The Detroit Lions have taken massive leaps and bounds this off-season. Ready to compete in the NFC as a legitimate threat, the Dan Campbell lead Lions ‘rebuild’ is over. It’s been three years since the new regime took over; here’s who they’re preparing to roll out for Week 1 (pre-draft).

Detroit Lions Projected Starters

Quarterback

Jared Goff

Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell shut down all the Lamar Jackson speculation earlier this week. “We got a quarterback, and thank God we got one. And, so, we’re good,” said Holmes. There’s no question; Jared Goff will be the Week 1 starting barring a pre-season injury. However, Holmes has dropped hints of the organization drafting a quarterback at some point in the draft.

“I think yeah, we are in a unique position with all the picks that we have to add maybe a pretty talented guy if we go that direction, but again, it doesn’t have to be the first round, it doesn’t have to be the second round, it can be at any point.”

The Lions have the ideal system for a rookie quarterback to sit back and learn. A veteran QB to learn from, an incredibly talented offensive coordinator, a ferocious offensive line, and a couple of elite weapons; it doesn’t get much better than that for a rookie.

Offensive Line

LT Taylor Decker | LG Jonah Jackson | C Frank Ragnow | RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai/Graham Glasgow | RT Penei Sewell

Detroit’s offensive line is amongst the best in the league. Jonah Jackson (1x), Frank Ragnow (2x), and Penei Sewell (1x) are all former Pro Bowlers, while Taylor Decker, former 16th overall pick, is respected as one of the better left tackles in the NFL. Sewell got his first Pro Bowl nod last season at the young age of 22—pencil in a few more appearances during Pro Bowl weekend for the former 8th overall pick.

One of the only true training camp battles will on the roster occurs at the right guard spot. Halapoulivaati Vaitai, 28 years old, missed the entirety of the 2022 season with a back injury. Graham Glasgow, drafted by Detroit in 2016, has spent the last three seasons in Denver and is now back on a one-year deal. If Vaitai can bounce back and look like his old self, he’ll likely get the starting job. However, a back injury is never an easy return.

Running Back

D’andre Swift/David Montgomery

The way the Lions’ offense operates, it doesn’t exactly matter who is labeled the starter and who isn’t. Last season for Detroit, Swift started in eight of his 14 games played and received 99 rushing attempts. In comparison, Jamaal Williams started in nine of his 17 games played and was given 252 rushing attempts. The lesson here; expect to see both running backs on the field.

Wide Receivers

Amon Ra St. Brown | Jamison Williams | Marvin Jones Jr. 

Amon Ra St. Brown was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 draft class. The former fourth-round pick was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team in just his second season. The slot receiver reeled in 106 catches (7th), 68 of which were first downs (5th).

Williams, who the Lions traded up for to select at pick 12 in the 2022 NFL draft, will compete in his first full season with Detroit after missing the majority of the year with an ACL tear that occurred in the College Football National Championship. The former member of the Crimson Tide showed flashes of excellence last season; now, fully healthy, it’s time for a full display.

The Detroit Lions and Marvin Jones Jr. will reunite in 2023 after two years apart from one another. Jones spent the last two seasons playing in Jacksonville, where he caught seven touchdowns with Trevor Lawrence at the helm. Jones spent five seasons in Detroit, leading the league in yards per reception in 2017 (18.0). Jones will replace DJ Chark, who signed with Carolina in free agency, as the team’s vertical deep threat. 

Tight End

Brock Wright

Similar to the running back position, just because someone is listed as the starter doesn’t mean they’ll be taking a majority of the snaps. Detroit has three tight ends on the roster they will use.

Brock Wright, 24 years old, started in 10 games after Hockenson was traded, catching 18 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns in his second season in the league.

Shane Zylstra was graded out as the 5th best blocking tight end in the league, granted his limited snaps. Because of this, the Lions use Zylstra in multiple red-zone packages. He caught four touchdowns in his second season out of Minnesota State.

