The Detroit Lions are getting props for a much-improved part of their lineup in 2025, which is good news heading into the season.
The Detroit Lions have been known to have one of the strongest offenses in the league for a few years now, and, of course, now that Ben Johnson is no longer serving as the team’s offensive coordinator, many will be looking at the Lions to see how they do in 2025. But, for a while, the team’s defense was considered something of a weakness.
It’s difficult for a team to have both the strongest offenses and defenses in the league. Honestly, most teams would be happy with just one. But, the Lions are not most teams, and they’re getting praised for doing the hard work to raise up their defense going into the 2025 season.
The Strongest Defenses in the NFL, Including the Detroit Lions
In a May 6 feature for Bleacher Report, NFL analyst and expert Gary Davenport counts down the strongest, and weakest, defenses in the NFL. There was a time when going through this tally might be a nail-biter for Lions fans, but thankfully, that’s not the case.
In the piece, Davenport says that “Defense still wins championships.” That’s obviously a common believe, and he’s not wrong. A great offense helps, too, though. He adds, “Just ask Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is still having nightmares about the pounding he took from the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.”
Still, Davenport notes that, “We live in an age when the NFL is more heavily tilted toward the offense than ever before. Each year, the rules change in an effort to boost offensive production that much more.”
As for the Lions, he names them as the No. 6 best defense in the NFL. We’ll take it.
“In some respects, the Lions are similar to their defensive counterparts in Minnesota,” he states, adding that, “Detroit was fifth in the league last year against the run and seventh in points allowed, but the pass defense was its Achilles’ heel, only two squads surrendered more yards through the air than the Lions.”
Last season, though, the Lions were without star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson for most of the season. He’s back in 2025, which will help turn that Achilles’ heel around.
“With a healthy Hutchinson back in the fold, a line that also features tackles Alim McNeil and DJ Reader and edge-rusher Josh Paschal should be a problem for opponents,” Davenport stated, “especially with first-rounder Tyleik Williams also working into the mix inside.”
The Best Defense in the NFL
So, which team made No. 1 on the tally? It’s a team that didn’t get to the big last year in the Denver Broncos.
“The Broncos are absolutely loaded defensively,” Davenport notes in the piece. “Zach Allen has quietly become one of the NFL’s better interior pass-rushers. Edge-rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combined for 24 of Denver’s league-leading 63 sacks last year.” He adds, “If the Broncos defense plays up to its potential, the Orange Crush will be back.”
No. 2 on the tally are the reigning Super Bowl champions in the Philadelphia Eagles. What makes them such a threat is that they have both a solid offense and defense, which is rare.
“With all due respect to Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts, he didn’t win that game—the Eagles defense did,” Davenport stats. “That defense is going to look a lot different in 2025, but it’s still a frightening group.”
