The Lions’ training camp pulses with championship urgency as David Montgomery declares this “the year of reckoning” – a phrase which makes Dan Campbell smile. Detroit’s back-to-back playoff runs (their first since 1993-95) and franchise-record 15 wins are proof of Campbell’s mastercraft. The defense already flashes dominance in early practices, but life without anchor Frank Ragnow looms as their first true test. After last year’s NFC Championship heartbreak, both Campbell and Jared Goff are eyeing the Lombardi in their fifth season. One thing’s certain: in Detroit, reckoning sounds an awful lot like roaring.

The Lions are no longer the NFL’s punching bag. They proved it when, despite a rash of injuries to key players, Campbell led the team to unprecedented success. Two of his coordinators are now NFL head coaches. Two assistants have become coordinators elsewhere. Even with a leadership change, inside the locker room of Jared Goff’s team, belief remains strong.

“It’s not like we’re going from Ben and AG to some coaches that don’t know anything,” Amon-Ra St. Brown told Yahoo Sports. “Don’t act like we’re bringing in a scrub. These coaches know b—…..So he kind of knows what we’ve been doing here, he knows the players and, like he says: he’s going to continue to do the things that we do well.” Jared Goff and his teammates trust the continuity. Much of the system has been refined, posing a possible threat to 31 other NFL teams.

New defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has earned his chance. He worked directly under Glenn and knows the scheme inside out. Sheppard helped coach a unit that finished seventh in scoring defense last year, allowing just 20.1 points per game. Injuries stretched the depth chart, leading to a No. 20 finish in yards allowed. But Sheppard was in every meeting.

Campbell knows the critics are circling. But he’s not flinching. “It doesn’t matter what I say. It’s already been written,” Campbell said. “So that’s coming.” His tone reflects a coach aware that his locker room looks different. A major variable is the new offensive coordinator, John Morton. Ben Johnson gave Detroit a consistent schematic edge. Morton must now keep that edge sharp. ESPN ranked the Lions third in projected starting lineups.

But talent only goes so far. Jared Goff’s Lions will need Morton’s playbook to click early. But 2025 offers the chance to prove he belongs with the game’s elite.

Dan Campbell’s patchwork depth chart for Jared Goff’s team!

Jared Goff’s Lions are in a rebuild up front. Once considered one of the league’s most reliable offensive lines, this unit now has key gaps. All-Pro center Frank Ragnow retired. Veteran guard Kevin Zeitler left for the Titans. Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker are aging and banged up. Decker opened camp on the PUP list. The team now needs new names to earn trust in the trenches.

Dan Campbell has his eyes locked on the line. “My eyes are on the O-Line,” he said. “We need some guys to step up for us. It’s a great opportunity. We lost Frank (Ragnow), and (Kevin) Zeitler’s gone. So, we have two or three more spots there for guys to step up and help us.” Campbell wants the group to mesh. He knows trust starts with reps.

The first-team unit is already shifting. Dan Skipper, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Graham Glasgow, and Penei Sewell got the initial call in this season’s training camp. Glasgow also took reps at center. The coaching staff will rotate players, hoping to settle on the best five-man front. Decker’s injury adds pressure. Mahogany seems to be locked into the left guard spot after impressing in short duty.

The front office planned for this churn. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Jared Goff’s Detroit picked linemen early and often. Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge will be given real chances to start. Giovanni Manu, a developmental tackle with big upside, will have time to grow. Miles Frazier, viewed as a steal by many analysts, may force his way into the lineup quickly.

Quarterback depth is also a subplot. Kyle Allen is taking reps behind Jared Goff. He has 19 career starts and a nearly even touchdown-to-pick ratio. Hendon Hooker offers more upside with his legs and deep ball. Campbell has always rotated backups in camp, and now he can heave a sigh of relief. That battle will be one to watch as the contract battles are straightened out. But it starts in the trenches. If the line collapses, none of it will matter.