Lions Report: 2025 Season Report Card

It's report card time.

Head Coach: Dan Campbell

Grade: C+

Comments: Campbell is great at building culture within the organization, and he’s a great motivator as well.  I personally like him and I’m pretty sure I’d like playing for him, too.  However, culture only gets you so far.  Campbell isn’t a former offensive or defensive coordinator.  He’s not particularly skilled on either side of the ball.  He’s a “CEO” Head Coach, and he needs to focus on that.  He’s had misses on two out of three offensive coordinators he’s hired (Anthony Lynn and John Morton).  CEO’s are accountable for the people they hire to run the organization.  That’s where Campbell needs to focus.  

Needs Improvement: I’m done with the 4th down gambles and Riverboat Dan Campbell, especially since our offensive line has disintegrated.  There’s a time and a place for 4th down gambles.  It’s not every time, Dan.  Start with this:  “My name is Dan Campbell and I have a 4th down gambling addiction….”.

General Manager: Brad Holmes

Grade: D

Comments: The first three years of Holmes tenure was great.  He hit on all of his first-round draft picks, found some real gems in later rounds, like Amon-Ra St. Brown, and built out a depleted Lions roster.  The last few years have been crap.  Holmes has taken risky gambles I didn’t agree with, like drafting Hendon Hooker in the third round, or overpaying to move up in the draft, such as spending two 2026 third round draft picks to move up to draft Isaac TeSlaa.  Since drafting Penei Sewell with our first-round draft pick in 2021, the highest draft pick Holmes has spent on the offensive line has been a 2nd rounder on Tate Ratlege in the 2025 draft.  The rest have been primarily 5th and 6th rounders.  And that’s with an offensive line that had battered up veterans like Frank Ragnow.  

The free agents that Holmes has signed to the defensive line have pretty much whiffed as well.  I think Holmes thinks you can trot Aiden Hutchinson out there and few journeymen and we’re good there.  We’re not.

Needs Improvement: I don’t want to hear that Holmes was caught by surprise by Ragnow’s retirement last summer.  One, it’s his job to know.  Two, if he had been building up quality backups, instead of gambling on Hooker, or overpaying for TeSlaa, we would be in a better position.  The Lions like to say their identity is grit.  However, they aren’t drafting like it.

Offensive Coordinator: John Morton/Dan Campbell

Grade: C-

Comments: Morton was clearly not a fit after the first few games.  Everyone could see it.  Who hired Morton?  Dan Campbell.  When Dan Campell took over, he was an improvement.  Notice I said improvement, not great.  He’s OK.  His play calling did lend itself better to our personnel, but I wouldn’t call it particularly creative.  Let’s put it this way.  I don’t think there were any defensive coordinators lying awake at night trying to figure out how to scheme against Campbell’s offense.

Needs Improvement: Get a professional offensive coordinator in here.  Please.

Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Shepherd

Grade: B-

Comments: On one hand, I want to give Shepherd a break.  The secondary was gutted by injuries again for the second year in row, and Shepherd (mostly) held it together.  However, he remained obstinate in playing primarily man coverage until the last game of the season.  THAT was frustrating.

Needs Improvement: Shepherd needs to change the defense to what he has on the roster.  Coaches who are obstinate to playing to their “system” frustrate the hell out of me.

Position Group Grades

Quarterbacks

Grade: B+

Comments: Jared Goff is a solid and accurate quarterback.  You can win a Super Bowl with him, but you better address his limitations.  He doesn’t react well to pressure and he’s not mobile.  He looks great when we play below average defenses, or when the Lions had an elite offensive line.  That talk about Goff as an MVP candidate died off pretty quickly, didn’t it?

Running Backs

Grade: A-

Comments: Jahmyr Gibbs is great, and I love that he’s a dual threat in the backfield.  I’m not in love with pounding him in between the tackles on a consistent basis but I love throwing him swing passes to get him into space.  I also still like Montgomery a lot and I was disappointed in his reduced role in the offense.

Wide Receivers

Grade: A-

Comments: Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of my favorite players in the league.  He’s Mr. Dependable and plays his ass off.  I also like Jameson Williams, but they aren’t using him consistently.  It’s hard to use a home run threat when your quarterback is dancing around in the backfield trying to avoid sacks.  I personally like TeSlaas as well but it’s going to be tough sledding getting him the ball if Goff can’t look downfield.

Tight Ends

Grade: C

Comments: Me likey Sam LaPorta.  Me no likey how often he gets hurt.  Is it his pornstache?  I don’t know.  Whatever it is, he needs to find a way to stay on the field.

Offensive Line

Grade: D

Comments: Here’s the Lions offensive line draft picks since drafting Penei Sewell in 2021:  Corby Salsdal (2022 6th round), Giovanni Manu (2024 4th round), Christian Mahogany (2024 6th round), Tate Ratledge (2025 2nd round), Miles Frazier (2025 5th round).  And Holmes got caught by surprise by Ragnow’s retirement.  Those offensive line draft picks aren’t exactly a Murder’s Row of protection.

If we don’t this fixed, we will have another long season next year.

Defensive Line

Grade: B-

Comments: Aiden Hutchinson was solid again this year.  He’s good at putting on pressure, but he struggles at getting sacks against good teams.  DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport haven’t lived up to their contracts, and I’d be surprised to see them back.  Al-Quadin Muhammad nearly doubled his previous high sack total with 11 this year.  Do you resign him based on that one year, and considering he will be 31 next year?

Needs Improvement: More consistent four-man pressure without needing help.

Linebackers

Grade: B

Comments: Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes quietly had solid seasons at their positions.  Alex Anzalone appears to have lost a step but still puts himself in position to make key plays.  I’m not sure if he’s coming back though.

Defensive Backs

Grade: Incomplete/D

Comments: For the second year in a row, our secondary was a MASH unit.  Every starter we had at the beginning of camp was out by the end of the year.  I’m most concerned about our safeties.  Brian Branch likely won’t be ready at the beginning of the season this year, and I’m wondering how committed Kerby Joseph is to coming back and really playing after getting his big contract extension.  We will see.

Special Teams

Grade: B+

Comments:

Jake Bates and Jack Fox are a solid 1-2 in the kicking game.

Final Overall Team Grade: C-

Summary: The 2025 Detroit Lions season was disappointing.  Many of us were nervous heading into the season, and it turns out we had reason to be nervous.   Some factors, like injuries, were out of the Lions control.  Other factors, like coaching and personnel decision, were in their control.  Next year is going to be key. Holmes has to find a way to rebuild the offensive line so we can take advantage of Jared Goff’s strengths.  We also have a 4th place schedule, so that SHOULD set up us up for a better record next year.