Does Detroit have the talent to take the next step under new head coach Matt Patricia in 2018?

 

Projected Starters

 

Offense

QB: Matthew Stafford

RB: Kerryon Johnson
WR: Marvin Jones
WR: Golden Tate
WR: Kenny Golladay
TE: Luke Willson
LT: Taylor Decker
LG: Frank Ragnow
C: Graham Glasgow
RG: T.J. Lang
RT: Rick Wagner

 

Defense

DE: Ezekiel Ansah
DT: A’Shawn Robinson
DE: Anthony Zettel
OLB: Devon Kennard
MLB: Jarrad Davis
OLB: Christian Jones
CB: Darius Slay
CB: Nevin Lawson

CB: Teez Tabor
S: Glover Quin
S: Quandre Diggs

 

Roster Notes/Thoughts

 

Notable depth

QB Jake Rudock, QB Matt Cassel, RB LeGarrette Blount, RB Theo Riddick, RB Ameer Abdullah, WR T.J. Jones, TE Levine Toilolo, TE Michael Roberts, OT Tyrell Crosby, G Kenny Wiggins, DL Da’Shawn Hand, DT Jeremiah Ledbetter, OLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, MLB Nick Bellore, CB Jamal Agnew, CB DeShawn Shead, S Tavon Wilson, S Tracy Walker, S Miles Killebrew

 

Biggest strength: Offensive line

First-round pick Frank Ragnow should immediately slide in as the starter at left guard for Detroit, and I think that will give the team above-average play at all five positions on the offensive line. Durability will likely be the concern, but the Lions also drafted Tyrell Crosby—who can play inside or outside—on Day 3.

 

Biggest weakness: Tight end

The team arguably made an upgrade at the position by releasing Eric Ebron and signing Luke Willson to replace him, but the former Seahawk needs to prove he can be a reliable security blanket for Matthew Stafford. Behind Willson, fellow free-agent signing Levine Toilolo should provide some strong blocking in the running game, and the tight ends probably won’t need to put up big numbers to make a significant impact.

 

Position battle to watch: Secondary

Detroit has some versatility to work with on the back end of the defense, as Darius Slay and Glover Quin are the only players 100% locked into a starting spot. Quandre Diggs should also see the field, but it’s unclear if Matt Patricia will see him more as a safety or cornerback after playing both in 2017. We’ll see what happens in training camp, but at least eight players could be competing for a role in the secondary.

 

Early over/under: 7.5 wins (via Odds Shark)

Over. I thought Jim Caldwell did a fine job at the helm for Detroit, but it was probably best for the overall chemistry of the franchise to have GM Bob Quinn pick his own head coach. And while coming from the Bill Belichick coaching tree doesn’t guarantee success, I think Matt Patricia knows what he’s doing and will take advantage of the talent on both sides of the ball in his first season.