The Lions are going to sport one of the most explosive passing offenses in the league this season, led by quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Their run game figured to be just as good and deserves more love.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will once again provide one of the best one-two punches in the backfield. But the key to their run game is going to be their offensive line, led by their two stalwart tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker.
Those two, along with Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler, combined for the best offensive run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus during the 2023 season.
How projected starting linemen graded as run blockers last season https://t.co/caWDzWrSpC pic.twitter.com/0m7kZztKDU
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) August 29, 2024
The gap between the Lions and the second-highest team, the Atlanta Falcons, is noticeable. More than five points separate the two teams. The Lions had the top run-blocking tackle in Sewell and the top center in Ragnow among players that played at least half of their team’s offensive snaps.
The Lions are going to move people up front. Even with the change from Jonah Jackson to Zeitler, the former Raven was still one of the better run blockers last season. The Lions will be just fine in the run game.
