By Moses Joshua 
With star power returning and a young backfield ready to explode, Detroit looks primed to chase the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance
A Roster Built to Win — Even Without Familiar Voices
The Detroit Lions enter the 2025-26 NFL season with both momentum and change at their backs. After losing their longtime offensive and defensive coordinators, many questioned whether Detroit could stay the course. But with head coach Dan Campbell at the helm and a roster stacked with rising stars, early signs suggest the team is more than ready to make another deep playoff push.
While coordinator changes are never easy, the Lions’ foundation is solid. Core players from last year’s breakout squad remain intact, and as offseason rankings and accolades pour in, it’s clear the Lions’ rebuild is no longer just a story — it’s a fully developed reality.
Jahmyr Gibbs: Detroit’s Breakaway Star
The biggest source of offseason optimism? None other than third-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
In a July 7 ESPN feature, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler polled coaches, executives, and scouts around the league to rank the NFL’s top 10 running backs heading into the new season. Gibbs didn’t just crack the list — he exploded onto it, landing at No. 3 overall, behind only Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.
That’s no small feat for a player entering just his third season in the league. But it’s a reflection of the game-breaking year Gibbs delivered in 2024. He led the league with 20 rushing touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per touch, the best mark by any player with at least 250 touches in a season over the past decade.
One NFC scout called Gibbs’ speed “the kind that can flip the game upside down on a single play.”
Compared to Legends, Built for the Future
Praise didn’t stop there. An AFC executive took it even further, comparing Gibbs to one of the most electric playmakers in recent memory:
“He’s a lot like Reggie Bush, just with a little bit more power. Size will always be a little bit of an issue with him, but his speed, instincts, and ability to change the game are a problem — and may be the best in the league.”
That blend of explosiveness and versatility makes Gibbs the kind of back who forces defensive coordinators to game plan around him. And with bruiser David Montgomery alongside him in the backfield, the Lions suddenly have one of the league’s most dynamic one-two punches.
Even in fantasy football circles, the buzz is loud. Pro Football Focus has Gibbs ranked as the No. 2 running back for the 2025 fantasy season, predicting his role could grow even more under Detroit’s new offensive leadership.
Eyes on the Big Game
The pieces are in place. Despite offseason turnover in the coaching ranks, the Lions have a roster built to contend — and the right players leading the charge. Gibbs’ emergence as a bona fide superstar offers not just production, but proof that Detroit’s draft-and-develop blueprint under Brad Holmes is working.
For a team long defined by “almosts” and heartbreaks, that’s exactly the kind of news fans needed.
The 2025 season hasn’t started yet — but the optimism is real, and the path to a Super Bowl run looks more legitimate than ever.