The initial wave of free agency is over, and the Detroit Lions’ 2024 roster is starting to come into focus.
It’s far from over, with draft picks to be made and players left to sign, but we have enough of an idea of the roster to put together a depth chart projection.
Let’s discuss.
Quarterback
Starter: Jared Goff
Key depth: Hendon Hooker, Nate Sudfeld
Over the last two seasons, Goff ranks second in passing yards (9,013), third in touchdown passes (59), sixth in passer rating (98.6) and sixth in EPA per dropback (0.13). He and the Lions will look to get an extension done in the near future, locking him in as QB1 for years to come. Behind him, the Lions invested in their QB room last offseason, drafting Hooker in the third round. If Goff were to go down for an extended period, you’d have to think they’d prepare Hooker to take over. Sudfeld re-signed with the team this week and likely fills the veteran support role, with the Lions losing Teddy Bridgewater and David Blough to retirement.
Running back
Starters: David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs
Key depth: Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight, Jermar Jefferson.
No drama here. The Lions have arguably the league’s best running duo in Montgomery and Gibbs, which is why they’re listed as co-starters here. Both played at a Pro Bowl level last season and are expected to do so again. Gibbs, in particular, could be even better in his second season — a scary thought for the league. As for depth, Reynolds is back and Knight, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Carolina Panthers last season, should compete as well. Jefferson remains in the mix.
Wide receiver
Starters: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones
Key depth: Kalif Raymond, Antoine Green
The Lions are likely to add to their WR room before it’s all said and done, following the loss of Josh Reynolds — who signed a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos. It’s a receiver-rich draft class, so that would be the avenue to watch. In the meantime, St. Brown returns to lead the group, coming off an All-Pro season. Williams is expected to take a step forward as WR2, and Dan Campbell spoke highly of him at the NFL combine last month. As for the third spot, it was a tough choice between Peoples-Jones and Raymond. We’ll give the early edge to Peoples-Jones, a receiver Holmes traded for at the deadline and re-signed this offseason. He has an 800-yard season under his belt in this league and fits the profile of an X receiver. That would allow Raymond to remain in his WR4 role. The Lions still have Green, a 2023 seventh-round pick, developing and waiting in the wings.
Tight end
Starter: Sam LaPorta
Key depth: Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra
The Lions traded T.J. Hockenson, one of the best receiving tight ends in the league, and then drafted an All-Pro replacement on a rookie deal in LaPorta. All he did was record 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in Year 1. LaPorta provides incredible value and is a core piece moving forward. It’ll be fascinating to see what he does for an encore. Elsewhere, the Lions will run it back with Wright and Mitchell, and get Zylstra back from a season-ending injury. Don’t sleep on Zylstra, who was a very good blocker in 2022 and hauled in four touchdowns.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta earned All-Pro honors as a rookie in 2023. (Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)
Offensive line
Starters (from left to right): Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler, Penei Sewell
Key depth: Kayode Awosika, Dan Skipper, Colby Sorsdal
The Lions return four of five starters from one of the better offensive lines in the league. They replaced their only loss — Jonah Jackson, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams on a three-year, $51 million deal — with a Pro Bowl guard in Zeitler. If you ask the Lions, they believe they’ve upgraded.
“Certainly, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a guy who has played as long as he has and been as consistent and as durable as he’s been,” Campbell said of Zeitler. “He’ll be, between Frank and Penei, he’ll be a steady force in there, a consistent force. … I feel like we have not stepped back as an O-line, we’ve probably taken a step forward. That’s exciting.”
The Lions could still use some high-end young depth here. Decker and Zeitler are free agents next season, and you always have to worry about injuries with Ragnow. Awosika and Sorsdal are the backup guards, with Skipper as the jumbo lineman. Wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Lions draft a lineman early next month.
Edge
Starters: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport
Key depth: Josh Paschal, James Houston, Mathieu Betts
Hutchinson took a major leap in 2023, totaling 11.5 sacks and 101 pressures, per PFF. The Lions lacked a consistent difference-maker next to him, though. When healthy and playing his best, Davenport can be one. But it’s been three years since his breakout 2021 campaign, as injuries have derailed his career. Before the owners’ meetings, there might’ve been more of a debate between Davenport and Paschal, but the Lions spoke about him like a player they expect to start. If the Lions can get him back on track, the $6.5 million they’re paying him will look like a steal.
“I think a lot of it is, who is this guy opposite of Hutch that can really crush the pocket and close it down?” Campbell said when discussing Davenport. “Whether he makes it or sends it to Hutch was really a lot of what this is. We really felt like we’ve got a complement to Hutch, we’ve got a complement to Mac (Alim McNeill), and these guys collectively are going to make each other better.”
In addition to Davenport, the Lions have Paschal as an edge-setting defensive end who can kick inside to tackle, a pass-rush specialist in Houston (Holmes made sure to remind local media that he’s still a player they’re excited about) and Betts, the reigning CFL defensive player of the year. We’ll see if they add to the position in the draft.
