Why I REALLY Like this Roster Post-Draft

The War Room Detroit Lions — The Den
1

This team has viable starting level veterans AND promising young guys all over the roster. Period.

The OL is STILL stacked by adding Zeitler. AND we have Kayode Awosika (26 in Oct.), Colby Sorsdal, Christian Mahogany as well as Giovanni Manu. Dan Skipper is also back. While a true C would be nice that is SERIOUS competition.

LBer is already stacked.

CB is transformed with Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw and Vildor. Moseley is also still here. Steven Gilmore is still here as well. That is a LOT to like.

Safety gets Brian Branch back. Iffy, Kirby and maybe rookie Sione Vaki? Brandon Joseph might be a solid 4th safety?

DL has Reader V. Benito Jones. Marcus Davenport. James Houston will be back. Alim is a beast too. Levi healthy. Add to Paschal and Commish Brodric Martoin and now Mekhi Wingo. Hutch. Very nice.

RB not only has Gibbs and Monty but also Zonovan Knight. Maybe Sione Vaki? Netflix.

WR has Amon Ra and Jameson as well as Kalif Raymond (a VERY valuable guy) and Donovan Peoples Jones (I LOVE this signing…the new Josh Reynolds) and then Antoine Green. Could be better BUT…there is still a LOT to like there.

TE is stacked now. LaPortra, Mitchell, Shane, Wright.

QB has Goff and Hooker.

Never a perfect roster. C leaves me wanting a better clear back up. WR leaves me wanting a better #5. Past that I LOVE the viable veteran and promising rookie or young guys on the roster.

6 Likes
2

I really think one of the UDFA guys will stick. Hell I really like two of them (Hudson and Eguakun), had them both graded as mid-day 3 guys.

7 Likes
3

Like you say only a few spots to shore up. Who from the guys drafted last couple of years, not already starters, do you all think will step up and who do you see never making it?

4

Houston, Paschal, Levi, all have to develop this year or they are done. Houston is good in pass rush but meh on contain and run D.

Laschal and Levi were high 2nd rounders. They need to step up and do better.

I really dont see anyone thats a clear cut candidate. Other than the obvious, PS level guys.

2 Likes
5

Last year we watched Iffy finally arrive. Barnes showed us what he can do too.

This year I think Joseph Kirby arrives. I think Paschal arrives. Levi has a real shot at arriving too. Finally healthy. Jack Campbell has an opportunity to be very, very good in 2024. Brian Branch has a shot at being an every down player too. He was solid as a rookie but he could be excellent as a second year guy.

James Houston has a real opportunity to shine too.

Who craps out? Are all Holmes picks amazing or on the verge of being good? Hell…maybe! Iffy was his biggest question mark. He was great last year late. Levi has been bad but health and being raw set him back. Levi might still turn it around?

Last year I noted it was possible no rookie starts. Campbell started slow and Gibbs backed up Monty. But LaPorta was unbelievably good as a rookie. I still cannot believe what we saw. Branch was a solid buckle guy but his role was scaled back over the season too.

In 2024 need will drive Arnold to the starting line up but Amik Robertson will have an opportunity to keep the rookie on the bench. Ennis will be a depth guy early. No other 2024 draft pick will make an impact.

It will be fun watching Hooker develop too.

2 Likes
6

I’m voting for BroMart. Big. Not athletic. Awful tape.

7

B. Martin deserves a full second season before we will know what he can do. Question mark? Yep. Fair statement. I was ready to write off Iffy after two years. I was wrong.

8

Imagine if we get a center of the future and 2 of sorsdal, manu and mahogany hit??? What if all 3 hit???
Happy Aww GIF by MCDM

3 Likes
9

I dont know if that should be held against you. He at the time wasnt figuring out how to play through normal football soreness…i don’t think anyone expected it to turn on for him year 3, and there is still heavy skepticism that it can continue to translate.

3 Likes
10

same. I was calling him a depth piece as a ceiling

1 Like
11

He also went through a position change in addition to the injuries…that does make a diff

1 Like
12

I agree one will stick, on the practice squad.
Glasgow is the backup center.
The added flexibility of the new practice squad rules means you don’t have to keep a niche player on the 53. If Glasgow or Ragnow are injured a center can be brought up from the Practice Squad for the next game and sent back down after the game.
Holmes is not going to waste a roster spot for a 3rd Center.

