Friday open thread: Which position will be most improved on the Lions offense?

Every year, fans and analysts come into the season with tons of optimism after offseason changes. No matter how great or how small the adjustments may be, we are trained to focus on these nuances and extrapolate them to the max. We can see what went well last year and how the areas that did not go as hoped will be addressed.

The Detroit Lions made some tweaks to their offense this offseason, primarily through the draft. D’Andre Swift is a big addition at running back, a couple new guards were drafted as well, and the signing of Halapoulivaati Vaitai should be a help at tackle. And of course, the quarterback position should look better just by having Matthew Stafford back healthy.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which position will be most improved on the Lions offense?

My answer: Aside from wide receiver and center, essentially every position should have a chance to improve upon its 2019. I think tackle and guard could be better with some new faces, but I do expect some inconsistency there, especially with the youth. Even though the Lions passing game will surely be better in 2020, it feels like cheating to pick that answer.

Supplementing Kerryon Johnson with Swift is going to make the running game a real force and potentially the best it has looked in Detroit in a long time. However, my answer is tight end. T.J. Hockenson had a very modest 2019, but I think a year of seasoning is going to set him up for a bigger sophomore campaign. Even if he does not fully break out, it will not be difficult for him to show a significant improvement over last year. And though Jesse James looks like a bust, there is nowhere for him to go but up.