To say that the Detroit Lions had a disappointing season last year would be an understatement. Going from 15 wins and the #1 seed to a 9-8 record and a last place finish in the NFC North greatly impacted "the vibes" surrounding the Lions.
Heading into trading camp, those "vibes" will be different in Detroit, as The Athletic's Josh Kendall puts it in his pre-training camp power rankings.
Kendall has the Lions at #10 in his rankings, up from #13 in his previous ranking. Kendall ranks the Lions one spot behind the Philadelphia Eagles and one spot ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As for why Kendall lists "the vibes" as his "What's New?" for the Lions, he points to various departures, like cornerback Terrion Arnold, running back David Montgomery, and linebacker Alex Anzalone. And those departures come from a team that, as Kendall notes, floundered in the second half last season.
This year's Lions are going to look different. RB Jahmyr Gibbs will be the "bell cow" in the rushing attack that'll be behind a new-look offensive line. Auditions are about to get underway for the starting outside CB job. Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch could miss a good chunk of the early season.
Above all else, there's pressure to stay afloat. Despite their poor O-line, sloppy play-calling on offense, and numerous injuries, the Lions still finished above-.500 with a first-place schedule last season. Now, they have a presumably easier last-place schedule, many new faces on both sides of the ball, and a new offensive coordinator.
That's a common recipe for a turnaround, and the Lions are expected to do just that. They still have one of the most talented offenses in the league and a defense anchored by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aidan Hutchinson. They're on a stretch of four consecutive above-.500 seasons, with a top-ten quarterback in Jared Goff who only has two losing seasons entering his 11th season.
Head coach Dan Campbell does have his work cut out for him, though, to prove that he, his coaching staff, and his roster can be more than just an above-.500 team. That they can be contenders. This season, Kendall says, is going to be "Campbell's biggest test since turning this franchise around in the first place."
Where the Lions stand in the NFC North and the conference
Tenth-ranked is a very fair placement for the Lions, but how do they compare to the rest of their division and the NFC as a whole?
In the NFC North, Kendall has the Lions topping the division, which has been the growing trend among preseason predictions. The reigning division champion Chicago Bears aren't far behind at #12. The Green Bay Packers are slotted at the tail-end of the top half at #15, while the Minnesota Vikings find themselves at #20.
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The Lions do have a big mountain to climb in the NFC. Even with their #10 ranking, Kendall still places the Lions as a the fifth best team in the NFC. The Los Angeles Rams are understandably #1 after their big Myles Garrett trade. They're followed by two NFC West teams in the Seattle Seahawks (#5) and the San Francisco 49ers (#7), and then the Eagles right ahead of the Lions at #9.
If the seasons plays out that way, the Lions would be the #3 seed and hosting the 49ers, as opposed to the Bears if they were the #2 seed. But preseason power rankings rarely ever play out exact, often being nowhere close.
Expectations are still set high for the Lions, nonetheless. They need to ensure that once these power rankings inevitably get shaken up over the course of the season, it's for the better.
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