4. Depth along both lines
The starters upfront along both the offensive and defensive lines is pretty well set, but what will the depth in the trenches look like?
The offensive line is arguably the top unit in the league led by tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow, considered by most to be the best in the league at their respective positions. Last season, the Lions faced a number of injuries upfront but players like Graham Glasgow, Kayode Awosika and Dan Skipper stepped in and the unit didn’t skip a beat. Can Christian Mahogany push Awosika, Sorsdal and others for a role? And when Giovanni Manu returns from Active/NFI, can he take big enough strides in camp to be a depth player?
On defense, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport make up a formidable front four. Reader isn’t ready to start camp (Active/PUP) as he’s still rehabbing a torn quad suffered last season. That could give young players like Brodric Martin, Chris Smith and Mekhi Wingo an opportunity to show what they can do inside early on. Can Levi Onwuzurike finally break through and be the player the Lions thought he could be when they selected him in the second round in 2021?
Detroit needs more production opposite Hutchinson on the edge and are hoping the veteran Davenport can make a significant impact in that department when he returns from Active/PUP, but can others like John Cominsky, Josh Paschal and James Houston be part of that conversation too? When the pads come on after the acclimation period we’ll start to get answers to what Detroit’s depth upfront on both sides of the ball will look like.
Detroit’s offense was one of the best in the NFL last season and more of the same is expected from that side of the ball. What could take Ben Johnson’s offense to a new level is if third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams becomes the player the Lions drafted him to be in 2022 (12th overall).
Williams had a red-shirt year of sorts his first season recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college. He was suspended the first month of last season and dealt with some early injuries, but really came on strong at the end of the year. We can count on one hand the number of players in this league with the kind of speed Williams has, but can he be a complete weapon at the position in Year 3?
He’s going to see a significant rise in snaps as the No. 2 option at receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Will we…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…