From time to time this offseason Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his Twitter account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: Around this time last year I predicted tight end T.J. Hockenson would be Detroit's breakout player in 2020. I'm going on the record as saying running back D’Andre Swift will be that guy for Detroit in 2021.
Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn wants to run the football and create good matchups. Swift is a dynamic player. I expect somewhere in the area of 20-25 touches per game, with Swift being a huge part of the passing game as well.
Swift had 10 touchdowns in 13 games last year as a rookie when he wasn't even a starter until midseason. He knows how to find the end zone, and I expect a huge encore campaign from Swift next season.
20man: I love the idea of trading down and acquiring more assets for a team building for the future. The Lions currently have just six picks in this draft. Move back, pick up an asset or two, and take the best player available.
The only exception would be if GM Brad Holmes really likes one of the quarterbacks, and thinks he could be the future. That's one position where you always stick to your guns and select the player.
20man: It's really invaluable. There's a lot of experience on this staff -- former head coaches and coordinators, and a lot of playing experience. Campbell believes that a head coach is only as good as the coaches he surrounds himself with. He's open to other opinions and ways of doing things. I expect this to be a very collaborative staff with a clear set of goals and mandates, and a solid plan to achieve those goals.
20man: The reported trade that would bring Jared Goff to Detroit can't become official until the new league year March 17. Goff, 26, should be very motivated to accept coaching, fix some of the flaws in his game, and attempt to prove he has a lot of football left in him. It's amazing sometimes what a change of scenery can do for a player.
Goff led LA to the Super Bowl two years ago. He's won more playoff games in the modern era than the Lions have as a franchise. I believe there's a lot of good football left in Goff, and this coaching staff could get the best out of him.
I don't think drafting a quarterback is a priority this year. Now if Holmes really ends up liking one, like I mentioned above, it's good business to take one, develop him and let him learn under an experienced player like Goff.
20man: That's a good question. I think this will be a terrific year in free agency for edge rushers and defensive linemen because that's one area where this draft is pretty thin.
This is a rare year where there's no dominant pass rusher or defensive lineman at the top of the draft. No Chase Young or Bosa brother or Myles Garrett. In fact, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, someone I really respect in the talent evaluation business, doesn't list a defensive lineman on his initial Top 50 players in the draft until No. 13 with edge rusher Gregory Rousseau of Miami. Only three edge rushers and one defensive tackle make the Top 25 in Jeremiah's list.
I'm not saying the Lions will target these players, but J.J. Watt, Shaquil Barrett, Bud Dupree, Melvin Ingram, Kawann Short, Leonard Floyd, Leonard Williams, Yannick Ngakoue, Matthew Judon, Olivier Vernon, Denico Autry, Shelby Harris and other defensive linemen could be in hot demand during this free agency period.
One other name that could potentially interest Detroit is New Orleans safety Marcus Williams. New Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn coached the secondary for the Saints the last five seasons and knows Williams well. Detroit has some young talent, but also some question marks at safety.
20man: It's going to be a very different looking scheme defensively than what the previous regime featured. The previous scheme was pretty complicated and based on disguising coverage with complex pre-snap looks. I think that scheme was a little harder for young players, like rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah, to adapt to, especially last year with no rookie minicamp, OTAs and a limited training camp with no preseason.
Glenn said his scheme will be much simpler in the hopes of building some confidence in those guys on that side of the ball and allowing them to play faster.
I think that suits a young player like Okudah, who has all the athletic traits you like to see in a corner. He had a core muscle injury that hampered him last year surgically repaired in December, and expects to be full go by the offseason training program.
The defense can't really be much worse than last year's unit that allowed the most points and yards in franchise history, so expect the needle to point up. Just how far up is yet to be determined.
20man: Here are my top five positions of need for the Lions this offseason:
1. Linebacker, with an emphasis on improving the speed and overall playmaking at the position.
2. Wide receiver. Detroit has just two under contract, though this is a terrific free agent and draft class to retool at the position.
3. Defensive tackle. A rather underperforming position last year, in my opinion. Adding someone who can generate rush and push the pocket from the interior is my preference.
4. Quarterback. As I mentioned above, it's always good business to develop the QB position. I'd still work to develop David Blough, but I'd also add a youngster to that group, whether that's a young free agent or a drafted rookie.
5. Speed on defense. I'm not picky here. It could be in the secondary at safety and corner, at linebacker, or off the edge and the interior upfront. This defense lacked overall speed last year. Maybe a change in scheme can get some of these guys playing faster, but I still think they need an infusion of speed and talent.
20man: Like I said above, I like the idea of moving back, gaining assets and taking the best player available from there.
Speaking of linebackers, one player I'm starting to like more and more is Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. The Lions haven't had a dynamic linebacker since DeAndre Levy. We saw what he meant to the defense when he was healthy and in his prime. A sideline-to-sideline player who could also cover. He was of the core pieces to the 2014 Lions defense that was one of the best units in the league.
Also, look at the Super Bowl and what Devin White and Lavonte David meant for the Bucs' defense.
Linebacker is the glue to the front end and back end of the defense. It's one unit the Lions really need to upgrade this offseason, and Parsons could be a good start, whether that's at No. 7 or back a few spots.
20man: Sheila Ford Hamp is going above and beyond to change the culture at both Allen Park and Ford Field to one of inclusion and everyone working together toward a common goal.
From just a pure football perspective, it's a much more open and transparent leadership group and coaching staff, and the players will appreciate that.
20man: I think that's a little bit yet to be determined until they really have a good grasp of the players on the roster at that position and what they can do. Glenn said he's going to fit scheme to player and not the other way around.
Defensive assistant coach Kelvin Sheppard will probably work a lot with those outside guys. One player to keep an eye on there is Julian Okwara, Detroit's third-round pick last year. His rookie season was a bit of a disappointment as he dealt with injuries. There are some raw skills there, and he's a good candidate to take a big leap in year two with the proper coaching and staying healthy.
