Following a 15-2 season, Detroit Lions players are popping up everywhere on preseason player rankings.

Edge defender Aidan Hutchinson, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and offensive tackle Penei Sewell are just a few of the players who’ve received ample love heading into a season where the pursuit of a Super Bowl is the only thing in Detroit’s crosshairs.

But if the Lions are to achieve the ultimate prize, they’ll have to rely on far more than the group of stars that headline the roster. Here are five X-factors whose success will go a long way toward getting the Lions to the finish line.

Marcus Davenport, edge defender

Davenport is back on a one-year, prove-it deal after tearing his triceps early last season, the latest injury in a career riddled with frustrating health breaks. Expectations are relatively low due to his lack of recent availability, but it also doesn’t appear that the Lions have a realistic challenger for the No. 2 job opposite of Aidan Hutchinson, so it’s quite important that the Lions can depend on him. Davenport’s ability to put together a full season would be a massive boost to the Lions’ defense.

While it’s now been four years since his career-high, nine-sack season with the New Orleans Saints in 2021, Davenport’s presence was a welcome sight when he was on the field for approximately one-and-a-half games last season; he recorded seven pressures and a half-sack over 60 pass-rush snaps in Weeks 1 and 3.

Terrion Arnold, cornerback

Arnold has all the physical and mental traits of a future star, but his rookie season presented a challenge that even the best veteran corners would have a tough time managing: Arnold played more snaps of man coverage than any other player in the NFL last season.

While it resulted in some early growing pains — Arnold was tagged with eight penalties in his first four games — he should be better off because of it in 2025 and beyond. The Lions signed veteran D.J. Reed to play opposite of Arnold. If Arnold can take a step toward his ceiling and Reed meets expectations, a secondary that features those two players plus safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch could become one of the best in the league this season.

Tate Ratledge, offensive lineman

The sudden retirement of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow throws a wrench into the mix as Detroit seeks to continue its offensive success following the departure of coordinator Ben Johnson.

It can be assumed that Ratledge, a second-round pick (57th overall) out of Georgia, will be a front-runner to win one of the three vacant jobs on the Lions’ interior offensive line, but his deployment as a center during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) has caused speculation that he could be one of the favorites to land Ragnow’s old job.

Regardless of which position he plays as a rookie, he will likely be an integral part of Detroit’s offense from the jump. But if he can master the center position — which often has more to do with mental ability than physical — it’ll go along way toward replicating the success that the Lions enjoyed with Ragnow and Co.

The one caveat here is that Ratledge, like 29 other second-round picks, has yet to sign his rookie contract entering Wednesday’s rookie report day. The Lions will need him on the field sooner rather than later to maximize his contributions in Year 1.

Levi Onwuzurike, defensive tackle

Onwuzurike was the darling of the Lions’ 2024 training camp and got off to a rip-roaring start in the regular season, when the Lions’ defensive line was fully healthy. But as Hutchinson (leg), defensive tackle Alim McNeill (knee) and other players were lost for the year, Onwuzurike’s production suffered a steep decline, and he wound up returning to Detroit on a one-year, $4 million deal that was far below market value.

McNeill isn’t expected to return until late in the season, so the Lions will be counting on Onwuzurike to be a disruptive player in the interior. That should get a lot easier with Hutchinson fully cleared entering camp, but in any matter, another step forward from Onwuzurike will significantly strengthen a critical unit.

Derrick Barnes, linebacker

It’s been an interesting 18 months for Barnes, who survived the drafting of a first-rounder at his position (Jack Campbell) and a season-ending knee injury during a contract year to earn a three-year, $25.5 million extension this offseason.

Barnes has been one of the biggest success stories in the Dan Campbell era. He was a fifth-round pass rusher who switched to off-ball linebacker in the pros but struggled to pick it up through the first two years of his career. He broke out in 2023 and was placed into a unique strong-side (SAM) linebacker role last season that allowed him to use his coverage, run defense and pass-rush chops. The early returns were promising, but we never got to see it fully come to fruition, thanks to the knee injury in Week 3.

Now, there’s a ton of intrigue about what Barnes will look like in that role after another full offseason and training camp. When you talk about guys who can hit another level of play to elevate their entire unit, Barnes is near the top of the list.