A season removed from making only the second conference title appearance in franchise history, the defending NFC North champions have few holes to fill heading into the 2024 campaign. However, there are always areas to shore up in the offseason.
With that in mind, here are three moves the Detroit Lions should make before the start of training camp.
Sign a safety: The Lions seriously upgraded the team’s secondary, adding veteran corners Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson, along with 2024 draft picks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. However, uncertainty remains at the safety position.
The Lions plan to lean on Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kerby Joseph to start at safety. Melifonwu finished with an impressive 85.6 grade per Pro Football Focus but played in only 37 percent of the defensive snaps, splitting time with now ex-Lion C.J. Gardner-Johnson in 2023. Meanwhile, Joseph, a third-round pick by Detroit in the 2022 NFL Draft, struggled in 15 starts last season, grading 54th (57.7) out of 63 safeties who played 50 percent or more of their team’s snaps.
With only five seasons of combined NFL experience between Melifonwu and Joseph, adding a veteran as competition and depth would be a smart move by the Lions.
Sign an edge-rusher: With the emergence of Aidan Hutchinson, having a respectable threat opposite him could make a massive difference in how the Lions defense shakes out in 2024. For now, the unit has potential but not much certainty.
There are younger options, like James Houston and Josh Pascal. But, after an eight-sack rookie season, Houston had zero in 2023, playing in only two regular-season games after suffering a leg injury. Meanwhile, Pascal has yet to live up to being a second-round pick in 2022, recording only three sacks in two seasons. Veterans Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky could also be contributors if everything breaks right. Although, Davenport played in only four games in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings due to a high-ankle sprain, recording just two sacks, while Cominsky had only two a year ago despite playing in 16 games.
Beyond Hutchinson, there’s not much to lean on at edge-rusher for the Lions, and a little veteran competition wouldn’t hurt.
Sign a veteran WR: Losing Josh Reynolds in free agency created a hole in the Lions’ depth chart at wide receiver that they’ve yet to fill. Amon-Ra St. Brown is obviously the standout star of the group, but the unit could use help.
2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams has shown flashes of being an impact weapon, but with only 25 receptions for 395 yards and three scores over two seasons, those moments have been few and far between. Likewise, the Lions shouldn’t count on veterans Kalif Raymond or Donovan Peoples-Jones. Raymond has been serviceable as a reserve receiver, recording 130 receptions for 1,681 yards and five touchdowns over three seasons in Detroit, but he will be 30 when the 2024 campaign starts. Meanwhile, Peoples-Jones fell off a cliff following his remarkable 61-catch season in 2022, registering only five receptions for 58 yards in eight games with the Lions last year.
St. Brown and starting tight end Sam LaPorta are fantastic pass-catching options, but the Lions should do more to ensure QB Jared Goff has enough of them.