Prior to this month's draft, 1SBD's Mark Hogan takes an in-depth look into each team's current projected starters and identifies strengths and lingering team needs after the first waves of free agency.
Player stats collected from Pro Football Reference. Salary information per Over The Cap.
TAKEAWAYS
PROS
- Detroit's defense ranked Top 10 in pass and rush yardage last year thanks largely to its front seven. While the team could certainly add a linebacker or defensive lineman with the 8th overall pick, their relative health at those two positions and quarterback means the team doesn't need to get caught up in the high-stake sweepstakes of the Top 10 picks. Dan Quinn's team could get a haul of picks to move back and try on a number of talents later in the draft, or take the top player available from any other position group.
CONS
- Detroit added a strong pass-catching tight end - Jesse James - in free agency but still lacks a wide receiver who will fill the hole left by Golden Tate. The current crop - Kenny Golloday, Marvin Jones and newly-signed Danny Amendola - are a good group that lacks elite talent. The Lions need to spend on the position; potentially as early as this Friday /Day 2 of the draft.
- The Lions finally moved on from cornerback Nevin Lawson and look like they have a viable starter at the position with the recently-signed Justin Coleman. (We wrote about the Lions biggest struggles in February and addressing cornerback was one of them.) With so many elite quarterbacks in the division however, the Lions would be wise to add another cornerback in the draft. The problem becomes the perceived lack-of-depth at the position, and whether Detroit will get one in the first round or take a shot on someone later in the draft. Either way, Darius Slay has had to do all the work for too long.
Projected Starters
NOTE:
NAME, Draft Round.Overall Pick (TEAM, year). Starts/Games Played. Age. Cap Hit 2019
QB has an additional 'total yards, number of attempts (yards per attempt)' figure.
RB, WR and TE have an additional ‘total yards / number of touches (yards per touch)’ statistic
Age as of Sunday September 8, 2019 (Week 1)
QUARTERBACK
MATTHEW STAFFORD, 1.01 (DET, 2009). 141/141. 38,526 yards/ 5,405 attempts. (7.1 y/a). 31-years-old. $29,500,000
RUNNING BACK
KERRYON JOHNSON, 2.43 (DET, 2018). 7/10. 854 yards/ 150 touches (5.7). 22-years-old. $1,478,113
WIDE RECEIVER
KENNY GOLLADAY, 3.96 (DET, 2017). 18/26. 1,557 yards/ 100 touches (15.6). 25-years-old. $855,706
MARVIN JONES, 5.166 (CIN, 2012). 61/83. 4,416 yards/ 302 touches (14.6). 29-years-old. $9,195,882
DANNY AMENDOLA, undrafted (DAL, 2008). 61/126. 4,781 yards/ 501 touches (9.5). 33-years-old. $4,484,375
Average: 173rd overall pick. 140 starts/ 235 games played (59.8%). 10,754 yards/ 903 touches (11.9). 29-years-old. Total cap hit: $14.5M
TIGHT END
JESSE JAMES, 5.160 (PIT, 2015). 36/56. 1,189 yards/ 120 touches (9.9). 25-years-old. $2,284,000
OFFENSIVE LINE
TAYLOR DECKER, 1.16 (DET, 2016). 40/40. 26-years-old. $3,489,493
FRANK RAGNOW, 1.20 (DET, 2018). 16/16. 23-years-old. $2,677,304
GRAHAM GLASGOW, 3.95 (DET, 2016). 43/47. 27-years-old. $2,186,355
KENNY WIGGINS, undrafted (BAL, 2011). 35/61. 31-years-old. $3,125,000
RICKY WAGNER, 5.168 (BAL, 2013). 75/90. 29-years-old. $11,900,000
Average: 111th overall pick. 209 starts/ 254 games played (82.3%). 27.2-years-old. Total cap hit: $23.4M
DEFENSIVE LINE
ROMEO OKWARA, undrafted (NYG, 2016). 18/37. 24-years-old. $1,788,853
A'SHAWN ROBINSON, 2.46 (DET, 2016). 28/45. 24-years-old. $1,665,249
DAMON HARRISON, undrafted (NYJ, 2012). 95/102. 30-years-old. $7,000,000
TREY FLOWERS, 4.101 (NE, 2015). 37/46. 26-years-old. $6,419,000
Average: 165th overall pick. 178 starts/ 230 games played (77.4%). 26-years-old. Total cap hit: $16.9M
LINEBACKERS
DEVON KENNARD, 5.174 (NYG, 2014). 50/67. 28-years-old. $5,951,563
JARRAD DAVIS, 1.21 (DET, 2017). 30/30. 23-years-old. $2,991,660
CHRISTIAN JONES, undrafted (CHI, 2014). 47/79. 28-years-old. $4,175,000
Average: 150th overall pick. 127 starts/ 176 games played (72.2%). 26.3-years-old. Total cap hit: $13.1M
CORNERBACK
DARIUS SLAY, 2.36 (DET, 2013). 80/89. 28-years-old. $15,934,375
JUSTIN COLEMAN, undrafted (MIN, 2015). 13/52. 26-years-old. $2,884,000
Average: 146th overall pick. 93 starts/ 141 games played (66.0%). 27-years-old. Total cap hit: $18.8M
SAFETY
QUANDRE DIGGS, 6.200 (DET, 2015). 35/60. 26-years-old. $5,982,000
TAVON WILSON, 2.48 (NE, 2012). 30/94. 29-years-old. $2,065,625
Average: 124th overall pick. 65 starts/ 154 games played (42.2%). 27.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $8.0M
