With plenty of time left before the draft in late April, I wanted to take a look at where the depth chart for the Detroit Lions currently stands to get a better idea as to where roster depth (or lack therefore of) is. The goal of this exercise to better guide my next post in determining where the team should and will go in next month's draft. There is also the chance of more significant free agency pickups as the team still has plenty of cap space to work with. My Goal is to have a good idea as to where the team is strongest and where it needs to improve with the remainder of the off season.
Offense (26 Players)
The offense struggled mightily last year with the loss of skilled position players due to injury or trades and as a result needed much more attention to make the team competitive this year. While most of the money spent in free agency has gone to the defensive side there was some key additions to the offense this year as well. It is important to note that the only major losses the offense had that will not be here this year (sadly) were Golden Tate and T.J. Lang. While T.J. Jones, Luke Wilson, and Levine Toilolo are also not on the roster, the team's offense still looks very similar now to where it was at the end of the season. The team did recently sign a back up running back in former Rams and Panthers runner C.J. Anderson who looks like the favorite to go behind Kerryon Johnson in the back field. The Lions also brought in more tight end depth (Logan Thomas) and more competition for the recently vacated right guard spot (Oday Aboushi). Here is where the current roster depth chart (and Almost a 53 man chart) stands.
Offensive Line
Starters: Taylor Decker - Frank Ragnow - Graham Glasgow -Kenny Wiggins - Rick Wagner
Depth: Andrew Donnal - Joe Dahl - Leo Koloamantangi - Oday Aboushi - Tyrell Crosby
Tight Ends
Jessie James - Micheal Roberts - Logan Thomas
Wide Receivers
Kenny Golladay - Marvin Jones - Danny Amendola - Tommylee Lewis - Brandon Powell
Running Backs (Full Backs)
Kerryon Johnson - C.J. Anderson - Zach Zenner - Theo Riddick - (Nick Bellore - Nick Bawden)
Quarter Backs
Matthew Stafford - Connor Cook
Defense (26 Players)
The Defense received the Lion's share of the free agency money spent by the team this year with the addition of Trey Flowers and Justin Coleman. The Lions really started the off season additions to the defense with the mid season trade for Damon (Snacks) Harrison last year, a move that turned them into a top 10 run defense overnight. This free agency period might have turned the defense as a whole into a top 10 or even a top 5 unit. The later addition of Rashaan Melvin gives them some flexibility on the outside corner but the team seems like it is still lacking a true starter opposite of Darius Slay. The addition of Andrew Adams gives the team depth in the secondary and options for fielding 3 or more safeties at once. The starting players on the Defensive line looks stellar but how is it looking in depth and where do the Linebackers look after Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard? Here is where the current depth chart stands for the defense.
Defensive Line
Starters: Da'Shawn Hand - A'Shawn Robinson - Damon Harrison - Trey Flowers
Depth: Romeo Okwara - John Atkins - Eric Lee - Mitchell Loewen
Line Backers
Starters: Devon Kennard - Jarrad Davis
Depth: Jalen Reeves Maybin - Christian Jones - Steve Longa - Trevor Bates - Miles Killebrew
Corner Backs
Starters: Darius Slay - Justin Coleman - Rashaan Melvin
Depth: Teez Tabor - Jamal Agnew - Mike Ford
Safeties
Starters: Quandre Diggs - Tracy Walker
Depth: Tavon Wilson - Andrew Adams - Charles Washington
Roster Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
The obvious strength of the team is the staring defensive line, which is one that will be very difficult for opposing running backs to get any momentum against with so many run stuffers at the ready. The unit should also be much improved at pass rushing with the addition of Flowers and the expected second year jump with Hand.
The offense side is less obvious as it needs more improvements over last year. Looking at it to me the wide receiver group looks pretty strong if everyone is healthy. The Lions will have to decide if they want 4 or 5 wide outs this year. The running back group looks pretty set as well with a good starter and some decent depth. There will be a full back battle between Bellore and Bawden as there likely will be only one FB. The Lions are set with Stafford as the starter (obviously) but might want some competition for the back up role with only Cook in that position.
Needs Starter(s)
The offensive line is good at depth but needs a starter at right guard with the departure of T.J. Lang. As of now the Lions have 4 players who could compete for the starter at RG and for the moment I have put Wiggins at that spot as he was the starter for much of last year. A camp battle between Wiggen, Dahl, Aboushi, and Crosby has a decent chance of yielding a respectable starter, unless the team goes for one early in this year's draft. Most likely the team will take another RG somewhere on day 3 and add yet more competition for that starting spot.
On defense the team lacks an obvious starter for the outside corner opposite of Slay. I put Melvin there for the moment but is the team can make a upgrade there in the first two days of the draft or in the remainder of free agency I would expect them to do so. As of now it will likely be a camp battle between Tabor and Melvin for that starting spot.
Needs Depth
While the starting defensive line is impressive, less so is the depth behind it. As of now the team has only 3 defensive tackles, which is a heavily rotated position. Flowers can line up as a DT if need be but the team desperately needs more depth in the middle of the line. I would expect the team to address this with a high pick if not before then in free agency (Ndamukong Suh is still out there waiting to be signed). The linebackers are also needed an improvement in depth as they do not have enough talent to field an effective 3-4 defensive front right now. I would not be surprised if the Lions go linebacker with the number 8 pick in the draft.
On offense the team needs depth at tight end. Jessie James is the likely starter at this point but the team should take advantage of this draft's excellent depth at the position. T.J. Hockenson is the only player who could dislodge James from the starting spot and he would have to be taken in the first round (a decent possibility) but there should be plenty of day two options as well. I expect the team to draft a tight end in the first two days of the draft.
Conclusion
Looking at the current depth chart has told me more than I expect about the team's needs going into the draft. I think the team's biggest needs are Defensive Tackle (likely a hybrid DT/DE), Line Backer, Tight End, Outside Corner, and a Right Guard, in that order. I honestly expect the team to go after a DT in free agency which could include re-signing Ricky Jean Francois or going after the big fish, Suh (I have heard nothing about this as being plausible, I am just pointing out that he is still unsigned) I will go into deeper potential draft targets in the next post but I do expect all of those 5 above mentioned positions to be taken in this year's draft.
