Saturday open thread: What is your biggest concern for the Lions in 2023?

As we inch closer to training camp, the hype surrounding the Detroit Lions remains at what seems to be an all-time high. The vibes are immaculate, and that is because of the combination of the Lions’ roster improving significantly, along with the rest of the division looking much less threatening than in year’s past. With that being said, the Lions still have to live up to these lofty expectations, and they have a lot of work to do to convince the rest of the world that they are the real deal.

Today’s Question of the Day is...

What is your biggest concern regarding the Detroit Lions heading into the 2023 season?

My answer: Interior defensive line play.

The one area that I don’t feel the Lions addressed enough this offseason is the interior defensive line. In free agency, they stood pat and didn’t sign any new names, and during the draft they added another nose tackle in Brodric Martin, who I’m excited to see, but I don’t think it really moves the needle for a group that really struggled last year. The good news is that it seems Alim McNeill could be in for a breakout year, but it seems risky to hang your hat on that possibility. Hopefully the rest of the defense will improve significantly and mask any glaring weakness from the IDL group.

Aside from that, I’m extra worried about the injury bug, especially after how hard it hit the Lions last year. Hopefully, with the Lions hiring a new director of player health and performance, they can avoid having the injuries pile up as much as they did in 2022. If that happens, it could be a very underrated aspect as to how the Lions could finally get over that hump and secure a playoff victory.