The Detroit Lions unbelievably finished 7-9 after beginning the 2015 regular season 1-7. That said, there are still major problems facing this roster, especially now that future Hall-of-Fame WR Calvin Johnson has retired. What are their five most important position needs to address this April during the 2016 NFL Draft?
Note: Some of these may change due to free-agency moves.
Key Losses:
- - WR Calvin Johnson (Retire)
- - WR Lance Moore (UFA)
- - DT Haloti Gnata (UFA)
- - DE Jason Jones (UFA)
- - OLB Tahir Whitehead (UFA)
- - SS James Ihedigbo (UFA)
Needs:
5. Strong Safety
This defense certainly had its warts in 2015 after being a dominant unit the past couple of seasons. This was expected with both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley -- the anchors of the defense -- both left in free agency. But they need help all over, and if 32-year-old James Ihedigbo isn't re-signed, you can add strong safety to that list. At some point in the first 4-5 rounds of the draft, the Lions would be wise to target one.
4. Outside Linebacker
Whitehead and Josh Bynes were the outside linebackers this past season for the Lions, and while they weren't terrible, they could definitely use some upgrades at the position. They will be getting DeAndre Levy back after a hip injury forced him to miss nearly the entire campaign, but outside of him and Stephen Tulloch, they'll need more depth and playmaking ability at the position.
They don't need to target one high in the draft, but somewhere in Day 2 or 3 would be smart.
3. Defensive Tackle
This is a without question the biggest area of need facing the Lions this offseason. So much so, in fact, that I'd be surprised if they didn't grab one of the many talented defensive tackles in the first-round of the draft. I have them taking Alabama's A'Shawn Robinson with the 16th overall pick if he's available.
2. Wide Receiver
Offensively, they have their work cut out for them. Both Johnson and Moore, two of their top three wideouts in 2015, may not return for the 2016 campaign, which would leave basically Golden Tate as their only legitimate proven receiver. That's not a good thing, as he's a complimentary starter at best, and not a No. 1.
Detroit needs to make receiver a priority both in free agency and the draft, and I wouldn't be shocked if they took one or two in April.
1. Offensive Line
Finally, the Lions had one of the worst lines in the NFL last season. Not only could they not run the ball to save their life, but they couldn't protect the quarterback efficiently either. They have a couple of guys in Riley Reiff and Laken Tomlinson who are young and will improve most likely, but the other three spots can all use upgrades. Offensive line must be made a priority if they're going to give Stafford some help.
One thing is for sure: if the Lions do not run the ball better next year, the offense will be one of the league's worst without Megatron to help Stafford and company out.
