The Detroit Lions stayed mostly out of the deep end in free agency this spring and two of their top three draft picks will miss the start of training camp because of injuries, but general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have a deeper roster right now than they did last summer.
All 11 starting spots on offense appear to be spoken for and the Lions will lean heavily on youth in their defense for the second straight year, but several intriguing position battles are shaping up this preseason.
As always, players tend to improve most between their first and second seasons, and some of those strides are not evident until pads come on.
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The Lions open practice Wednesday and have preseason games next month against the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. I’ll do one roster projected around the time of the Steelers game, before final cuts, when much more is known about the state of the team.
But as the Lions open camp, here is an early position-by-position look at how some battles for jobs could shake out.
Quarterback
In (3): Jared Goff, Tim Boyle, David Blough
Goff is the unquestioned starter, and the Lions brought Boyle and Blough back to compete for the backup job. Boyle gets a slight edge to be the No. 2 quarterback for now, but Blough impressed at times this spring and the Lions kept three quarterbacks on their roster all last season. The improved depth on defense could cost Boyle or Blough a job, but history says the Lions will keep three signal callers.
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Running back
In (4): D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Godwin Igwebuike, Jason Cabinda.
The Lions finished last season with six running backs on their 53-man roster, so a four-man backfield seems light to start the season. But Swift and Williams are locked into the top two jobs and Cabinda is the only fullback in camp. If all three are healthy, there’s more value in keeping extra help elsewhere.
I gave Igwebuike the final roster spot at running back because of his special teams contributions. He returned kicks much of last season and he took first-team reps at gunner in mandatory minicamp. Jermar Jefferson is one of those second-year players who could play his way onto the roster, though. He played sparingly last season and has limited history on special teams. If he excels in the kick game, he’ll make the roster. Craig Reynolds, likewise, will have to earn his job on special teams.
Wide receiver
In (6): Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Quintez Cephus, Trinity Benson
NFI: Jameson Williams
The Lions won’t rush Williams back into action, and it makes sense to keep him on the non-football injury list until around midseason. He tore his ACL in January and the prudent approach for his 21-year-old body is to let him heal.
St. Brown and Chark should headline the receiving corps until Williams returns, and Raymond is the favorite to handle punts. I still think the Lions keep six receivers to start the season, and I gave Benson and Cephus the final two spots based on how they played this spring. Kalil Pimpleton is an ideal practice squad candidate, but it’s certainly possible he or Tom Kennedy pushes for a job.
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Tight end
In (3): T.J. Hockenson, James Mitchell, Garrett Griffin
Mitchell, a fifth-round pick, did not practice all spring after tearing his ACL last September, but the Lions did not place him on NFI when rookies reported over the weekend. With two offensive-minded tight ends in Hockenson and Mitchell likely secure in their roster spots, the Lions need a blocker to fill the No. 3 role. Griffin, who played for Campbell with the New Orleans Saints, gets a slight edge on Brock Wright, who made five starts for the Lions last year. It will be interesting to see what ex-Michigan star Devin Funchess brings to the table, too, after what has essentially been a three-year hiatus from football.
Offensive line
In (9): Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Penei Sewell, Matt Nelson, Evan Nelson, Logan Stenberg, Tommy Kraemer.
The Lions have the makings of one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, though Decker and Ragnow are coming off season-ending injuries. Decker missed time this spring and I suspect the Lions will limit his workload (along with that of Ragnow and Vaitai) this summer. That should give young linemen like Ryan McCollum, Kevin Jarvis and Obinna Eze ample opportunity to show they deserve a roster spot.
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Predicting an undrafted rookie lineman to make the team before pads come on is a tough ask as no one knows yet how they’ll play. But a rookie seems to impress every summer, like Kraemer did last year, so do not take this prediction to the bank.
Defensive line
In (7): Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, Michael Brockers, Austin Bryant, Jashon Cornell
PUP: Romeo Okwara, Josh Paschal
Okwara and Paschal will open training camp on the PUP list, but both would occupy a 53-man roster spot if healthy. Their absence, and the June retirement of John Penisini, makes the defensive line a bit of a wild card. Cornell had a strong spring and defensive line coach Todd Wash suggested he could be a breakout candidate, so I gave him an early roster spot. Pass rushers are at such a premium that I see Bryant sticking around, too. The newly-signed Isaiah Buggs started six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and could force his way onto the roster with a strong camp.
Linebacker
In (7): Julian Okwara, Alex Anzalone, Chris Board, Josh Woods, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jarrad Davis, Anthony Pittman
For as much criticism as the Lions’ linebacker unit takes, I found this to be one of the hardest decisions on the roster. Okwara, Anzalone and Board seem like locks, but every other job is up for grabs. Woods and Pittman are top-notch special teams players, Rodriguez and James Houston are sixth-round draft picks, Davis adds value as a pass rusher and with his experience, and Derrick Barnes is a fourth-round pick from 2021. Admittedly, I’m throwing a few darts here, but the Lions might be able to sneak one of their rookies through to the practice squad and I gave Woods, Pittman and Davis the slight nod over Barnes, who had an up and down rookie season.
Defensive back
In (11): Amani Oruwariye, Jeff Okudah, Mike Hughes, Will Harris, AJ Parker, Bobby Price, Tracy Walker, DeShon Elliott, Kerby Joseph, CJ Moore, Ifeatu Melifonwu.
PUP: Jerry Jacobs
It will be interesting to see how the Lions value youth and upside as they set their defensive roster, versus present ability on special teams. Price and Moore are two potential core special teams players with limited value on defense, while Melifonwu has upside as a developmental defensive back but is in between roles at cornerback and safety. If Okudah is healthy, it’s conceivable the Lions go light in the secondary until Jacobs returns. Brady Breeze is another player that I tried to keep on the roster but could not find a spot for when I set my final 53.
Specialists
In (3): Jack Fox, Austin Seibert, Scott Daly
The Lions are set at punter (Fox) and long snapper (Daly), but they’ll have a kicking competition this summer between Seibert and Riley Patterson. Both performed well in games last season, and Seibert seems to be recovered from the hip surgery that ended his year prematurely. Seibert has a bigger leg and Patterson was erratic at times this spring. I give Seibert the edge heading into camp, but preseason performance will be the deciding factor.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.