The Detroit Lions have faced a lot of negative attention recently, particularly after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets. However, there’s a silver lining, as the franchise has received some positive news amid these setbacks following their defeat to the Washington Commanders.
So, Lions fans, don’t be too disheartened just yet. Despite the departures of Johnson and Glenn, the future still holds promise.
Positive News After Glenn’s Departure
Thanks to the NFL’s Rooney Rule, introduced in November 2020, teams that lose minority assistants to head-coaching roles with other teams are awarded two compensatory draft picks. These picks are granted at the end of the third round, after any additional compensatory selections, and are given in consecutive years.
For Glenn’s departure, the Lions will receive additional third-round picks in 2025 and 2026, with the exact number being announced this spring. OverTheCap.com predicts that the Minnesota Vikings (for Kirk Cousins) and Miami Dolphins (for Robert Hunt) will also receive third-round picks for losing free agents. Similarly, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will be granted compensatory picks due to past minority hires.
Looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, before Glenn’s departure, the Lions were set to pick 28th in the first round, 60th in the second round, and had single picks in the 4th, 6th, and two in the 7th round. The Lions had traded their third-round pick to the New York Jets in the 2024 draft to select offensive tackle Gio Manu in the fourth round.
Glenn had served as the Lions’ defensive coordinator for four seasons and was part of head coach Dan Campbell’s original Detroit staff from the beginning.
‘I Wanted to Stay in the Division’
Turning to the coordinators who left, Johnson has already joined the Chicago Bears and discussed his new role with the media. When explaining why he chose the Bears, Johnson shared that he wanted to remain in the NFC North.
“I wanted to stay in this division. I know this is the toughest division in football right now,” Johnson explained. “There’s three teams that made the playoffs this year. I’ve got tremendous amounts of respect for the coaches and players in this league having competed against them for the last six years. Dan Campbell, (Vikings head coach) Kevin O’Connell. Talk about two guys who are up for Coach of the Year awards as the season ends here.”
He also added, “And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating (Packers coach) Matt LaFleur twice a year,” giving a light-hearted jab.
The Bears’ offense certainly needs improvement, having posted the lowest yardage (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) in the NFL this season. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. However, he also rushed for 489 yards and was sacked 68 times—the most in the NFL.
