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How do Detroit Lions stack up for 2025?

June 22, 2025 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

Detroit is coming off a tremendous 15-2 (.882) regular season in 2024 for its best since winning percentage since 1953 when the Lions went 10-2 (.833) and won the NFL Championship. But an immediate exit from the playoffs was unexpected as they fell 45-31 at home in the divisional round to the Washington Commanders.

An iffy 1-1 start began with an opening day 26-20 overtime win at home over the LA Rams and former QB Matthew Stafford, followed by a 20-16 home loss to Tampa Bay. But then Detroit reeled off 11 straight wins, including two games where they posted 52 points. The streak ended with a 48-42 shootout loss at home to Buffalo. So, a bit ironically, the Lions were 7-3 at home including the playoff defeat, but 8-0 on the road.

At FanDuel.com, the best odds for total wins over/under for the Detroit is 10.5 (-125).

A solid offense returns and help seems to be on the way for the defense, but both coordinators took head coaching gigs.

Other futures odds for the Lions have them at +500 to win the NFC, and +1000 to win the Super Bowl. They are also at +1000 to win every divisional game again after going 6-0 last year against the Bears, Vikings and Packers.

Detroit Lions at-a-glance

2024 Records: 15-2 regular season, 6-0 NFC North, 11-1 vs. NFC, 4-1 vs. AFC
2025 Super Bowl FanDuel odds: +1000, No. 5 of all 32 teams
2025 NFC Champion odds: +500, No. 2 of 16
2025 NFC North Champion odds: +145, No. 1 of 4
General Manager: Brad Holmes (2021)
Head Coach: Dan Campbell (2021)
Offensive Coordinator: John Morton (2025)
Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Sheppard (2025)

Brad Holmes was named the Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager on January 14, 2021.

Dan Campbell was named the new head coach a week later. At the time, Campbell was the New Orleans assistant head coach and tight ends coach. He replaced Matt Patricia (13-29-1) and got off to a rough start with a 3-13-1 mark in year one, but has gone 36-15 over the last three seasons.

John Morton returns to Detroit as the new OC after having previously served as a senior offensive assistant under Campbell in 2022. He replaces Ben Johnson who left become the head coach of the division rival Chicago Bears. Morton spent 2023 and 2024 with Denver as the passing game coordinator. His past experience includes that as a player in the NFL, the CFL, and the World Football League. The 1993 free agent out of Western Michigan has mostly been involved with the passing game as a coach, beginning with the Oakland Raiders in 1998, and his career has included stops at USC and New Orleans.

Kelvin Sheppard was promoted from within to take on the defensive coordinator role when Aaron Glenn left to become the new head coach of the New York Jets. Sheppard has been with Campbell at Detroit since year one. He was hired on February 3, 2021 to coach outside linebackers and took over the entire LB unit a year later.

Morton will have his work cut out for him as the Lions boasted the No. 2 total offense in 2024, just behind the Ravens and just ahead of the Buccaneers. They were No. 2 in passing offense, behind the Bengals and No. 6 on the ground, trailing the Ravens, Eagles, Commanders, Bucs and Packers.

Jared Goff is back at QB, as is the running tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta.

On defense, Sheppard has room to improve upon last year's numbers as Detroit ranked 20th over-all, and 30th in stopping the pass. The bright side was rushing defense where they ranked 6th.

Aidan Hutchinson should be back at full strength to improve the defense.

2025 Schedule - Detroit Lions

9/7 at Packers
9/14 Bears
9/22 at Ravens (MNF)
9/28 Browns
10/5 at Bengals
10/12 at Chiefs (SNF)
10/20 Buccaneers (MNF)
10/26 BYE
11/2 Vikings
11/9 at Commanders
11/16 at Eagles (SNF)
11/23 Giants
11/27 Packers (Thanksgiving)
12/4 Cowboys (TNF)
12/14 at Rams
12/21 Steelers
12/25 at Vikings (Christmas)
1/2, 1/5 or 1/6 at Bears

According to Sharps Football Analysis, the Lions have the third-toughest schedule for 2025 and a 10.5 wins target which would be a significant step back from the 15-win campaign of a year ago. In 2024, the Congrove Computer Rankings said Detroit played the 7th-toughest schedule.

Detroit faces both Super Bowl teams from a year ago. In fact, the Lions face 9 of the other 13 playoff teams from 2024 -- Green Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Washington, Philadelphia, LA Rams and Pittsburgh.

The only playoff teams they don't face are Buffalo, Houston, LA Chargers and Denver.

The Lions will naturally play six games against the other NFL North teams. They will also face all four teams in the NFC East, including a Sunday night game against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in week 11 (November 16). And they face the Super Bowl runner-up Kansas City Chiefs on a Sunday night in Week 6 (October 12). Their cross-over division is the AFC North and features a Monday Night Football game in Week 3 (September 22) at the Baltimore Ravens. They get another Monday Night game four weeks later at home against the NFC South Bucs whom the Lions ousted at Ford Field in the divisional round. They will be at the NFC West Rams in Week 15 (December 14).

Draft

The Lions only had six selections in the entire NFL Draft, which was still two more than their division rival Bears who had just five picks. The Arizona Cardinals had a full dozen.

Detroit's first pick was CB Terrion Arnold of Alabama with the 24th over-all selection. The Lions then took another corner with the 61st over-all pick (rd. 2) when they nabbed Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. out of Missouri.

The interesting pick came with their third choice (rd. 4, pick 126) when they traded up to take T Giovanni Manu out of the University of British Columbia. The Tonga born and raised behemoth is a 6'-7", 352-pound tackle who ran a 4.96-second 40-yard dash on his Pro Day. He also has a 33.5-inch vertical leap.

Detroit's 4th pick was used to land safety Sione Vaki out of Utah (rd. 4, pick 132), followed by DL Mekhi Wingo (rd. 6, pick 189) who became the first defensive player that Detroit has drafted out of LSU since 1974 (DE Collis Temple).

The Lions' final selection also came in round 6 when G Christian Mahogan out of Boston College had his name called.