Previewing the Detroit Lions' 2009 Season: A Positional Report Card

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Dominic Raiola who was recently signed to a four-year contract extension will return as the starting center. Raiola is also decidedly mediocre, consistently ranked in the lower half of starting NFL centers.

Veterans Stephen Peterman and Damion Cook will likely battle it out with Jansen and Lions draft pick, Manuel Ramirez for the guard positions. Does it actually matter that much who wins? Not really.

Grade: C-

Defensive Line

The Lions traded away their two most talented pieces from this line in Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding over the last year.

Now, Dewayne White is the anchor of the line, and he is nearing the end of his prime. Last season, he turned in 6.5 sacks while forcing three fumbles, and grabbing one interception.

Veteran, Jared DeVries will likely start opposite of White. Devries had a poor 2008, gaining just two sacks and 23 tackles.

Look for Lions draft picks, Ikaika Alama-Francis and Cliff Avril to overtake DeVries if his production doesn't rise. Avril showed a lot of promise in limited action, getting five sacks last season.

Longtime veteran, Grady Jackson comes in from Atlanta and should provide as a decent one-year stopgap at defensive tackle. He's 36 years old but doesn't make many mistakes and is a steady presence on the line.

Veteran Chuck Darby will likely hold down the other tackle position, and like Grady, doesn't have a whole lot left in the tank but can hopefully provide solid run defense.
If not, look for Lion's draft pick Andre Fluellen to get some starts.

Grade: C-

Linebackers

This is by far the strongest unit on the team, and maybe even one of the strongest units in the NFL.

In what was maybe the Lions best offseason move, Julian Peterson was brought in from Seattle and will step right into the strong-side linebacking position. Peterson notched 86 tackles with five sacks and four forced fumbles last season. Over the last three seasons, he has 24 sacks.

Larry Foote was signed to a one-year contract and will step into the middle linebacking position. Foote's sacks and tackles have steadily declined over the past three years, but nonetheless he is a huge upgrade over Jordan Dizon and will bring valuable leadership to the defense.

Ernie Sims will hold down the weak-side. He has had over 100 tackles three years in a row for Detroit and has been of the best performers on the defense over that time span.

2009 draft pick, DeAndre Levy will likely get some time behind Peterson and Foote.

Grade: A-

Secondary

There has been big change in the secondary which was arguably the most maligned unit on the team last season.

Anthony Henry will start on the left side, covering the oppositions No. 1 receiver. The 33-year-old Henry who was acquired in a trade for Jon Kitna, has nine interceptions over the past three seasons and 39 deflected passes.

Phillip Buchanon will start on the right side. Buchanon is another lockdown corner with exceptional quickness. Last season he had two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Former Titan, Eric Smith, and Kevin Smith will likely hold the third and fourth cornerback positions.

At free safety, Alexander was traded for Northcutt meaning the job should now belong to 2009 draft pick, Louis Delmas.

Delmas looks to have arguably the most potential of the Lions draft picks and has earned high praise from the coaching staff for his ability to learn the playbook quickly. He has a reputation for being an extremely hard hitter.

Daniel Bullocks will start at strong safety. Although he had 94 tackles last season, that's not necessarily a good thing, as Bullocks was frequently burned like the majority of the secondary. He doesn't often miss tackles however, and can also be counted on for help in the run defense. 

Grade: B-

Special Teams

Jason Hanson, at age 39 is still among the best in the business when it comes to kickers. He had arguably his best year ever in 2008, going 21/22 in field goal attempts, including a perfect 8-8 from 50 or more yards, and 6-6 from 40-49 yards.

Nick Harris is coming off a mediocre year. A few seasons ago he was among the best punters in the NFL, but his average has steadily declined and he seems to be gradually losing power.

Grade: B

Overall, there is a lot of changeover on this team, notably in the receiving, linebacking and secondary corps. It should be enough for the Lions to turn in a respectable 8-8 season if everything comes together and injuries are avoided. However we've seen how fast things can go wrong in a hurry when it comes to the Lions. *knock on wood*

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