On the roster: Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler, Graham Glasgow, Dan Skipper, Kayode Awosika, Colby Sorsdal, Christian Mahogany, Giovanni Manu, Netane Muti, Michael Niese, Matt Farniok, Connor Galvin, Duke Clemens, Kingsley Eguakun, Bryan Hudson
Key losses: Jonah Jackson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Matt Nelson
| Name | Games | Sacks allowed | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penei Sewell | 17 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Taylor Decker | 15 | 9.0 | 6 |
| Frank Ragnow | 15 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Kevin Zeitler^ | 15 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Graham Glasgow | 17 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Dan Skipper | 11 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Kayode Awosika | 15 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Colby Sorsdal | 16 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Christian Mahogany* | 12 | 0.0 | - |
| Giovanni Manu* | 12 | 2.0 | - |
| Netane Muti | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Connor Galvin | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Michael Niese | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Matt Farniok | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Duke Clemens* | 13 | 1.0 | - |
| Kingsley Eguakun* | 4 | 1.0 | - |
| Bryan Hudson* | 13 | 0.0 | - |
^with another team *college stats
Best competition: Final roster spots
Detroit has arguably the best offensive line in football with Sewell, Decker, Ragnow, Zeitler and Glasgow comprising a formidable starting five. The Lions have some experienced depth behind those five with Skipper, Awosika and Sorsdal all getting starting reps last season as injury replacements.
Detroit kept just eight offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster out of training camp last season, which was a little light. Two more players (Awosika and Galvin) were signed to the practice squad out of camp.
The additions of Mahogany and Manu via this year's NFL Draft will make things interesting when it comes to the competition for backup roles in camp. The Lions know Manu is a bit of a project, but they used a fourth-round pick on him and are invested in his development.
With gameday roster restrictions being what they are, teams value versatility and that could help players like Sorsdal and Skipper find their way onto the roster with the ability to play both guard and tackle. It should be a fun competition to watch in camp to see who develops as the team's top reserves.
Twentyman's take: Everything the Lions do offensively starts upfront. With their athleticism, strength and versatility, the offensive linemen are the biggest reason why the Lions have one of the top offenses in football.
Sewell is already arguably the top offensive lineman in football at just 23 years old. He's worth every penny of the four-year, $112 million extension he signed this offseason.
He's such a rare talent that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson schemes plays with his ability in mind. Ragnow is one of the best centers in football, Zeitler is coming off a Pro Bowl season in Baltimore last year, and Decker and Glasgow are two of the most consistent players in the league at their positions.
It's rare for a team to rank in the top five in the league in both passing and rushing but that's what the Lions did last year thanks to their play upfront. Detroit also ranked fifth in points per game (27.1) and third in total offense (394.8).
Injuries are going to happen, which is why the camp battles for backup roles are so critical, but if this unit can stay mostly healthy throughout the season, the Lions should enjoy just as much success offensively, if not more, in 2024.
By the numbers:
16: Games last season in which the Lions had both a rushing and passing touchdown. That tied with San Francisco for most in the NFL. Detroit's 14 contests with at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown were second to the 49ers' 15.
20-plus: The Lions' 27 rushing touchdowns last year were tops in the NFL. Detroit has produced 20-plus rushing touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. The only other time they've accomplished that in consecutive seasons was over the 1980-81 seasons. Over the last two seasons, Detroit ranks second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (50) and is seventh in rushing yards (4,490).
31: The Lions only surrendered 31 sacks on 646 dropbacks last season (4.8 percent), the fourth best rate in the NFL.
375: Total first downs (124 rush, 228 pass, 23 penalty) for the Lions' offense in 2023, ranking fifth in the NFL. Only Dallas (385), San Francisco (383), Buffalo (381) and Philadelphia (377) had more.
869: Rushing yards for Detroit ball carriers last year before contact. Only Baltimore (992) had more. Detroit also had the sixth lowest run-stuff percentage at 7.2 percent.
Quotable: "He reminds me a lot of Joe Thomas, just how he prepares, how he takes care of himself, his mental mind makeup and going out there on that daily grind to become a good player or great player like Joe," Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said, comparing Sewell to the Hall of Famer Thomas. "So that's what I get to see, that daily competition within himself and with everybody else out here. It doesn't stop."
