The Lions’ schedule is difficult, but in my estimation they are the one team in the NFC North complete enough to weather it without mass difficulty. The Packers have some fairly pronounced defensive weaknesses. The Vikings are, in essence, starting a rookie quarterback. The Lions have the personnel to survive even the worst-case scenario.

Looking at the landscape of NFL teams, there are definitely a few teams (i.e. the Browns and Saints) that -- at least on paper -- that have a better shot at winning the lottery than playing in Super Bowl LIX.

A look at the 2026 Super Bowl odds July 16 and how much they changed, if all all, since May 9 -- 13 days after the 2025 NFL Draft.