Tag: Lions Depth Chart

Looking at the Lions radical roster overhaul from the 2020 finale to now

Looking at the Detroit Lions radical roster overhaul from the 2020 finale to now, where only 2 starters remain with the team and almost no defensive players are still in the NFL

When the 2020 season ended and Lions owner Sheila Hamp kicked off the franchise overhaul, the team was in a very bad place. Radical changes needed to happen to everything, from the front office to the coaching staff, right down to almost every player in the starting lineup.

It took a little time, but that humiliating end to the Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia regime (they were fired before the end of the 2020 season) is but a distant memory in Detroit. The Lions are coming off the best season in the Super Bowl era and first-ever NFC North division title in 2023.

To get an idea of just how far the franchise has come, it’s worth a look back down to the bottom of the barrel that was the 2020 campaign. That year finished with a 5-11 record and a point differential of -142, the worst for any Detroit team since the 2009 season that kicked off a prior, failed rebuild.

This was the starting lineup in the final game of the 2020 season, a 37-35 loss in Ford Field to the Minnesota Vikings. First, the offense and where they are now

2020 finale – offense

QB – Matthew Stafford (Rams)

RB – D’Andre Swift (Bears)

TE – T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

LT – Taylor Decker (Lions)

LG – Jonah Jackson (Rams)

C – Frank Ragnow (Lions)

RG – Oday Aboushi (FA)

RT – Halapoulivaati Vaitai (FA)

WR – Marvin Jones (retired)

WR – Mohamed Sanu (retired)

WR – Jamal Agnew (FA)

Decker and Ragnow, the Lions’ first-round picks in 2016 and 2018, respectively, are the only offensive starters still in Detroit. Both are coming off exceptional 2023 campaigns.

Detroit traded away Stafford, Hockenson and Swift–all before the 2023 season. Jackson left as a free agent after the ’23 campaign, in which he was the Lions’ regular starting left guard. Vaitai was on injured reserve in 2023 and is presumed to be retired, while Aboushi was not on any roster last season.

Of the depth players who saw action in that 2020 finale on offense, only Dan Skipper remains with the Lions. The reserve OL left Detroit for two other teams in the stead but returned, too. In fact, no other Lion who appeared on offense in that game was with the team after the 2022 season.

Defense

Spoiler alert: None of the players here are left in Detroit. In fact, only two of the starters were still with the Lions in 2023–and neither started last year.

DL – Danny Shelton

DL – John Penisini

DL – Nick Williams

OLB – Romeo Okwara

OLB – Christian Jones

LB – Jahlani Tavai

LB – Reggie Ragland

CB – Darryl Roberts

CB – Amani Oruwariye

S – Duron Harmon

S – Tracy Walker

As of July 6th, only Tavai (Patriots) and Oruwariye (Jaguars) are on any NFL rosters, though Walker is a free agent still looking. Nearly all the other defensive players have retired.

Reserve LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin is still with Detroit, though he spent one season with the Houston Texans before returning to the Lions. Reserve safety C.J. Moore missed the 2023 season due to a gambling suspension and was released, but he’s now efforting a return on the Lions roster for 2024. Of the other reserves from that game, only Will Harris (now in New Orleans) was with the Lions after 2021.

It’s no wonder the 2021 season was a rough one for Detroit. Pretty much everything except the core offensive line had to go–and did. GM Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and their staff had almost nothing to work with on defense, and needed to move on from valuable offensive players like Stafford and Hockenson for the greater good.

Breaking down the Lions unofficial depth chart release

Breaking down the Detroit Lions unofficial depth chart ahead of their matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs

Ahead of their matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs to open their season and the whole NFL season, the Detroit Lions have released their unofficial depth chart. Typically, you take these with a grain of salt, but it gives us a glimpse of who potentially might end up starting come game time.

In the quarterback room, there were no surprises with Jared Goff as the starter and Teddy Bridgewater as the backup. The Lions gave the veterans the nod over the rookies, which showed with the running backs and the tight ends. They have David Montgomery ahead of Jahymr Gibbs and Brock Wright ahead of Sam LaPorta. I wouldn’t read too much into that, as I can see an equal share for the rookies, if no higher.

The one question concerning the offensive line heading into the season was if Halapoulivaati Vaitai would nab the starting right guard slot over Graham Glasgow, and it looks like he grabbed that starting role. Vaitai’s injuries have sidelined him, leaving many unanswered questions, but it looks like we will finally get to see the full potential of the Lions’ offensive line.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Jones show up as the starting receivers to round out the offense. They have Kalif Raymond slotted behind Reynolds on the depth chart, but the splits surrounding the receiver corps will be something to monitor.