Defensive tackle
Starters: Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader
Key depth: John Cominsky, Levi Onwuzurike, Brodric Martin
This offseason, the Lions added Reader — a veteran nose tackle with a high motor who can defend the run, eat space and even provide some pass-rush juice when healthy. He’s coming off a torn quad, but Reader is confident he’ll be ready to go by the season opener. He should pair nicely with McNeill, one of the better young defensive tackles in the game, and can also mentor Martin, Detroit’s developmental 2023 third-round nose tackle. Cominsky could’ve been listed as an edge or defensive tackle, but he played more snaps in the interior last year, so we’ll slide him in here. Onwuzurike is still looking to put it all together given his second-round pedigree. This year is essentially Year 3 for him. That’s when Holmes said you can properly evaluate a prospect, so we’ll see if new defensive line coach Terrell Williams can get the most out of him.
Linebacker
Starters: Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell or Derrick Barnes
Key depth: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Malcolm Rodriguez
Have to think the Lions like their linebacker room at the moment. Anzalone is coming off a career season. Barnes emerged as a starter last season. Campbell played significant snaps as a rookie and the Lions remain high on his upside and talent. Reeves-Maybin returns as a special teams ace and strong reserve linebacker, while Rodriguez has plenty of starting experience and could step in if needed. The Lions lost Anthony Pittman, but this position is still relatively healthy, all things considered.
Carlton Davis III, here tackling Jahmyr Gibbs, is now with the Lions. (Eric Seals / USA Today)
Cornerbacks
Starters: Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson, Brian Branch
Key depth: Emmanuel Moseley, Khalil Dorsey, Steven Gilmore
Talk about an overhaul. Jerry Jacobs, Kindle Vildor and Cam Sutton — who has a warrant for his arrest in Florida and was released by the Lions last week — are no longer on the roster. That opens up starting gigs at both corner spots. The early favorites are Davis, whom the Lions traded a third-round pick for this month, and Robertson, who signed a two-year deal with the team in free agency. At the owners’ meetings, Campbell and Holmes told stories of how they didn’t expect to land both Davis and Robertson — a sign that both are viewed as starting-caliber options. When they were acquired, it became clear that the Lions were eager to play a brand of football they haven’t been capable of playing over the years: man-heavy.
“There comes a time when you want to pressure and you want to play man-to-man and know that you can do it,” Campbell said. “A lot of times, you would love to be able to say, ‘You know what, we’re going to play man this series,’ or ‘We’re going to play man this opening drive’ and feel confident about being able to do it. … Being able to play man is no different than being able to run the football or stop the run. It’s kind of one of our core values to be a good team. You want to be able to play man when called upon.”
In addition to Davis and Robertson, the Lions also re-signed Moseley to a one-year deal. Branch slots in as the starting nickel corner.
Safeties
Starters: Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu
Key depth: Branch, Brandon Joseph
With C.J. Gardner-Johnson off to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Lions releasing Tracy Walker, the safety position will look different in 2024. Kerby Joseph is back as a starter, and Melifonwu is expected to enter the lineup as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. They complement each other’s games well, though there are questions about depth.
Coming out of Alabama, Branch was pegged as a nickel who can play safety. But the Lions didn’t love the idea of overloading Branch with safety responsibilities last year, which is why they ultimately focused on letting him do his thing at nickel. We’ll see if that continues, but Campbell did express optimism that Branch could grow into that spot if necessary. Regardless, the Lions have their eye on safety.
“We’re still going to look for safety help,” Campbell said. “That’s not over, either. We know we need some.”
Specialists
Starters: Michael Badgley (kicker), Jack Fox (punter), Scott Daly (long snapper)
The Lions, for now, are running it back with Badgley. We’ll see if they make a trade for a kicker or add another before or after training camp, but for now, Badgley is their guy. Fox returns as the team’s starting punter, and Daly, whose season ended early with a knee injury, was brought back this offseason.
Returners
Starters: Raymond (punt), Khalil Dorsey
Key depth: Craig Reynolds, Peoples-Jones, Maurice Alexander
The NFL’s approved change to kickoffs already has Campbell and Lions’ special teams coordinator Dave Fipp scheming up ways to gain an edge. And while Raymond is a former All-Pro punt returner, the Lions have had a rotating cast of kick returners. Reynolds and Dorsey have handled opportunities in the past. But given the format, it’s possible teams opt for an explosive, short-area option who can make guys miss. Williams could ultimately prove to be too valuable to risk as a returner, but one option worth considering: Maurice Alexander.
Seems like he wants the opportunity.
Let me handle that let bra go for 1,000+ https://t.co/3OwwrP3Gqt
— Maurice Alexander Jr (@_hardtime3) March 26, 2024
(Top photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
