressure all on his own. He manages at least 10 sacks for the second year in a row.
The Lions secondary takes a huge leap forward, finishing in the top half of the league in most statistical categories
The Lions finished the 2023 season as one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses. Detroit’s Achilles heel was plainly obvious to opposing teams, who would routinely pick on Cameron Sutton and Kindle Vildor down the stretch.
The Lions were bottom five in multiple statistical categories in 2023, including receiving yards allowed (4,606), first downs allowed (228), and touchdowns allowed (30).
Detroit made some huge investments in the cornerback room, so it is reasonable to expect some progress.
The Lions drafted Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They also traded for Carlton Davis III and signed Amik Robertson in free agency.
My prediction: the Lions see some positive regression in 2024. Detroit may not suddenly have a top 10 pass defense, but I see them finishing as at least the 16th best coverage unit in the league.
The Detroit Lions host the NFC Championship game at Ford Field
To state the obvious, this prediction requires the Lions to claim the #1 seed in the NFC in the regular season.
Their main obstacle will be surpassing the San Francisco 49ers. Fortunately, the Lions and 49ers play each other in Week 17. This game could end up being hugely important for playoff seeding
If the Lions can keep pace with the 49ers until that game, and secure the win, they’d gain a two-game advantage and a tiebreaker over San Francisco could propel Detroit into the one seed.
After that, they would only need to win in the divisional round to host an NFC Championship game at Ford Field.
Lions fans should track how Detroit’s record stacks up with the other NFC contender throughout the regular season. Every game counts when you’re competing for the top seed in the NFC.
