The Detroit Lions are preparing to kick off the 2023 NFL season on Thursday and the national media is rolling out their Week 1 power rankings ahead of the year.
Last season, the Lions opened up no better than 23rd in the initial 2022 season power rankings, with some outlets dropping them down to 27th overall. By the end of the season, the Lions had climbed into the top half of the league and most writers considered the Lions the best team to not make the playoffs—ranking them anywhere from eighth to 15th.