4 Likes
13

Safety is the biggest hole on the roster.
Branch is not an experienced NFL Safety. He is a very good slot CB that they plan to cross train at Safety.
Vaki is not a Safety. He is a Special Teams player that will play some RB.
In an emergency he could play box safety but I would never want him as a single high safety with that 4.62 speed.
Brandon Joseph is a Special Teams player who plays a little safety. If he ever gets on the field for scrimmage plays we are in trouble.
Holmes needs to sign a vet Safety before camp.

14

I’m voting for DE. Houston won’t play there. Davenport isn’t that great and will also probably get hurt. Nobody else has shown anything.

2 Likes
15

Yep, and it was a position change that he didn’t embrace at first. You get hurt. Then your coach tells you to learn a new position that you never played before. You come back the very game that Carolina smoked us. And get blamed for the whipping they put on us. Unfairly.

I never lost faith in him. If you go back to very early tape, even at CB, he flashed. He gave a couple top receivers (I think one was Jefferson) a very hard time. The tools were there… he’s big, fast and can hit. When he finally decided that he was going to be a safety, he took off.

16

I thought benito signed elsewhere

17

Signed in Miami.

18

Weakest link and or position?

Cheerleaders …

19

I wanted to come back to this thread as I believe this is a strong roster. Air mentioned in another thread that I didn’t think any rookie would start early in 2023. That is true. I believed Gibbs and Campbell would start slowly as role players overall and that TE LaPorta would catch passes but would not be a full time player as a rookie. I thought Branch would learn behind Deuce, Kirby and Walker.

Branch ended up becoming the nickle back. Solid. But at the time we had Sutton, Jerry Jacobs, Moseley on the mend and Chase Lucas who I liked. I also saw a weakness at CB and advocated for TWO CBs to be drafted as well. CB ended up being an issue for sure.

In terms of THIS draft class and free agency period…this roster is pretty good. Will a rookie start? Terrion Arnold is the best candidate but Amik Robertson will battle him for a starting role. And I think that will be a hell of a battle. Rakestraw starts as depth. The Lions also have Mosely again on the mend, Carlton Davis, Amik, Arnold and Rakestraw. Vildor is also back as a floor/Moseley insurance. Wow, what a difference!

Past Arnold no rookie will have a shot at starting now. LaPorta blew us ALL away in 2023. What a season! Branch was a very good nickle guy, Campbell got better as the year progressed and Gibbs was Gibbs.

There are concerns overall still. There are always are. Young guys have roster shots at WR for example. OT for example. But this roster has one solid answer at all critical positions now:
OL is set and Sewell and Glasgow provide depth at LOT and C. We have lots of competition at guard. Swing OT is a question mark. Is 30 year old Dan Skipper the swing OT now?

QB is set. Hooker gets his reps now. RB is set and we have a versatile rookie joining the mix.
WR is okay but now awesome overall. Amon Ra nd Jameson Williams are the top 2, we return Kalif and DPJ and then young guys will have a shot. Keep an eye on Tre’Quan Smith as a veteran who is finally healthy and has real talent. An under-the-radar former Saint signing.
Defense is MUCH improved too. Issues and concerns? Yep. But lots of talent.

Only one rookie is likely to start if at all. I still believe that is a solid measuring stuck of roster depth overall.

To win big a team needs All Pro level players. I believe the Lions have the best QB in division. We have the best ROT and C in the league. I think we have the best 1/2 RBs in the league. Amon Ra is a top 8 WR by any measure. LaPorta is likely a top 5 TE. On defense Hutch is a top redge defender. Reader is a top run stuffer.

Past that we have a lot of good/solid starters in guys like Alim, Paschal, Anzalone/Jack Campbell, Branch, Carlton Davis, Marcus Davenport, James Houston, Jameson Williams and so on. Promising rookies? Yep. Guys poised for a break out? Yep (Jameson is at the top of my list on O and Jack Campbell on D for my $).

There is a LOT to like about this roster by any measure at this point.

2 Likes
20

Lots to love about that. Obviously is all relative to how much our rivals have improved.

1 Like