Detroit Lions 2025 Offensive Mid-Season Grades

The Detroit Lions have one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses, and yet inconsistency seems to have become a theme. 

Missed opportunities have plagued the group from being even better than they’ve been, which by league standards has been pretty solid. With a grueling stretch awaiting them after their Week 8 bye, the Lions are hoping to find answers to some of the questions that have somewhat limited their explosiveness.

Here are grades for each offensive position group for their performance over the Lions’ first seven games. 

Quarterbacks: B+

Jared Goff has been his usual steady self for the most part this season. The veteran quarterback ranks second in completion percentage, third in passing touchdowns and ninth in passing yards among starting quarterbacks at this point.

He hasn’t had the flashiest totals, and struggled in the team’s two losses, but overall has been exactly the passer the team has needed him to be. He’s completed throws at a high clip and kept the ball out of harm’s way with three interceptions through seven games.

The veteran has also shown some athleticism on scrambles at times, but he still tends to struggle when he doesn’t have a clean pocket to work with. 

Goff will face a challenging back-half of the regular season, and at some point he will be tasked with making big time throws late in a game with the run game being silenced by an opponent. 

Running backs: B

Jahmyr Gibbs continues to be one of the league’s most electric playmakers this season, ranking fifth in rushing yards and tied-for-third in rushing touchdowns. He’s an all-purpose matchup problem for opposing defenses, as he’s just as dangerous as a pass-catcher as he is as a rusher.

The key for Detroit will be managing his workload, as he had received a significant uptick in action compared to David Montgomery through the first seven weeks of the season. Still, he remains a threat to score every time he touches the ball out of the backfield.

Montgomery has had some moments, including a huge game against Baltimore in primetime in Week 3. However, he has struggled with consistency and has rushed for over 50 yards in three of seven games.

Finding an effective balance between the two backs is something that Dan Campbell has said he wants to find, and it remains one of the team’s unanswered questions through the first stages of the season. 

Wide receivers: B

Detroit’s passing attack has been fueled by Amon-Ra St. Brown, who appears to be on track for another All-Pro caliber season. He has 50 catches already through seven games, which ranks fourth among wide receivers and sixth among all pass-catchers, and is on pace for a fourth-straight 1,000-yard season with 538.

St. Brown also leads the league with seven touchdown receptions, and one of the most impressive aspects of his game has been the ability to separate on short and intermediate throws. He’s also shown some burst after the catch, and remains as sure-handed as every aside from a crucial drop against Kansas City.

Jameson Williams has had an up-and-down start to the year. He’s had just two games with more than two catches, and one game with over 100 yards. The Alabama wide receiver is clearly still a threat, as his presence alone opens up shorter routes as teams focus on not getting beat deep.

Another area of improvement for the Lions’ offense will be finding ways to get Williams more involved, which is admittedly a struggle when a team has as many skill position talents as the Lions do.

Kalif Raymond has done the majority of the work as a third wide receiver when healthy, with rookie Isaac TeSlaa getting limited opportunities. TeSlaa made an unbelievable first impression, as each of his first two catches were one-handed including a slick snag for a touchdown against Green Bay. 

Tight ends: A

Sam LaPorta is a crucial part of this offense, and remains reliable for the team whenever the chains need to be moved. His performance through seven games is more reminiscent of his rookie season than his second season, as his presence is more felt particularly in the red zone. 

After a quieter second year that was elevated by a late-season surge, he has returned to his top form and also appears to be showing some growth as a run-blocker. 

Brock Wright also remains a big factor, as the Lions have maintained their affinity for two-tight end sets. Wright has been reliable when targeted, and already is approaching his career-high in catches of 18 with eight through seven games.

When Shane Zylstra went on injured reserve, the Lions brought in veteran Ross Dwelly to serve as an extra tight end in unique packages. 

Offensive line: C+

One of the most intriguing position groups for Detroit this offseason was its offensive line, as the group had to replace two veteran starters including All-Pro center Frank Ragnow. Graham Glasgow made the move over from guard, with rookie Tate Ratledge and second-year pro Christian Mahogany taking over at the guard position. 

It has been mostly a trial by fire for the interior, with the group taking its lumps and having bouts of inconsistency. The good has been quite good, while the bad has been somewhat magnified given the team’s 5-2 start. Consistency will be a major focus point for the two young guards as Detroit makes another push for a divisional crown.

Tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker have been solid when working together, but Decker has been severely limited by a shoulder ailment. He tried playing through the pain early in the year, but sat two consecutive games before his Week 7 return.

Detroit has dished out opportunities to Giovanni Manu and Dan Skipper, each of whom started one game in Decker’s absence. Manu showed that he still has room to grow before ultimately landing on injured reserve, while Skipper was steady as he was in place of Decker at times last year.