Every week during the regular season, Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his Twitter account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: This is the best the defense has looked heading into a season in my 17 years covering the team.
They have talent at every level, and the marriage of the rush and cover has never been better. Aidan Hutchinson has looked terrific, and Marcus Davenport had a really good camp opposite him. They have Derrick Barnes back in the fold, and he offers a versatile rush and space linebacker that they missed when he was lost for the year Week 3 last season.
New defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is going to be aggressive getting after the quarterback and he believes he has the players upfront and in the backend to run that kind of scheme.
I'm really high on the secondary talent and depth. If Hutchinson and Davenport stay healthy, it has a chance to be the best defense we've seen in Detroit since the 2014 unit that was historically good.
20man: Good question.
Offense: Wide receiver Jameson Williams – I see a big-time breakout year for Williams. His added strength, and his ability to run the entire route tree is going to be huge for this offense.
Defense: Cornerback Terrion Arnold – Arnold had a great camp and could be ascending into CB No. 1 territory with the ability to travel with the opponent's No. 1 receiver and be a lockdown corner. If he takes the step forward that the Lions think he's going to take in his second season, that will be huge for this defense.
Special teams: Running back Sione Vaki – Not sure if he plays Week 1 being on the practice report with a hamstring injury, so this is more just for the season. He proved to be one of Detroit's better special teams players as a rookie and he could get a shot to return kickoffs some this year as well. He's a special talent in space. I'm also excited to potentially see him get a few more opportunities on offense in his second season too.
20man: I thought it was very telling that the team was willing to trade a proven commodity like Tim Patrick to Jacksonville for draft capital in part because they believe the rookie Isaac TeSlaa can step in and fill the void and be that big-bodied target like Patrick was for them.
Veteran Kalif Raymond is kind of a forgotten weapon for the Lions in the pass game, but he had as good a training camp as anyone on offense and is expected to play a significant role. I also expect TeSlaa to have an impact both on special teams and offense early on. He is one of the more advanced rookie receivers I've seen come into the league in terms of his grasp of the offense and route concepts, his hands and body control, and his physicality in the run game. He's earned the respect of the veterans because of his blocking.
He's got a big catch radius and speed to separate at the top of his route. He could be one of Deroit's gunners on special teams to start the year. He's a rookie, so there are going to be growing pains at times, but I expect him to be an early contributor along with fellow rookies Tyleik Williams and Tate Ratledge.
20man: The Lions are going to continue to use both backs, but Jahmyr Gibbs has clearly become 1A of the 1A and 1B duo. I'd expect him to be on the field in the first offensive series Sunday and barring injury he should lead the team in carries this season.
The Lions know he's a generational talent at the position. Heck, even David Montgomery said it late last year. They are going to continue to utilize both players, but they know what they have in Gibbs and are going to take advantage of his skillset as much as they can.
One thing to watch with Gibbs is how he's used in the pass game. He's recorded 52 receptions in each of his first two seasons. Don't be surprised if that number ticks up in Morton's offense this season.
20man: I've always wondered why they didn't use Raymond in the kickoff return game more, given he's been one of the best punt returners in the NFL over the last few years. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp shed some light on that this offseason.
"He's got a big role on offense also," Fipp said of Raymond. "He's our punt returner, he's a little bit smaller body type. That returner back there on kickoff ends up taking some shots. You want a guy who's going to be able to last and be durable."
That's fair, and Stuard certainly is a bigger body. He's also got terrific speed. Fipp started watching some of Stuard's film after the Lions signed him as a free agent and there was some film from his college days at Houston where he was running the ball as a fullback and Fipp liked what he saw.
That's what really started the idea, and he liked that Stuard was a bigger body type and looked like he has some natural skill set to do it. They've been teaching him ball security along the way, which had some hiccups in camp, but they think it's worth the investment because of what he's shown, They're excited about the speed, physicality, and north/south return style he's shown.
20man: It's a fair question. The Packers still have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and they believe they were one big-time playmaker away from making a run.
The Lions have one of the best rosters in the NFL and have been one of the best teams in the league the last couple seasons. I wholeheartedly believe that if they didn't have all the injuries last year, especially on defense, they beat Washington and make a run at a Super Bowl.
Detroit has premier talent at every level on offense, defense, and special teams. Why mortgage the future if you think you're already good enough to make a run at a Super Bowl?
Also, don't forget Brad Holmes and the Lions have a bunch of bills coming due because of the talent they've acquired via the draft. Hutchinson needs to be extended.
Brian Branch is next on my priority list entering the last season of his contract in 2026. I think he's got a chance to be Ed Reed good at the safety position. Then there's Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, linebacker Jack Campbell and Williams, whose contracts are all coming due soon. Those are elite players at their positions.
This front office and coaching staff believes they have the talent to not only win now but have sustained success for years to come and they aren't going to jeopardize that by making an 'all in' move that could disrupt their core.
20man: I had Packers ESPN beat writer Rob Demovsky on the Twentyman in the Huddle podcast this week and he raved about rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden and the kind of training camp he's had for the Packers. He couldn't remember a single dropped pass by the rookie in camp.
Golden brings a Williams-type skillset to the Packers' offense which is a little scary to think about.
Good thing the Lions have the best safety duo in the NFL in Branch and Kerby Joseph. I expect the Packers to take some shots down the field to Golden and fellow rookie Savion Williams. It's going to be important for Detroit's safeties and cornerbacks to be on their A-game Sunday afternoon.
20man: I think it really comes down to them liking what they have. Hutchinson is one of the top five pass rushers in the game. Davenport had a terrific camp and the Lions set up a plan for him dating back to the beginning of the offseason to keep him healthy. Together they looked really good in camp. They have the potential to be one of the better edge duos in the league when on the field together.
Al-Quadin Muhammad has shown some pass-rush ability and Barnes is back as the SAM linebacker which will include a pass-rush role. New defensive coordinator Sheppard is an aggressive play caller who is going to dial up the blitz because he believes he's got the secondary to hold up and play man coverage behind it.
20man: I see you trying to work two questions in here.
I'm really high on the secondary. I think it's the best unit the Lions have had in at least a decade. They are talented and have veteran depth with players like Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox.
Taylor Decker and Christian Mahogany looked pretty good in camp. I think Mahogany is going to surprise some people. The coaching staff and his teammates are pretty high on the camp he had and he's really settled in nicely in that left guard spot.
20man: I thought as soon as Decker returned to practice a week into camp, the offensive line really started to come together. They've had a month together to gel, which is important with three new starters.
There are still plenty of question marks they need to answer. How will veteran center Graham Glasgow be replacing the retired All-Pro Frank Ragnow? He's played a lot of center in his career and will be just fine with the protections and getting everyone upfront on the same page. He's smart. I have no concerns with that aspect of the game. Can he get to the second level in the run game like Ragnow was so good at?
Ratledge has looked good in camp but he's still a newcomer. It's huge that he's playing next to Penei Sewell, which can cure a lot of warts, but there's probably going to be some rookie moments here and there. Can he limit them?
Mahogany looks like he's taken the right leap in development in Year 2 but like Ratledge he's still a young player with just two starts under his belt.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley have liked how it's looked upfront and have a lot of confidence in their ability. I have to see it live starting Sunday before I'm completely convinced that they can play at the level we're all used to seeing the last couple years.
