Don't look now, but there is a new threat to Aaron Rodgers and his defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
It is not Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears, nor is it Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
It is a team from within the NFC North that has quietly built a borderline elite defensive line and has assembled a young and upcoming corps of talent in the skill positions.
This team has the capability to score lots of points and rush the quarterback, all that remains is whether its own quarterback can survive a whole season.
That team is the Detroit Lions.
After the dust settled from the 2011 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions scored the highest all-around marks for their draft, which featured defensive tackle Nick Fairley, wide receiver Titus Young, and running back Mikel Leshoure in a draft week coup.
With the lockout still going on, one silver lining for Lions fans is that it will give their franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford, a chance to fully heal from a separated shoulder.
Since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2009 NFL draft, Stafford has missed 19 games due to injury, which for a team on the rise like Detroit, may slow its ascent.
Without question, the Lions have weapons that with a healthy Stafford can and will give NFC North heavyweights Green Bay and Chicago trouble, as they will be able to consistently pressure Green Bay Packers quarterback and Chicago bears quarterback Jay Cutler.
With the drafting of former Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, he will pair up with 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosch to form one of the best defensive line units in the entire NFL.
Detroit already has Pro Bowl wideout Calvin Johnson for Stafford to throw the ball to, but with the addition of former Boise State wideout Titus Young in the slot, and former Illinois running back Mikel LeShoure's abilities to run and catch out of the backfield, Stafford will have a plethora of targets to choose from.
If the Lions are going to challenge both Green Bay and Chicago in the NFC North and for a NFC wild card in 2011, Detroit's chances hang on the right shoulder of Matthew Stafford.
Somehow, that sounds so fitting.
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