Despite the lack of repetition, he received in his rookie season, James Mitchell perhaps has the most athletic upside of all the tight ends on the roster. If he takes the necessary strides expected of him this off-season, he’ll earn more snaps come the season.

Defensive Line

Edge Aidan Hutchinson | DT Alim McNeil | DT Isaiah Buggs | Edge Unkown

It’s somewhat of a cop-out to leave the second edge spot blank in a projected starters piece. However, it’s all but a guarantee someone who’s not actively on the roster will be lining up opposite of Aidan Hutchinson next season. 

Before signing with the Falcons, six-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell was in serious talks with Detroit. The 36-year-old veteran ultimately signed with a different team, but the conversation between Campbell and the Lions shows Holmes is trying to fill the spot. 

Titans Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is another name thrown around in trade talks lately. Simmons closed off all relationships with the Titans on his social media platforms, a tactic we’ve seen players use before while hunting a new contract. The 25-year-old has made two straight All-Pro teams. If he’s truly available, Holmes will certainly be on the phone. 

If the Lions cannot sign or trade for a veteran, the sixth overall pick Detroit holds in the NFL draft will be the likely option to fill the roster spot. Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech and Will Anderson from Alabama are two likely options, that is, if they are available. 

Linebacker

Malcom Rodriguez | Alex Anzalone

Pencil these two in as the starters for next season. Rodriguez and Anzalone aren’t difference-makers on the field, but they’re certainly serviceable.

Anzalone was the captain of the defense in 2022 and re-signed with the Lions on a three-year deal this off-season. Rodriguez, as a rookie, was one of the better linebackers to come out of last year’s draft. He plays the run well, has good instincts, and can blow up passes in the flats.

This unit needs help with coverage over the middle, as both linebackers lack side-to-side speed. Rodriguez and Anzalone struggle to cover running backs and tight ends down the field and lack the coverage instincts to play an effective zone over the middle. Write it in sharpie that Detroit will draft someone who can help with that issue. 

Safeties

Free Safety Kirby Joseph | Strong Safety Tracy Walker

Kirby Joseph is fresh off an incredible rookie season. After Tracy Walker ruptured his Achilles, Joseph was thrown into the fire and came out without a burn. The third-round rookie out of Illinois finished the season with four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. To put it simply, he’s a playmaker.  

Walker, unfortunately, had a season-ending injury in Week 3 last season. While it allowed Joseph to blossom, losing a defensive captain stung the Lions’ secondary in 2022. Although Walker isn’t the turnover enforcer Joseph is, regaining a respected veteran who makes few mistakes will drastically improve the secondary.

Cornerbacks

Cam Sutton | Emanuel Moseley

Two new faces on the team, Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, will likely line up opposite from one another as the starting corners, and it won’t be the first time.

Sutton, a former Steeler, and Moseley, a former 49er, played together at the University of Tennessee from 2014-2016. Now, they take command of the new look secondary Brad Holmes has assembled. 

Jeff Okudah, Will Harris, and Jerry Jacobs will certainly be in the rotation. 

Wildcard X Factor

Nickel Corner/Box Safety/Linebacker CJ Gardner Johnson

‘Positionless’ is often a word thrown out in the basketball realm. If there’s one player it translates to on the gridiron, it’s CJ Gardner Johnson. 

In his first two seasons in the NFL, Gardner Johnson was listed as a defensive back for New Orleans. In year three, the Saints listed him as a linebacker. In his remarkable lone season with Philadelphia, the 25-year-old was listed as a safety. Maybe the most fascinating tidbit; he played scout QB for the Eagles during weeks they were preparing to play a mobile quarterback. 

Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ defensive coordinator, runs a 4-2-5 defense, meaning there are four linemen, two linebackers, and five guys in the secondary. CJ Gardner Johnson will be the fifth guy, doing anything and everything the Lions ask of him.

Expect to see him in the box, lined up man-to-man, playing the deep zone, and getting after the opposing quarterback in the backfield. He’s every defensive coordinator’s dream player.