The Detroit Lions have a tall task in building off what they accomplished during the 2023 season, which included a division title and a trip to the NFC Championship Game.
But there's no question that general manager Brad Holmes has constructed a roster that is not only good enough to do that in 2024, but good enough to have sustained success in the years to come due to the amount of young talent the team is littered with.
Sportsbooks currently have the Lions with a projected win total of 10.5, and there's at least one NFL analyst, The Athletic's Vic Tafur, who believes Detroit will hit the over on that mark. Here are his thoughts:
The Lions fixed their secondary in the offseason by drafting Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and signing Amik Robertson, and I think receiver Jameson Williams has a breakout in Year 3 to take the offense to another level. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson made the right decision to stick around another season as I think Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and the league’s best running-back tandem lead the Lions to the Super Bowl this season.
In the wake of the schedule release, we projected the Lions to take a small step back from their 12-win season with an 11-win campaign in 2024, so we certainly agree with Tafur's prediction here.
The Lions are returning much of the same roster from last season, but they have no doubt beefed it up thanks to the plethora of additions to the cornerbacks room. The pass-rush remains a concern and Detroit could still use another addition there, but having an improved secondary will no doubt help if no move is made.
That said, the Lions are rock-solid everywhere else and sport one of the best rosters in the NFL overall. The division will be a bit tougher and the 12th-toughest strength of schedule won't help, either, but the Lions will overcome those things.
