2007 Outlook:

The Lions are coming off yet another losing season as they continue to struggle under the control of Matt Millen. Last season, the Lions were a respectable club on offense, but their defense was atrocious. Jon Kitna had one of his best seasons as a pro and there is no reason to think he will not improve upon that with the additional skill players the Lions acquired during the off-season. If they can put things together on defense this year, the Lions could approach the .500 mark and even have a shot at making the playoffs in the weak NFC.

2007 Draft Review:

Newsflash --- For the 4th time in 5 years, the Lions decided to go with a WR with their first round NFL draft choice. It is hard to argue with the choice this year though, as they have likely gotten a franchise receiver to complement Roy Williams. The real meat of their draft came in the 2nd round as they picked up a future replacement for Jon Kitna in Drew Stanton and some help on the defensive side of the ball with end, Ikaika Alama-Francis. Alexander, their third 2nd round choice was a bit of a stretch, but will address a need. Both Alama-Francis and Stanton have impressed in training camps thus far and should be future contributors for this Lions club earning them a draft grade of a B+.

Key Acquisition:

Tatum Bell comes over from Denver after posting a 1000 yard performance last season. With Kevin Jones on the mend, the Lions had to find a replacement for their star running back and they found an upgrade. Bell will provide them with a break away style through the gaps whereas Jones was more of a receiver. With Bell hitting the gaps and Duckett coming in for short yardage situations, the Lions running game should be much improved.

Key Departure:

The loss of Dre Bly leaves a hole in a defense that was already one of the worst in the NFL. They found some help in free agency with Travis Fisher, but he is only a short term solution. They must rely on 4th round pick AJ Davis developing faster than normal to provide some help at the cornerback position. It is advised to stay away from the Lions defense on draft day.

Offensive Preview:

Pick any position on the Lions offense and you should have a quality fantasy player. Williams, Johnson, Bell, Jones, and Kitna should all be valuable players next season for your fantasy club. The question will be as to how well the team can put everything together next season. The Lions have the ability to become a top 5 offense, and under the lead of Mike Martz, should approach just that. Upon the return of Jones towards early to mid-season, Bell should be comfortable enough to provide a straight-forward running game, allowing Jones to be the receiver out of the backfield. Depending on how creative Martz becomes, this could be a fun unit to watch next season. If the offensive line can gel and tight end positions can contribute, this could be one of the great offensive clubs for 2007.

Defensive/Special Teams Preview:

The Lions defense was all around pretty bad last season. The Lions are happy with their linebacker situation and for good reason. They cannot afford for Corey Redding, DT to hold out after they tried to designate the franchise tag onto him. If the Lions were to improve, they had find a way to improve their porous secondary and it simply was not done. It is best to stay away from this defensive unit on draft day. Jason Hanson had yet another good season connecting on 89% of his opportunities totaling 29 FG's and should be someone's opening day kicker in Fantasy leagues this season.

Season Prediction:

The Lions are loaded with fantasy talent. It is amusing to see how they can have so many weapons available on draft day, yet somehow find a way to not put a 'W' in the win column. With Johnson joining an already potent receiver corps, Kitna could be in store for a monster statistical season. Offense will not be the issue in Detroit as they should post top 10 numbers as a unit. The Defense must find a way to help the team get wins. If they can play bend but not break defense, the Lions could remain in the playoff race late into the season. Games against the weak NFC North against the Pack and Vikings must be won this season for the Lions to really make some progress.

Projected Finish

7 Wins, 9 Losses (3rd NFC North)

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