The Detroit Lions have officially closed the book on the Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia era. Former Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes now steps in as the executive vice president and general manager. He has chosen Dan Campbell, a former assistant head coach with the New Orleans Saints, to be his head coach in Detroit. The Lions are headed towards a rebuild.
The 2020 Lions were a laughing stock for most of the season. Early in the season, they made it a habit to squander two-possession leads, including in their first two games. The defense also gave up at least 30 points in 10 of their 16 games. They also lost eight of their final ten games and had an overall lack of fight for much of the year. For their troubles, the Lions earned the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Can 2020 draft class pick up the slack for the Lions?
The Lions 2020 rookie class came on towards the end of the year after struggling early on (which is completely acceptable after not having a real off-season). Third overall pick Jeffrey Okudah showed flashes of being the elite man cover corner that the Lions envisioned him to be. Running back D’Andre Swift finished the season with 4.6 yards per carry and 10 total touchdowns. Jonah Jackson started all 16 games at guard in 2020.
Dan Campbell takes over the Detroit Lions with one goal: to build this franchise back up from the ruins. His opening press conference (which featured some odd metaphors) left the fanbase excited for the future. In 2021, the Lions are trying to lay the foundation for their rebuild.