Things are legitimately looking up for the Detroit Lions for the first time in a while. They posted their first winning record since 2017 and have a young core that could get the team into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Aidan Hutchinson is ready to make it happen, but he's not going to treat it like something that is bound to happen.

Hutchinson will be one of the Lions' key players for this iteration of the team. The expectations that come with being drafted second overall are not lost on him. He is exhibiting leadership by instilling an underdog mentality into the team ahead of the huge 2023 season, according to Mike O'Hara of the Lions website.

“It's kind of hard not to see it,” Hutchinson said, via the Lions website. “You see it. I think it's smart … a lot of our guys stay off it. It can get to your head a little bit…We keep that underdog mentality. We haven't won anything yet. There are a lot of expectations. We still feel like the underdog.”

Hutchinson is right on the money in saying that they haven’t one anything yet. Lions fans are surely not going to believe the team is ready to be good again until they see it. That feeling of being an underdog is a mindset burrowed into their brains as a result of being football's perpetual trainwreck for so long. Unlike those past years, their potential success will be the result of more than just supremely talented players.

Head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson seem to be among the better coaches in their respective positions and the front office made moves to help Aaron Glenn's defense improve to a respectable level. Detroit had one of the best offenses in the whole league last season behind Jared Goff, a great offensive line and a great collection of weapons highlighted by wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the best wideouts in the game.

Drafting Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was a questionable move but the rookie out of Alabama should still be a good player that offsets the loss of Jamaal Williams. Veteran reinforcements David Montgomery and Marvin Jones (making a return to Detroit) should help ease the loss of young wide receiver Jameson Williams, who will be out for six games due to a gambling-related suspension.

The Lions' defense must get better before the team turns it around, though, as last season was not a good one on that side of the ball. Fortunately, Hutchinson is preparing to take a big leap in his second season. He is joined by new veteran teammates like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley and rookies Jack Campbell and Brian Branch.

Aiding the Lions' chances of making some real noise is the projection of the NFC North being one of the least threatening divisions in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings are good but look great by default in part because the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are in deep rebuilds. The Lions could give them a legitimate fight for supremacy in the division.

The Lions are expected to be competitive throughout the season and compete for the playoffs. This year may prove whether last year was a fluke or if this is the first sustainable period of success for Detroit in a long time.