NFL Power Rankings 2020 preseason: Where do LA Rams fall?

Team 31- Detroit Lions (3-12-1)

The Detroit Lions entered rebuild mode when they traded cornerback Darrius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles. Not that the Lions were in a position to compete for the 2020 NFL Playoffs already, but that trade signified the organization’s attention was towards tomorrow.

2019 summary

The Detroit Lions only won three games in 2019. As a result, the team cleared the house of the former coaching staff and hired on a new coaching team to change the direction of the team. The Lions had solid interior offensive line play from Graham Glasgow, defensive line play, and the defensive backfield. Unfortunately, that may not be true in 2020. The Lions had a lot of roster turnover.

Players lost

Of course, the Lions lost star cornerback Darrius Slay, DL A’Shawn Robinson, OT Rick Wagner, OL Graham Glasgow, OLB Devon Kennard,  P Sam Martin, and CB Rashaan Melvin.

Players added

The Lions added LB Jamie Collins, DT Danny Shelton, OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, CB Desmond Trufant, and more in free agency. Then added top-rated CB Jeff Okudah, RB D’Andre Swift, EDGE Julian Okwara, and more in the 2020 NFL Draft.

2020 outlook

The Lions do not have the feel of an improving team. In fact, the Lions feel like a team treading water, a team investing in the future by deciding that 2020 is as good of a year as any to turn the team over to a youth movement. The timing of a youth movement is just a bad set of circumstances, and they compete in the NFC North, which remains a very dangerous division. Did the Lions get better? No. They got younger, which bodes well for 2021.