Lions Week 12 comprehensive depth chart

A comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions depth chart as they prepare for Week 12 and a trip to Washington.

In this comprehensive look at the Detroit Lions roster, we will be examining not only the positional depth chart but also looking at who coaches will turn to in specific situations, including who will step up in case of injury.

Here’s a look at how the Lions roster sets up for their Week 12 matchup in Washington.

Note — you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles.

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford (9) — Ruled OUT
Jeff Driskel (2) — Will get his third start as a Lion
David Blough (10)

Running back

Bo Scarbrough (43)
J.D. McKissic (41)
Ty Johnson (31)

Third down back

J.D. McKissic (41) — Change of pace
Jamal Agnew (39) — Gadget option

H-back/Fullback

Isaac Nauta (89) — Added to the active roster Saturday

Wide receiver

Kenny Golladay (19)
Marvin Jones Jr. (11)
Danny Amendola (80)
Marvin Hall (17)

Slot receiver

Danny Amendola (80) 
T.J. Hockenson (88)

Tight end

T.J. Hockenson (88)
Jesse James (83)
Logan Thomas (82)
Isaac Nauta (89)

Starting offensive line with Frank Ragnow ruled OUT

Taylor Decker (68) — LT
Joe Dahl (66) — LG
Graham Glasgow (60) — C
Kenny Wiggins (79) — RG
Rick Wagner (71) — RT — Not listed with an injury designation

Frank Ragnow (77) — C — Ruled OUT

Reserve offensive line

Tyrell Crosby (65) — LT, RT
Joe Dahl (66) — C
Oday Aboushi (76) — RG, LG
Beau Benzschawel (63) — Emergency IOL

Interior defensive line

Damon Harrison (98) — NT — Not listed with an injury designation
A’Shawn Robinson (91) — 3T
Da’Shawn Hand (93) — DDE, 3T, NT — Ruled OUT
Mike Daniels (96) — 3T
John Atkins (99) — NT

Defensive end

Trey Flowers (90) — DDE, 3T — Ruled OUT
Romeo Okwara (95) — DDE, JACK, 3T

Pass rushing linebacker

Devon Kennard (42) — JACK
Christian Jones (52) — SAM, JACK
Jahlani Tavai (51) — SAM, JACK

Off-the-ball linebacker

Jarrad David (40) — MIKE, WILL
Christian Jones (52) — WILL, MIKE
Jahlani Tavai (51) — MIKE, WILL
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — MIKE, WILL
Miles Killebrew (35) — WILL, Hang Safety
Steve Longa (54) — MIKE, WILL

Cornerback

Darius Slay (23)
Justin Coleman (27)
Rashaan Melvin (29) — Questionable
Mike Ford (38)
Amani Oruwariye (24)
Jamal Agnew (39) — Ruled OUT
Dee Virgin (30)
Michael Jackson (28)

Slot cornerback

Justin Coleman (27)
Jamal Agnew (39)

Safety

Tracy Walker (21) — Ruled OUT
Will Harris (25)
Tavon Wilson (32)
C.J. Moore (49) — Not listed with an injury designation

Third-safety

C.J. Moore (49)
Miles Killebrew (35) — WILL, Hang Safety

Kicking team

Matt Prater (5) — placekicker
Sam Martin (6) — punter, kickoffs, holder — Not listed with an injury designation
Don Muhlbach (48) — long snapper

Kick returns

Jamal Agnew (39) — punt and kick returner — Ruled OUT
Marvin Hall (17) — reserve punt and kick returner
Danny Amendola (80) — reserve punt returner
Ty Johnson (31) — reserve kick returner
J.D. McKissic (41) — reserve kick returner

Kick coverage

C.J. Moore (49) — gunner
Dee Virgin (30) — gunner
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) — five-phase specialist
Steve Longa (54) — five-phase specialist

Teams final injury reports

Matthew Stafford ruled OUT

Lions’ injury designations — six players listed as OUT

Washington injury designations — Vernon Davis OUT, Daron Payne Doubtful

Lions Wire game prep articles/media

4 reasons why the Lions will beat Washington in Week 12

The Honolulu Blueprint: Keys to a Lions victory over Washington

Listen: Erik Schlitt on The Detroit Lions Breakdown Podcast: Episode 129

Listen: Jeff Risdon joins Detroit Lions Podcast

Roster update: Rookie tight end Isaac Nauta promoted to the active roster

Lions week 11 snap counts: Bo Scarbrough leads the way in the backfield

Detroit Lions Week 11 snap counts observations include Bo Scarbrough leading the way in the backfield and Amani Oruwariye getting first NFL snaps on defense.

When examining the Detroit Lions (3-6-1) snap counts from Week 11, a few key things stood out, including Bo Scarbrough leading the way in the backfield, tight end shifts, Amani Oruwariye getting first NFL snaps on defense and the reduction if three safety sets.

That and more takeaways from this week’s snap counts below:

Jeff Driskel stays strong

Jeff Driskel — 65, 100-percent

Driskel took a few hard shots in this game but was able to overcome them to play every snap.

