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2021 NFL Power Rankings: Detroit Lions

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Detroit Lions rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Below you will find a Week 1 roundup for the Lions in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 31

Person on the hot seat: WR Breshad Perriman

The 2021 season will be huge for Perriman, who agreed to a one-year deal in the offseason with the same franchise for which his father, Brett, starred in the 1990s. There is a big opportunity for Breshad, but he must seize the moment as a 2015 first-round pick. He isn't necessarily in jeopardy of not making the team, but his long-term future could be at stake depending on how this year pans out. -- Eric Woodyard

NFL.com -- Rank: 31

The Lions gave Breshad Perriman $2 million guaranteed this offseason, then cut the former first-round pick before Week 1. It profiles as organizational folly, sure, but it also shows the new braintrust isn't too proud to admit a mistake and move on. Jared Goff will open the season with Tyrell Williams, Quintez Cephus, Kalif Raymond and Amon-Ra St. Brown as his top wide receivers. It's an unproven group, to say the least, and lends more credence to third-year tight end T.J. Hockenson seeing Darren Waller-level targets in 2021.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 30

New coach Dan Campbell will have this team playing tough, physical football. The question is the talent. They don't have enough yet to compete in the division. Jared Goff will play better than the experts think.

USA Today -- Rank: 31

New coach Dan Campbell continues winning his press conferences, but victories on the field will surely be much harder to come by.

The Athletic -- Rank: 31

Why they're ranked here: This one is fairly obvious: It's rebuild time for the Lions. (Stop me if you've heard that before.) They can thank the Texans for not owning the lowest spot in our Power Rankings, but 12 of 25 voters placed the Lions at No. 31. Jared Goff is new to town, as is coach Dan Campbell, but there's a long way to go before Detroit starts competing for a playoff spot.

One big question: What counts as success? It can be hard for a bad team to define in September what would constitute a good season. For the Lions, it probably has less to do with wins (though six would be a good start) and more to do with how things look. Do the players buy into Campbell? Does Jeff Okudah bounce back? Is Penei Sewell as good as advertised? If the answer is "yes" to all of those, that's probably a success for Detroit.

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