Detroit Lions Final Roster grades for the 2022-2023 Season
As the Lions 53 man roster is set and ready for week 1, let’s take a look at how the position groups are looking before the season starts. Grades are based on the position depth as a whole, not just the starters.
Quarterbacks: C-
We all know Jared Goff’s make or break year is now, and I fully expect him to make a tremendous jump from last year’s showing. This position group would get a unanimous D if backups received in-game opportunities often.
Running Backs: B
RB1 in D’andre Swift makes the running back situation very comforting. However, after him is a below average RB2 in Jamaal Williams, who is loved for his energy and heart. But this running back room as a whole doesn’t look promising. Don’t be shocked if the Lions look to add competition next year for that second spot.
Wide Receivers: B+
With the surge in star rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown last year a foundation was built in the receiving room. With the additions of starting receivers DJ chark and Jameson Williams, this receiving core could be among the best at the end of the year if Williams comes back fully healthy. Williams was the most dangerous receiver in college football last year before tearing his ACL in the national championship
Tight Ends: B
TJ Hockenson leads the way for a TE group that also features Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra. Hock is looking to bounce back following a down year cut short by injuries which saw him limited to only 12 games. With new additions at WR, defenses aren’t going to be able to zero in on the talented 4th year pro as much in 2022.
Offensive Line: B+
If the starting offensive line stays healthy and develops, there’s no question that they will be among the best in the league. However, injury concerns and a lack of talent behind the starters brings this position group down a grade from an A to a B+.
Defensive Line: C+
The Lions are hoping to build an identity in the trenches, and with the addition of top pick Aidan Hutchinson, this group looks significantly better than it did last year. However the group as a whole is young and unproven making it difficult to give them much of a higher grade. By 2024 I expect this group to be in the B+ range
Linebackers: D
Lions fans may not admit it, but this position group is about as bad as it gets at the NFL level. Of course it’s a group of linebackers that could maybe pan out one day, but anytime the entire position group could be cut by more than half the other NFL teams, it’s fair to say that for a starting NFL group, a D is a grade that might even be too high.
If more proof is needed, just think about how stand out rookie sixth round pick Malcolm Rodriguez was practically locked in as a starter before week two of preseason. He could be great, but if your group is weak enough that your sixth round rookie is one of, if not the best linebacker in this group, then you’ve got issues. The rest could possibly be practice squad players with many other franchises. Look for them to draft at least two linebackers next year.
Cornerbacks: C
This is a grade that has many question marks going into the year, and we will see exactly how they are in week 1, as the Lions take on Devonta Smith, Aj Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles. We saw a ton of undrafted talent last year in the secondary, but with this group that could be concerning, especially in the boom or bust year for third overall pick in 2020 Jeff Okudah
Safeties: B
One of the Lions most slept on position groups on the team. The safety position got stronger by not only re-signing Tracy Walker, but also signing free agent Deshon Elliott and drafting third round safety Kerby Joseph. They all complement each other very well as they all have strengths that the other safeties do not possess. We’ll see how this pans out throughout the season, but I think this will surprise people no matter the outcome.
This roster still has its flaws, but the foundation has been set for a team that’s definitely ready to bite a few kneecaps this year.
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
Photo: Michael Barera. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.