Examining the Detroit Lions’ offseason moves and projecting what they mean for their 2019 rookie draft class. Who gets promoted and who is pushed on the roster bubble?
The Detroit Lions have been busy this offseason. Key players on both offense and defense have left the team and gone elsewhere. New players have been brought in. Two trades were made.
Each move that Detroit made this season has impacted a player from the 2019 rookie class in some way, shape, or form.
Tight end
While the signings of tight ends Matt Sokol and Paul Butler don’t pose any threat to 2019 first-round pick T.J Hockenson, the two young players may challenge Isaac Nauta for the last spot on the depth chart.
Sokol, a former Michigan State Spartan, spent his rookie season in 2019 on the practice squads of the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars. He is a strong run-blocker who has the ability to play in a fullback role, meaning he’s in direct competition with Nauta.
Butler has slightly more experience, spending the last two seasons on the Raiders’ practice squad. His skill set is better suited for a pure-receiving role, but he could still challenge Nauta for that third tight end role.
Linebacker
This offseason, the Lions appear to have put an extra effort into their linebacker position. The team brought in four linebackers via free agency and futures deals, including Jamie Collins, Reggie Ragland, Elijah Lee, and Christian Sam (who was on the Lions’ practice squad).
Collins will start and likely alongside 2019 second-round pick Jahlani Tavai. As for the others, they pose a major threat to Anthony Pittman. Pittman spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad and earned a call-up in the final game of the season. While he’s likely to return to the practice squad for the upcoming season, these new signings lowered his chances of making the active roster.
Safety
Prior to free agency, Will Harris was slotted to be a starting safety for the Lions’ defense. Things changed quickly for him after the team traded for Duron Harmon. Harmon, a former starter in New England, is an instant upgrade at the position and will move Harris back to the third-safety role he played last season.
With the addition of special teamer and backup safety Jayron Kearse, C.J. Moore will have some fierce competition in training camp. Moore made the roster as an undrafted rookie and quickly became one of Detroit’s core players on special teams.
JACK linebacker
One 2019 draft pick who doesn’t have to worry about competition is Austin Bryant. If anything, the team’s offseason moves may have helped Bryant earn a starting role. The former fourth-round pick out of Clemson has the ability to play both JACK linebacker and defensive end, and the Lions haven’t done much to bolster either position this offseason. Instead, they released starting JACK linebacker Devon Kennard, meaning Bryant’s path to the first-team defense is wide open.
Cornerback
Amani Oruwariye is currently in the fight to be the starter alongside newly-signed Desmond Trufant. His primary competition is another recent free-agent signing: Darryl Roberts. Roberts, who will turn 30 years old during the season, started the past two seasons for the Jets. The Lions also have a chance to grab Jeff Okudah in the upcoming draft, which might mean that both Oruwariye and Roberts will be backups in 2020.
Running back
Ty Johnson hasn’t had much to worry about this offseason. The Lions brought back Wes Hills and Tra Carson on a futures deals in January and lost J.D. McKissic in free agency but haven’t done anything else at the position. The team is now housing five players at a position where they usually keep four, but it’s safe to say that Johnson has nothing to worry about.
Wide receiver
The deepest position group the Detroit Lions have is the wide receivers. The additions of Geronimo Allison, Geremy Davis, and Victor Bolden will directly impact three 2019 rookies. Travis Fulgham, Tom Kennedy, and Jonathan Duhart are all in the fight for the last one or two spots on the depth chart. Both Fulgham and Kennedy spent some time on both the practice squad and active roster in 2019. Duhart, a college teammate of Fulgham, remained on the practice squad and was brought back on a futures deal.
Fulgham and Duhart are both big-bodied receivers who fit best as outside receivers. This will put them in direct competition with Allison, Davis, and the other outside receivers on the roster. Kennedy is a pure slot receiver who can contribute on special teams as a punt returner. Unfortunately for him, so is Bolden. The two are the only current options as backups to Danny Amendola.
Offensive line
On the offensive line, Beau Benzschawel will have quite the fight ahead of him. With an opening at the right guard position, the Lions brought in a slew of interior lineman to compete. They re-signed Oday Aboushi and inked Russel Bodine, Joshua Garnett, and Casey Tucker in free agency. All three of these players have at least one season of starting experience, while Benzschawel has yet to play a snap on offense. The Lions are likely to find their starter in the draft, but these offseason moves have made it a very difficult path for the 2019 undrafted rookie earning a starting role.
Defensive line
Undrafted in 2019, Kevin Strong made a big enough impression in training camp to make the active roster. Serving as both a 3T and big-bodied edge rusher on the defensive line, Strong played well up until his season-ending injury in Week 9. The Lions brought in three more defensive tackles this offseason, Danny Shelton, Nick Williams, and Olive Sagapolu. Shelton will start at nose tackle, and Williams will likely start at 3/5T. This leaves Atkins and Sagapolu to compete with Strong as the primary backup on the defensive line.
Quarterback
David Blough was Detroit’s third-string passer in 2019 and will hold that role again in 2020. He was primed to be the backup until the Lions brought in veteran Chase Daniel.
The Detroit Lions have done a lot throughout the offseason and have added depth to each position. While this has directly impacted most of their 2019 rookie class in a negative way, it has clearly helped the team as a whole. With the draft coming up this month, expect their roles to change even more.
