The Detroit Lions have 32 players on their 2023 roster who will become free agents in 2024 (20 unrestricted, 6 restricted, and 6 exclusive-rights), and we are looking at what their expectations were heading into the 2023 season, how they performed, and their chances of returning to Detroit in 2024.
Take a look at our past free agency profiles for WR Josh Reynolds, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, OG Graham Glasgow, OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OL Dan Skipper, EDGE Romeo Okwara, CB Emmanuel Moseley, and K Michael Badgley.
Next up is Jonah Jackson, the starting left guard.
Jackson was originally picked by the previous regime in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He
spent four years at Rutgers before transferring to Ohio State as a graduate transfer in 2019.
Since arriving in Detroit, Jackson has been a consistent left guard for the Lions, and when healthy
he is one of the best pulling guards in football. And now that his rookie deal is up, the 27-year-old is certainly owed a sizable bonus.From the time Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell arrived in 2021, they were very meticulous in how they built out their team, particularly in the trenches.
Fortunately for them, one of their predecessors’ few strengths was the ability to draft offensive linemen, leaving them with established veterans like left tackle Taylor Decker, centre Frank Ragnow, and left guard Jonah Jackson.
As he entered the final year of his rookie contract, Jackson was open to whatever his demand would be after the season. He had already released a few years’ worth of impressive footage, and because to a great finish in 2022, expectations were sky-high for the Lions’ highly touted offensive line.On paper, most would say the Lions had a top-five offensive line in the league, with the key being to keep everyone healthy and available at the same time. Because, despite Jackson’s strong finish in 2022, he missed four games earlier in the season after breaking a finger in practice.
Actual role in 2023.
Note: PFF grades combine regular season and playoffs and reflect at least 20% of snaps at that position.
Regular season: 12 games (12 starts): 2 sacks, 8 hits, 14 hurries, and 24 pressures allowed on 798 offensive snaps.
Postseason – 2 games (2 starts): Allowed 3 hurries and 3 pressures on 83 offensive snaps.
PFF Offensive grade: 61.0 (34th among 83 qualifying guards).
PFF Run blocking grade: 60.3 (35th out of 83).
PFF Pass blocking grade: 60.7 (38th out of 83).
Jackson missed time in 2023, just as he did in 2022, missing five regular season games. In addition, he missed the divisional round win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a knee injury that necessitated surgery, forcing him to miss the NFC Championship game.
When Jackson was on the field, he appeared to be a top-tier guard. It was often in such moments that the Lions’ offensive line looked like the Infinity Gauntlet it was billed as. An enormous force that could pound teams into surrender once things got going.
Jackson, sandwiched between Decker and Ragnow, thrives in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s offence, where he can use his plus-athleticism to drag down the line of scrimmage, allowing him to pick off defenders in space while out in front of ball carriers. The Lions place a high demand on their guards, especially when it comes to their complex rushing approach, which incorporates principles from zone and gap schemes.Jackson has periods of both good and bad play. Jackson struggled in pass protection in 2023, allowing three or more pressures in six of the 14 games he appeared in.It’s fairly simple. We’ve seen how potent this offence can be when the offensive line is on point. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have massive holes to run through, while quarterback Jared Goff has clean pockets to work from. Just as Holmes and Campbell envisioned when they selected Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, the offensive line is the driving force behind this entire operation.
The continuity that has developed throughout the years of playing with one another, as well as the reason for keeping a strength a strength, are two critical elements in this argument. If there is a chance to keep Jackson in Detroit for the next few years, the Lions should seriously consider all options.Unfortunately, the justification for allowing Jackson to depart in free agency is upon money, which many fans dislike hearing about.
The Lions’ offensive line is already somewhat pricey. In 2023, the Lions spent the most cap space on their offensive line. Decker’s cap number for the last year of his contract extension will be somewhat more than $19 million in 2024, while Ragnow’s is $12.8 million. Add in the fact that Sewell will soon be resetting the offensive tackle market, and you can see why this could be a difficult option.
Assume Jackson gets a contract with a cap number of $12 million in 2024, placing him among the highest-paid interior offensive lineman. The Lions would spend more than $50 million on only four offensive line starters, with the potential for even more depending on who ends up at right guard, as Glasgow is also an unrestricted free agent. Of course, the Lions may structure a deal to reduce Jackson’s cost charge early on, but there is a chance that Jackson, Ragnow, and Sewell will all have significant cap hits in the same season.On top of the aforementioned salary cap implications, the Lions control four picks in the top 100 of the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. Using one or two of those picks to strengthen the offensive line would be a more cost-effective, long-term strategy for sustaining the unit’s elite position.Yes, however this could be an instance where the match is simply not right for both sides.
Would the Lions like to keep Jackson at home? Keeping a good thing continuing makes sense in most walks of life, and that certainly applies to the offensive line. But how much money are they willing to pay Jackson when they already owe so much money to the rest of the line?
Jackson is 27 years old and recently signed a third-round rookie contract. In most circumstances, now is the time for a player to strike while the iron is hot. There may be a team out there seeking to enhance their left guard position, and if they have a lot of money to throw at the problem, the Lions may rapidly fall out of the running to keep Jackson.
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