The Detroit Lions had a record-setting season in 2024, and despite falling short of their ultimate objective, there are many more positives to glean from last season than negatives. Numerous players—Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Jack Campbell, and Kerby Joseph, among others—elevated their performances and assisted Detroit in securing consecutive NFC North titles for the first time ever in franchise history.
However, not every player met expectations last year. Although there were no significant setbacks in any position group, some players the Lions depended on may have fallen short of preseason expectations.
The inquiry for today is:
Which Lions player must elevate their performance in 2025?
My response: This query will exclude players who aren’t signed or are unlikely to come back in 2025. Although a player like Marcus Davenport definitely let down fans with a premature, season-ending injury, it appears improbable that he’ll have another opportunity.
In my opinion, two players stand out: one on each end of the field. This offseason, Graham Glasgow transitioned to left guard to make room for the signing of right guard Kevin Zeitler. Glasgow faced challenges in his new role, marking the first occasion he consistently played that position since 2017. Some challenges are to be anticipated given that it had been seven seasons, yet Glasgow never appeared to truly find its footing. He permitted close to career-high totals in pressures (45) and sacks (5.0), and his PFF run blocking grade (60.1) was the lowest since his first season. Perhaps 2025 will be the year he relinquishes his starting position to someone such as Christian Mahogany, but it would be great for Glasgow to regain the level of performance he is capable of. Don’t forget, he ranked in the top 20 of all NFL guards in PFF grade in 2023 (74.9).
Defensively, I believe it’s time for Josh Paschal to perform like a second-round selection. Don’t misunderstand me: Paschal succeeded in setting aside most of his injury issues and definitely demonstrated progress in 2024. Despite participating in a career-high number of snaps and starting 10 games, Paschal concluded the season with only 21 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and eight hits on the quarterback. It was a positive move, but in 2025, he must take a significantly bigger leap to ensure this struggling Detroit Lions defensive line achieves its true potential.
Who else would you want to see take charge in 2025? Please navigate to the comments area and share your thoughts with us.