The Detroit Lions kicked off the 2022 campaign with relatively low expectations and a brutal early season schedule that featured five playoff teams in the first seven weeks of the season.

Detroit inevitably got off to a rocky start, losing six of those first seven games, but four of them ended in a wild shootout that was decided by four points or fewer, as the team showed a ton of fight and determination under second-year coach Dan Campbell.

The Lions roared to an 8-2 finish as one of the NFL's hottest teams down the stretch. In the process, they swept Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and kept them out of the playoffs for the first time in the Matt LaFleur era.

They also beat three playoff teams during that stretch, comfortably rolling the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings by double digits and destroying the Jacksonville Jaguars, another one of the hottest teams down the stretch.

Detroit came up just short of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Jets currently have the NFL's longest active drought without a playoff appearance (11 years), but the Lions still own the longest active drought without a playoff win (31 years). There's a good chance that drought ends this season.

The Lions finished in the middle of the pack in the sack department, thanks to the emergence of No. 2 overall draft pick Aidan Hutchinson and sixth-round steal James Houston, who combined for 17.5 sacks off the edge. But Detroit's young and inexperienced defense struggled immensely in most other metrics.

Detroit was consistently torched through the air, giving up the third-most passing yards in the NFL, while allowing the second-highest yards per attempt (7.5). The Lions weren't any better against the run, giving up the fourth-most yards and tying for the third-most touchdowns allowed on the ground.

Things were much rosier on the other side of the ball, with Ben Johnson running the show.

Jared Goff had a massive bounce-back season, as the Lions' balanced and prolific offense finished seventh in passing and 11th in rushing, while producing the third-most rushing touchdowns (23). Detroit's elite offensive line also surrendered the second-fewest sacks (24) and helped them produce the second-fewest interceptions (seven).

Looking forward to 2023, the defense looks like an entirely new unit.

Hutchinson and Houston should continue to improve in their second season, and they have more reinforcements on the Lions' roster with added depth along the defensive line through the offseason.

The linebacker core could quickly emerge as one of the league's best, if rookie first-round pick Jack Campbell hits the ground running and 2022 sixth-round steal Malcolm Rodriguez continues to progress.

By far the most-improved part of the Lions' roster is their secondary, as free agent additions Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson completely overhaul the back end of Detroit's defense, along with potential second-round steal Brian Branch. Second-year safety Kerby Joseph should be a breakout candidate.

Nevertheless, some of the top remaining NFL free agents could still provide an impact for the Lions.

After breaking down the Lions' game-by-game predictions, let's examine the perfect move the team can make to fill out the Lions' roster before training camp kicks off in a few weeks.

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Perfect move: Lions sign WR DeAndre Hopkins

It's actually the offense that could use another playmaker. Enter DeAndre Hopkins.

Despite dealing with a game of musical chairs at quarterback due to injuries and missing six games due to a suspension for PEDs last season, Hopkins still hauled in 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns.

Hopkins has only met with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans so far, but Detroit can jump in the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes at any moment. The Lions' roster is stacked. This is a potential Super Bowl contender.

Despite his age and recent injury history, D-Hop would be a tremendous asset in Detroit and a great fit in Ben Johnson’s offense. Jared Goff is coming off the best year of his career, throwing for 4,438 yards with a 29:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Amon Ra-St. Brown, a massive 2021 fourth-round draft steal, has already proven to be one of the league's top young receivers. The Lions also made a colossal investment last year's draft, jumping up 20 spots in the first round to take Jameson Williams with the No. 12 overall pick. It was the biggest trade-up for a receiver since the Atlanta Falcons moved up for Julio Jones in 2011.

Williams was limited to just 37 snaps on passing plays as the Lions took a very cautious approach as he recovered from a torn ACL. He'll serve a six-game suspension at the start of the season for violating the league’s gambling policy. Why not take a page out of the playbook from some of the NFL's top teams and give Jared Goff an embarrassment of riches to work with in the passing game?

The Lions also have Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds, who combined for 85 catches, 1,095 yards and three touchdowns last year as complimentary receivers. Detroit did bring back Marvin Jones Jr. on a one-year, $3 million contract. But he’s 33 years old and doesn’t offer much at this point.

With a projected $23 million in cap space among their top 51 players, the Lions can afford to make the big splash and sign DeAndre Hopkins to take their offense to new heights.