Detroit Lions 2023 season preview: Scouting the offense, which could be among NFL's best

The Detroit Lions open the regular season Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Here is a position-by-position look at the Lions offense for 2023.

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff insisted earlier this summer he doesn’t care whether he’s been afforded the respect he deserves as the Lions starting quarterback. “Don’t even know if I do or not,” he said. “Trying to win games for this team, that’s all.”

That may be the case, but the reality is Goff played well enough last year to convince many inside the organization he can lead the Lions to playoff success. He cut down on his turnovers, showed moxie in late-game situations and ran Ben Johnson’s offense to peak efficiency behind a standout offensive line. Goff has been solid this summer – not magnificent and not underwhelming. He needs to be better in the face of pressure and the deep passing game may never be his strong suit. But given his supporting cast and his comfortability in the offense, he appears headed for another good season.

The Lions signed Teddy Bridgewater to be Goff’s backup midway through training camp, then lost No. 3 quarterback Nate Sudfeld to a torn ACL in the third preseason game. Bridgewater went 0-2 as a starter with the Miami Dolphins last season, so he doesn’t guarantee the Lions any success if Goff goes down. But he’s a leader in the locker room and is someone Johnson can scheme a gameplan around. Third-round pick Hendon Hooker should be back somewhere around midseason from his college knee injury, but he’s not likely to see the field unless injuries strike.

Running backs

The Lions are taking a committee approach to their backfield again, only with two new faces at running back. David Montgomery signed with the Lions this spring after four productive seasons with the Chicago Bears. He has good vision in tight spaces and is physical enough to be productive in short-yardage situations, but lacks the big-play burst of his counterpart Jahmyr Gibbs.

A first-round pick out of Alabama, Gibbs is a lightning bolt who should be one of the better receiving backs in the game as a rookie. He and Montgomery will play together at times, and though he’ll spend the majority of his snaps in the backfield, the Lions fashion him as more of an offensive weapon. When I asked Gibbs what he wants fans to take away from his play this year, he said, “They’ll say I’m exciting to watch. That’s what I like. I like to be exciting, put on a show.”

Together, Montgomery and Gibbs have the potential to be one of the most productive backfields in the NFL. Montgomery has amassed more than 200 carries in each of his four seasons and both backs can be dangerous in the screen game. Craig Reynolds is a capable No. 3 who had a strong finish to the preseason, and Jason Cabinda returns for his fifth season at fullback.

Wide receivers/tight ends

Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and to pigeonhole him as a slot is to do his game a disservice. St. Brown is Goff’s favorite target on third downs and in the red zone. He’s a bully of a blocker in the run game. And he’s the most sure-handed player on the team with five drops and 196 catches over the past two years, according to Pro Football Reference.

The Lions’ receiving corps is light after St. Brown, and the offense has struggled to move the ball when he’s missed time dating back to last year. Kalif Raymond is probably the second-best receiver on the roster, though he’ll play as the No. 3 because of his size. Raymond had a career-high 616 yards receiving last season and the Lions rewarded him with a contract extension this summer.

Josh Reynolds and Marvin Jones will open the season in the playing group as bigger outside targets and trusted veterans. Reynolds and Goff have a long history together from their days with the Los Angeles Rams, and Jones is one of the better contested-ball catchers in the NFL, even at 33 years old. Rookie Antoine Davis opens the season as the No. 5 receiver, but the wild card is Jameson Williams. Last year’s No. 12 overall pick, Williams will miss the first six games of the season on suspension but should factor into the group as a deep threat when he returns.

At tight end, rookie Sam LaPorta is the top receiving option, but the Lions rotate their personnel freely. James Mitchell caught 11 passes as a rookie and should have a bigger role in Year 2. Brock Wright had four touchdowns last season but has been primarily a blocker throughout his career.

Offensive line

It’s a universal belief in the NFL that good offenses start with good offensive lines. For proof, look at how the Lions have tried to build over the years: Matt Millen’s first two draft picks as general manager were offensive linemen; Bob Quinn acquired 4/5ths of the Lions’ current starting line; and Brad Holmes’ first pick as Lions GM was Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell.

The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and their dominance up front starts with Sewell. He’s an athletic marvel at 6 feet 5 and 335 pounds who moves like a tight end and is programmed to bulldoze opponents on the field. Johnson admitted last season he even built some gameplans around Sewell’s freakish abilities, which give the Lions myriad options in the run and pass game.

Beyond Sewell, the Lions have three other Pro Bowl-caliber linemen in their starting group: Left tackle Taylor Decker, left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow. That trio has been a fixture on the Lions’ offensive front since 2020 and their familiarity has been key to the unit’s success. Jackson is ticketed for free agency after the season if he doesn’t get a new contract soon, while toe injuries have limited Ragnow’s availability the past two seasons and are something to monitor this fall.

One of Halapoulivaati Vaitai or Graham Glasgow will start at right guard after splitting time with the first team this summer. Both are reliable veterans, and Glasgow doubles as Ragnow insurance at center. The Lions only kept linemen on their initial 53-man roster, so Matt Nelson will serve as the swing tackle and rookie Colby Sorsdal has guard/right tackle flexibility.

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Scouting the Detroit Lions 2023 offense, which may be among NFL's best