Detroit Lions Camp Preview: Defense

Now that both the Rookies (Sat 7/25) and Veterans (Today) have reported for training camp, it's time to look at the Lions defense and Special Teams roster battles leading into camp. We will take a look at the players at each position and put them in the buckets that we think they fall, Starter, Backup, Bubble/Cut/Reserve/Practice Squad.

The (Number) after each position is how many players, we think the Lions will keep starting the season.

Projected Positional Numbers to get to 53

• OFFENSE (25)

• DEFENSE (25)

• STs (3)

DE/EDGE (4)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: DL

Starters:  Aiden Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum

Backups:  Derrick Moore, Payton Turner

Bubble/Practice Squad:  Ahmed Hassanein, Anthony Lucas, Eric O’Neil

Analysis:  Hutch and Wonnum will most assuredly be the starters, and Moore and Turner (if healthy) will likely the primary backups. It is possible that Hassanein, Lucas or O’Neil could beat out Turner, but unlikely as the Lions are looking for an Edge that can play the run as well as rush the passer. I could see all three of them making the practice squad if they are not claimed on waivers if they don’t make the final roster.

Detroit Lions Edge Aiden Hutchinson

IDL (5)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: DL

Starters:  Alim McNeil, Tyleik Williams 

Backups:  Levi Onwuzurike, Tyler Lacy, Jay Tufele

Bubble/Practice Squad:  Skyler Gill-Howard, Mekhi Wingo, Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Tyre West, Aidan Keanaaina

Analysis: Outside of Williams and McNeil, this group has more questions than answers.  We believe that Onwuzurike, if healthy, will be a roster lock. So that leaves the need for a pure NT (veteran Tufele over youngsters Smith and Keanaaina) and versatile players Tyler Lacy and draft pick Skyler Gill-Howard fighting over that fifth and final roster spot. It’s likely that the loser of that battle (likely Gill-Howard), Adams, Smith and Keanaaina end up on the practice squad, but Wingo is probably done and West, despite all the pre-draft hype, has been non-existent in any pre-season coverage.

Detroit Lions starting IDL Alim McNeil and Tyleik Williams - Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

LB (6)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: LB

Starters:  Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez

Backups:  Jimmy Rolder, Trevor Nowaske, Damone Clark

Bubble/Practice Squad: Troy Reeder, Erick Hunter, Joe Bachie

Analysis:  The LB room has five locks in Campbell, Barnes, Rodriguez, Rolder and Nowaske. The sixth spot is up for grabs, and it likely will go to veteran Damone Clark, while Reeder, Hunter and Bachie could get a seventh spot as special teams ace (likely at the expense of a DB), but only Hunter seems like a Practice Squad candidate.

Detroit Lions likely starting LBs: WLB Malcolm Rodriguez (#44), MLB Jack Campbell (#46) and SLB Derrick Barnes (#55)

CB (6)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: DB

Starters:  DJ Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary

Backups:  Keith Abney II, Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey

Bubble/Practice Squad:  Nick Whiteside, De’Shawn Ricker, Amaris Brown

Analysis:  When looking at CB, you almost have to look at the CB and S rooms as a holistic group.  So many players can play either position due to their versatility, that it makes it hard to project roster spots.  For CB, we know that Reed, Ya-Sin and McCreary and Abney II are locks. That leaves Ennis Rakestraw and Khalil Dorsey potentially battling it out for the fifth-sixth CB spots, with an extra safety (like Maddox or Harper) that also has slot CB skills potentially kept instead. For now, we are looking at 6 CBs (with four safeties after the two on PUP) with the three kids (Rucker, Whiteside and Brown) all getting looks at the Practice Squad.

 Detroit Lions likely outside CB starters DJ Reed (#4) and Rock Ya-Sin (#23)

S (4)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: DB

Starters:  Brian Branch (PUP), Kerby Joseph (PUP)

Backups: Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Thomas Harper, Avonte Maddox

Bubble/Practice Squad:  Loren Strickland, Dan Jackson

Analysis:  In probably the most anticipated position battle, it will be who are the starting safeties when the season kicks off.  It's more than likely Brian Branch goes on IR and misses the first 4-6 weeks at a minimum of the season, leaving five guys fighting for what we believe is four roster spots. The bigger question is what is Kerby Josephs status?  Will he play? will he go on IR?  Clarity could be coming soon, but we will take the pessimistic approach that he will be moved to the Reserve PUP and miss the first four games of the year, leaving Loren Strickland and Dan Jackson on the outside looking in.  Both will likely end up on the Practice Squad.  The dilemma would then become, who is sacrificed between Maddox, Harper, a backup CB or a different roster spot if Kerby does make the final 53-man roster? Likely will be the QB spot (even though we picked Altmyer to make the roster). Either way, there will be injuries, and some guys we are projecting to be on the initial 53-man likely move to a reserve list before being able to play.

 Lions Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph and RAS Comparison of Dan Jackson and Loren Strickland

ST (3)  Lions Offseason Positional Analysis: Special teams

Starters:  Jake Bates (K), Hogan Hatten (LS), Jack Fox (P), Greg Dortch (KR/PR), Abney (Gunner), Dorsey (Gunner)

Backups:  Tom Kennedy (PR), Jacob Saylors (KR)

Bubble/Practice Squad:  Gunners: Dominic Lovett, Cedrick Wilson, Malik Cunningham, Nick Whiteside, De’Shawn Rucker

Analysis:  The Lions trot out the same three specialist as last year, although they are all impending Free Agents after this year.  The battle will be at the Returner and Gunner spots primarily, with the Dortch, Kennedy, Saylors as the three primary returners (KR/PR) and the gunners will likely be Dorsey and Abney.  That leaves a whole bunch of reserve DBs and WRs fighting for the last few spots at their positions and as a STs contributor.

The Lions P Jack Fox, LS Hogan Hatten and K Jake Bates