Heading into the defense, they have the starting defensive line as Charlies Harris, and Aidan Hutchinson on the edges and Alim McNeil and Isaiah Buggs up the middle. With Buggs missing practice, it might mean the next man up for Benito Jones at nose tackle, and Brodric Martin sits as the third man in that rotation. I wouldn’t read too much into that starting line, as the Lions should be bringing in a constant rotation with the number of playmakers for the line.

With how camp and preseason played out, the starting linebackers are not a surprise, with Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone with Jack Campbell right behind them. It is the same in the cornerback department, with Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs manning the outside and Emmanuel Mosley being Sutton on the depth chart.

Probably the biggest start throughout camp and preseason was Brian Branch, and considering how well he performed, it was going to be tough for the Lions to keep him off the field, and it shows in the depth chart. The Lions have him listed as the starting nickel corner, pushing C.J. Gardner-Johnson to safety and putting Tracy Walker lower on the depth chart.

As for special teams, they have Kalif Raymond as the starting punt and kick-off returner. He should stay as the punt returner, but we may see someone different at kick-offs.

There are not too many surprises with the Lions release of their unofficial depth chart. They showed veteran presence on the offensive side, and it was good to see Vaitai getting the starting nod. On defense, the secondary became interesting, with Branch earning the starting nickel spot, which honestly shouldn’t have shocked anyone. The Lions will ensure they get the players who earned their role on the field.

Breaking down the initial Lions preseason depth chart

Breaking down the initial Lions preseason depth chart for the preseason opener against the Giants

The Detroit Lions have released their first unofficial depth chart of the 2023 preseason in advance of Friday night’s home exhibition game with the New York Giants.

The point that it’s an unofficial depth chart must be reiterated. This is compiled by the team’s media staff with some input from coaches. Released on Tuesday, the depth chart offers a look at how the team perceives the roster.

From the Lions:

There are a few things that are notable on the depth chart.

First, the injured players are at the bottom of their positions. That would be rookie QB Hendon Hooker and CB Emmanuel Moseley, both of whom are not cleared to practice.

The newcomers to the team all have some work to do to climb the depth chart Signed on Monday, OL Bobby Hart begins as the No. 5 left tackle. Hart played guard in his first practice on Tuesday. CB Tae Hayes and WR Avery Davis, both added over the weekend, are also last at their respective positions. Hayes did advance as high as the second-team defense in the first joint practice against the Giants and acquitted himself nicely there.

The Okwara brothers have an interesting status. Julian is listed as the third-team DE and Romeo on the fourth line. But that has not been reflected at all in practices; Romeo often gets reps with the second team, while Julian is almost exclusively relegated to the final unit.

Second-year CB Chase Lucas moved to the outside and rose to the second team after being buried at the bottom of the nickelback slot most of his rookie year. With Moseley sidelined, the Lions have inserted nearly every available option into the outside CB spots during training camp. Lucas has shown some ball skills and toughness outside that wasn’t coming though so well in the slot.

Marvin Jones being listed as a first-team wideout is somewhat disingenuous. When everyone is active in practice, Jones routinely reps behind both Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond, who are listed on the second-team lines.

The only other real discrepancy on the offense, aside from the deeper IOL depth battles that are still playing out daily in camp, comes at tight end. Rookie Sam LaPorta is the clear No. 1, but he’s listed behind Brock Wright. After the recent Shane Zylstra injury and adding Darrell Daniels and Daniel Heim, that status has been more pronounced.

One last note: QB Teddy Bridgewater has yet to sign with the Lions so he does not appear on the depth chart.

Lions defensive depth chart projection after the 2023 NFL Draft

Lions defensive depth chart projection after the 2023 NFL Draft and Detroit’s new additions

With the 2023 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the Detroit Lions have a much clearer picture of what they could do this year. Despite the interesting choices, the Lions got better, not worst. From the choices made on offense to defense, the Lions could surprise more teams than expected.

We all know that things can change within the structure of a roster due to injuries, suspensions, poor plays and more. However, this defensive group boasts a lot more talent than in years past, and most importantly, there’s a ton of versatility. Let’s jump into how the defensive depth chart could look after the 2023 NFL Draft!

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Lions offensive depth chart projection after the 2023 NFL Draft

Lions offensive depth chart projection after the 2023 NFL Draft and Detroit’s new additions

With the 2023 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the Detroit Lions have a much clearer picture of what they could do this year. Despite the interesting choices, the Lions got better, not worst. From the choices made on offense to defense, the Lions could surprise more teams than expected.

Much of the team’s success will rest on this offensive group and the shoulders of quarterback Jared Goff. If Goff plays up to par, there’s no reason to believe that the Lions won’t make a push to the playoffs. Let’s jump into each position to predict what the Lions offense could look like during the 2023 season!