Lions interior OL leans on four players

LT Taylor Decker — 65, 100-percent
LG Joe Dahl — 62, 95-percent
C Frank Ragnow — 56, 86-percent
RG Graham Glasgow — 62, 95-percent
RT Tyrell Crosby — 65, 100-percent
OG Kenny Wiggins — 20, 31-percent

Crosby replaced Wagner in the starting lineup and he, along with fellow offensive tackle Decker, was able to play every snap.

On the interior, it was a much different story. The rotation at guard continued, and like in previous weeks, it took an injury for it to stop — this time to Frank Ragnow, who is currently being evaluated for a concussion.

After Ragnow left the game, Glasgow shifted to center and Wiggins was promoted to right guard. Wiggins also took five snaps as a sixth offensive lineman.

Scarbrough leads the backfield

Bo Scarbrough — 32, 49-percent
Ty Johnson — 19, 29-percent
J.D. McKissic — 15, 23-percent
Nick Bawden — 2, 3-percent

Not only did Scarbrough start but he led the way in snaps out of the backfield. McKissic was the second option but was briefly sidelined in the second half. Johnson saw over a quarter of snaps, but you wouldn’t know it by the box score as he only received three touches. Bawden left the game early with a knee injury.

More of the same from the WRs

Kenny Golladay — 60, 92-percent
Marvin Jones Jr. — 57, 88-percent
Danny Amendola –36, 55-percent
Marvin Hall — 14, 22-percent

More of the same from the receiver group, these numbers match a recent trend as of late.

Hockenson’s snaps rise as James’ fall

T.J. Hockenson — 48, 74-percent
Logan Thomas — 22, 34-percent
Jesse James — 15, 23-percent

Hockenson broke the 70-percent mark for the first time since the first two weeks of the season. James’ decline continues and he saw his lowest snap count of the season. This is the fifth week in a row where James has seen 36-percent or fewer snaps.

Interior DL snaps increase with focus on the run

A’Shawn Robinson — 55, 74-percent
Damon Harrison — 49, 66-percent
John Atkins — 36, 49-percent
Mike Daniels — 29, 39-percent

With the team focused on stopping the run, the Lions went with a heavy rotation of interior defensive lineman. Both Robinson and Harrison saw their highest snaps count percentages of the season, while Atkins and Daniels saw their second-most.

EDGE rushers see higher snaps with Okwara out

Devon Kennard — 60, 81-percent
Trey Flowers — 55, 74-percent

Flowers was well on his way to leading the way in this group before he was forced to leave the game with a potential concussion. Both players had solid games.

Davis’ snap counts rebound, production stays high

Jarrad Davis — 67, 91-percent
Christian Jones — 53, 72-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 46, 62-percent
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 5, 7-percent

Davis put together back-to-back impressive games, especially against the run. Reeves-Maybin saw the field on defense for the first time in a month, taking a coverage role in NASCAR sets during obvious passing situations.

Oruwariye sees first NFL snaps on defense

Darius Slay — 73, 99-percent
Rashaan Melvin — 72, 97-percent
Justin Coleman — 51, 69-percent
Amani Oruwariye — 9, 12-percent
Mike Ford — 5, 7-percent

Ford has steadily been entrenched as the Lions fourth cornerback all season but appeared to be replaced by the rookie Oruwariye in the second half. Oruwariye looked sharp in limited snaps and his performance could be enough to earn him more snaps moving forward.

3 safety sets leave with Walker

Tavon Wilson — 67, 91-percent
Will Harris — 59, 80-percent
Tracy Walker — 23, 31-percent

After three weeks of being unable to play due to injury, Walker was a surprise return to action on Sunday. Unfortunately, that surprise return was short-lived as Walker was forced from the game with a knee injury.

Harris started the game in a third safety role with Walker’s return, but after his exit, Harris was forced back in the starting lineup. Depending on Walker’s status moving forward, Harris may be starting for the foreseeable future.

Special teams

Miles Killebrew — 28
Dee Virgin — 27
Steve Longa — 23
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 23
Logan Thomas — 23
C.J. Moore — 22
Mike Ford — 19
Christian Jones — 13
Jamal Agnew — 12
Jesse James — 11
Jahlani Tavai — 11
Nick Bawden — 11
Will Harris — 8
Amani Oruwariye — 8
Tavon  Wilson — 8
Marvin Hall — 7
Jarrad Davis — 6
Justin Coleman — 5

Lions week 10 snap counts: Jarrad Davis thrives on lower snap counts

Detroit Lions Week 10 snap counts observations include Jarrad Davis’ having his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

When examining the Detroit Lions (3-5-1) snap counts from Week 10, one glaring thing stood out: Jarrad Davis’ had his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

That and more takeaways from this week’s snap counts below:

No Matthew Stafford means it’s Jeff Driskel time

Jeff Driskel — 83, 100-percent

With Stafford’s status moving forward very much in question, we may see a lot more of Driskel in the near future.

