The Detroit Lions are probably the safest bet for anyone wondering who might see the biggest turnaround from 2025 headed into this season.
They slumped in a major way, struggling to piece together a coherent offensive line, which hampered their run game, and also throwing out a mediocre secondary due to injuries across their entire starting unit on that side of the football.
Things were completely out of control for Detroit in 2025, and that led to a 4th place finish in the NFC North. NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia does not see that happening again for their 2026 season, with the NFL writer sharing that he thinks that the Lions will be the likeliest team to go from "worst" to "first" this season.
"Simply put, Detroit is much, much better than their 2025 record and division standing indicated. Sure, it's not going to be easy for the Lions to retake this title in the 2026 season, but they've got all the necessary pieces to do it. The Lions also actually had the best point differential in the NFC North, sporting the best scoring offense among the four teams. A 7-4 start seemed to have the Lions in a good spot to capture the title for what would have been a third year in a row, but a mini-collapse down the stretch made that impossible."
Lions seen as team with best case to go from worst to first
Detroit is maybe two to three healthy starting defenders and offensive linemen away from having actually competed for the NFC North title in 2025.
They collapsed in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers thanks to poor pocket protection, which already set them up for failure with an 0-1 deficit against NFC North opponents. They swept the Chicago Bears, but couldn't win anything against the Minnesota Vikings, either. So, they were 2-4 against the division, which is as automatic as a 4th place finish as you could get.
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They now have Cade Mays in tow at center, who comes onto the roster as one of the league's best gap scheme centers since 2024, and Penei Sewell is now anchoring the line at left tackle rather than at right. That (should) immediately open things up for both Jahmyr Gibbs and Jared Goff, but we can't be too mad if Sewell has some rust to begin the year at a completely new position than what he's been used to for years.
Of course, there's youth all over the roster that we'll have to also become adjusted to - Keith Abney II may very well earn a starting job with news of Terrion Arnold's arrest ahead of training camp, while Ennis Rakestraw Jr. continues to fight for a spot on the roster following some injury-ridden seasons to kick off his NFL career.
Derrick Moore is the Lions' answer to the big question mark that's existed next to Aidan Hutchinson for years, while Isaac TeSlaa figures to get a huge role in Detroit's new-look offense in just his second year in the league.
All that said, though, the Lions' core - on both sides of the field - is mostly healthy, with necessary holes seemingly plugged in free agency and through the draft. There should be zero excuses for the Lions this season. It's postseason, a divisional championship, or bust.
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