Hey, it could be worse. It has been worse. So let's be happy the Lions aren't bringing up the rear.
But when it comes to roster construction, they're pretty close -- not that this is any surprise for a team that just cleaned house after three straight last-place seasons.
According to a Pro Football Focus-based evaluation by ESPN, the Lions have the second worst roster in the NFL entering the 2021 season -- better than only the Texans.
ESPN graded each team's projected starters based on their respective statistics and PFF grades from the past several seasons. The defending champion Buccaneers, who return all of their starters, lead the pack.
At the other end of the NFC you'll find Detroit. The club's biggest weakness, to no surprise, is its pass catching corps. Its two free agent acquisitions, Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, posted PFF grades well below 70.0 in their most recent seasons. Goff's best weapon is T.J. Hockenson, who ranked 11th among tight ends last year with a grade of 75.5.
According to ESPN, the Lions' X factor this season is Jeff Okudah, who "was supposed to be one of the prospects in last year's draft class who was too good to fail. Instead, "his 2.3 yards allowed per coverage snap were the most of any qualifying cornerback in the NFL."
Okudah ranked last among 115 corners with a coverage grade of 30.9 in his rookie season. Desmond Trufant, by the way, ranked second to last, which might say more about Matt Patricia's defensive scheme than it does about those two players. Okudah has already talked about feeling more confident under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and new defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant.
The Lions' biggest strength according to ESPN is another obvious one: the offensive line. Frank Ragnow ranked third among centers last season with a PFF grade of 80.3, Taylor Decker ranked 12th among tackles (82.0) and seventh overall pick Penei Sewell posted the highest grade (95.8) of any offensive lineman in the PFF college era in his final season at Oregon.
But yeah, overall this roster looks pretty weak. More than half of the Lions' 24 projected starters are coming off PFF grades below 70.0, including nine of 12 starters on defense. Then again, take these grades with a grain of salt: Romeo Okwara finished 10th in the NFL in sacks last season and PFF ranked him 38th among edge defenders.
The games are played on the field. We'll see if the Lions can outperform the paper in a few months.
