Record wise, there wasn’t much of a difference between the way the Detroit Lions started their seasons in 2021 and 2022. The rebuild was evident as the losses piled up, and through their first seven games of last season, Detroit’s 1-6 record was an indictment of a young roster still finding its footing—and the front office and coaching staff figuring out just how much talent it had to work with.
The Lions found themselves at a crossroads before last year’s trade deadline with one of the few premier talents on their roster, tight end T.J. Hockenson.