Guard rotation declines, Tyrell Crosby steps up

LT Taylor Decker — 83, 100-percent
LG Joe Dahl — 75, 90-percent
C Frank Ragnow — 83, 100-percent
RG Graham Glasgow — 79, 95-percent
RT Rick Wagner — 28, 34-percent
RT Tyrell Crosby — 56, 67-percent
OG Kenny Wiggins — 15, 18-percent

Wiggins saw one series filling in for Glasgow and one for Dahl, down from the two series he had seen in previous weeks.

Crosby took over for Wagner when he left the game due to a concussion and Crosby will likely hold down this position as Wagner moves through the NFL protocol.

The Lions continued to use six offensive linemen sets — four times in this game — beginning with Crosby in his typical role. But when Crosby was needed to take over at right tackle, Wiggins took over this role for the final three snaps.

Ty Johnson’s exit forces J.D. McKissic into the spotlight

J.D. McKissic — 58, 70-percent
Paul Perkins — 15, 18-percent
Ty Johnson — 12, 14-percent
Nick Bawden — 11, 13-percent

Depending on the severity of Johnson’s concussion, we could see a roster move at the position sometime this week. Regardless of what happens, McKissic has proven himself as Driskel’s preferred safety valve — he saw seven targets in the passing game — and will likely be holding down an extensive role moving forward.

Three receiver sets see the majority of the snaps

Kenny Golladay — 78, 94-percent
Marvin Jones Jr. — 76, 92-percent
Danny Amendola — 56, 67-percent
Marvin Hall — 11, 13-percent

Golladay and Jones rarely left the field, while Amendola has now put together four games in a row of over 60-percent of offensive snaps.

Hall’s numbers were down a bit from normal, but with Driskel at the helm — and coaches keeping things simple for him in his first start — it’s not overly surprising. As Driskel gets more comfortable in this offense, expect him to take more deep shots downfield — he has the arm strength to do it — and that means more opportunities for Hall.

Tight end snaps declining

T.J. Hockenson — 48, 58-percent
Jesse James — 28, 34-percent
Logan Thomas — 18, 22-percent

With the Bears’ weakness covering the tight end, these numbers were surprisingly low. Over the last month, Hockenson has seen about two-thirds of snaps, while James has leveled off at around one-third.

Lions DL snaps down due to injury

A’Shawn Robinson — 29, 51-percent
Damon Harrison — 25, 44-percent
Mike Daniels — 21, 37-percent
John Atkins — 20, 35-percent
Kevin Strong — 12, 21-percent

Every player on this list either (save Atkins) entered the game with an injury, suffered an injury during the game, or both. Expect these numbers to increase with their health.

Flowers snaps rise, Kennard’s decline

Trey Flowers — 50, 88-percent
Devon Kennard — 39, 68-percent

With no Romeo Okwara available and injuries on the interior, Flowers saw a significant increase to snap count — his highest of the season.

Kennard has seen his snap percentage drop from the 90-percentile to the 80-percentile, but this week was a season-low. The Lions use a heavy rotation at linebacker in this game and Kennard’s usage reflected that.

Jarrad Davis sees lowest snaps of season, thrives

Jarrad Davis — 44, 77-percent
Christian Jones — 41, 72-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 38, 67-percent

Davis, like Kennard, saw his lowest snap percentage of the season, but Davis responded with his best game of the year. Maybe the light bulb turned on for Davis in this one, but with less responsibility on his plate — Tavai was calling plays at different points during this game —  he responded in a positive way.

Jones snaps stayed close to his average snap total, while Tavai’s streak of seeing over 50-percent of defensive snaps is now at five games in a row. Tavai’s increase in responsibilities and consistent snap counts suggest a larger role for him in the near future.

3 and 4 corner sets rise

Rashaan Melvin — 57, 100-percent
Darius Slay — 55, 96-percent
Justin Coleman — 46, 81-percent
Mike Ford — 15, 26-percent

Slay and Melvin were back to their starting cornerback roles, while Coleman settled back into his typical nickel corner role. Coleman was replaced on the field at times by Ford in an apparent effort to exploit a speed-on-speed matchup.

3 safety sets return to average

Will Harris — 57, 100-percent
Tavon Wilson — 56, 98-percent
C.J. Moore — 22, 39-percent

Despite Tracy Walker missing another game, the Lions returned to their standard three safety rotation usage, with undrafted rookie Moore taking on his highest defensive snap counts of the season.

Moore also led the team in special teams snaps. As usual, he and Dee Virgin are one-two in third-phase snaps.

Special teams

C.J. Moore — 27
Dee Virgin — 26
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 23
Steve Longa — 23
Nick Bawden — 22
Logan Thomas — 22
Mike Ford — 20
Will Harris — 19
Jamal Agnew — 17
Paul Perkins — 16
Christian Jones — 11
Amani Oruwariye — 9
Tavon  Wilson — 9
Jesse James — 6
Jahlani Tavai — 5
Justin Coleman — 5
Jarrad Davis — 4
Devon Kennard — 4
Trey Flowers — 4
Marvin Hall — 4