Detroit Lions: Breaking Down the Rookie Class After the Preseason

The preseason is over, NFL teams have set their 53-man roster and we can now evaluate the Detroit Lions’ 2012 rookie class. The rookies had a terrific camp as eight of them made the Lions' team as it breaks camp. Seven out of the eight were draft picks and one undrafted free agent made the team.

It is a tremendously pleasant surprise when rookies make a roster, especially the late-round draft picks. The Lions are a team that most would consider a team to challenge for the playoffs in 2012, and it makes the success of the draft class mightily impressive.

From first-rounder Riley Reiff to seventh-rounder Travis Lewis, the draft class has exceeded expectations. Let’s break down each rookie, and their potential to help the team after the preseason.

Riley Reiff

Riley Reiff fell to the Lions in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, and it was a no-brainer for the Lions to pull the trigger on the young left tackle. The Lions got tremendous value in the first round, as they filled a glaring need with the best player available.

Reiff has played all over the offensive line during camp and in preseason games. He has played a lot of right tackle and left tackle, along with some time at right guard. The Lions are in better shape than they were last year in terms of the offensive line.

Reiff is an extremely powerful football player and he is going to help the offensive line get some push in the running game. He has tremendous ability to anchor and absorb a pass-rusher, as well as the athletic ability to get to the second level of the defense.

Reiff will be the primary backup to Gosder Cherilus at right tackle in 2012. If Cherilus struggles or gets injured, Reiff can step in and perform at a high level. He is the future left tackle for the Lions, and he could start on the left side as soon as next year.

Reiff is a player that could potentially have an enormous impact on the Lions in 2012. He will be the first guy off of the bench in multiple positions, and his versatility gives the Lions a punch of stability across the offensive line.

Reiff’s early player grade is a B+.

Ryan Broyles

The Detroit Lions selected wide receiver Ryan Broyles in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and his selection sparked a firestorm in the Detroit area. While the Lions needed to address their secondary, Broyles comes to Detroit as an incredibly accomplished college player.

Broyles holds the NCAA’s career receptions record with 349 catches at Oklahoma. He has amazing talent and is going to help the offense. Some argue that the Lions should have ignored the offense and taken a defensive player regardless of which players were available.

The reality is that there was no defensive player available at that point of the draft that was going to help the Lions immediately. The selection of Broyles is part of a recent trend in the NFL, as teams are drafting specialty players earlier than ever. Broyles can do things that no other Lions wide receiver can, and it makes him incredibly valuable.

Broyles started training camp on the PUP list. He came off of the PUP list and played his first game as a professional player against the Baltimore Ravens in the second week of the preseason. He showed the ability to find open areas of the defense, and he displayed exceptionally soft hands.

Broyles is the guy who will move the chains by making tough catches in the underbelly of a defense. His real impact will come in 2013, but he will help the offense this year. Broyles is the perfect complement to the speed that the Lions have in receivers Calvin Johnson and Titus Young. He is going to be another weapon for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Broyles' early player grade is a B+.

Bill Bentley

The Detroit Lions selected Dwight “Bill” Bentley in the third round of the 2012 draft. The selection of a cornerback was widely welcomed in the Detroit area, as the secondary looks to be a huge weakness for the Lions. They need an infusion of youth and talent at the position, and Bentley certainly fills that requirement.

Bentley comes to the NFL from Louisiana-Lafayette as a small corner with exceptional speed. He was a talented cornerback entering the draft and some pundits considered Bentley a value in the third round.

Bentley made waves early in training camp with the quality of his play. This carried over into preseason games as Bentley started the first preseason game against the Browns. He played well against the Browns, showcasing some real coverage ability.

He got beat early down the sideline by a well thrown ball, but he responded nicely by showing outstanding ability to close on a ball. He dropped an interception that would certainly have been a touchdown and intercepted a pass a few plays later.

Bentley would go on to play well in the preseason. He got nicked up in the third preseason game against the Oakland Raiders with a shoulder injury and did not play the rest of preseason.

The Lions have currently slated Bentley as their starting cornerback, and he has a chance to have an enormous impact for the Lions. He will have his ups and downs, but he is going to play a lot of minutes for the Lions. With the opportunity to start for the Lions, Bentley could be one of the real surprises out of the entire 2012 NFL draft class.

Bentley’s early player grade is a B.

Ronnell Lewis

The Lions selected Ronnell Lewis in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft. NFL draft experts expected Lewis to get drafted higher, and he was a solid value for the team. Lewis is going to transition to defensive end for the Lions, and they are expecting big things.

Lewis comes to the Lions from Oklahoma where he had a standout college career. Lewis was an extremely physical player in college, and if that physicality can translate at the next level the Lions will have found a gem with their fourth-round pick.

Lewis has played well during the preseason. He has made some nice plays coming off of the edge and showed the physical skills that got him drafted. He has created some pressure and has looked the part of a defensive end in the Lions 4-3 scheme.

Lewis is only going to be a situational pass-rusher for the Lions in 2012, but it is special teams where his real impact will be felt. Lewis has the ability to be a special teams terror, and he will need to play well on special teams early in his career as defensive end is a position of strength for the Lions.

Lewis’ early player grade is a B-.

Tahir Whitehead

The Lions drafted Tahir Whitehead in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. They gave up a future fourth-round pick to get him in this year’s draft. The Lions selection of Whitehead was the third in a string of six straight picks on the defensive side of the ball.

Whitehead played in a 3-4 defense at Temple, but the Lions are planning to play him at strong-side linebacker in their 4-3 defense. Whitehead has the strength to set the edge and force the ball-carrier back inside where he has defensive help.

He has played well in training camp and the preseason. He has shown a real burst over short areas and the ability to drop into coverage from the linebacker position. Whitehead is a project, but he has shown some extremely positive things to the Lions coaching staff.

Whitehead is a depth player and he needs to make a positive impact on the special teams unit in 2012. This will be his primary job as a rookie, and he has a chance to make his mark with his special teams play.

Whitehead’s early player grade is a B-.

Chris Greenwood

The Lions selected Chris Greenwood from Albion University in the fifth round. He comes from a small school, but his size and speed combination is tantalizing. He is a big cornerback at 6’1” and 193 pounds, and his workout numbers are out of sight.

Greenwood had surgery for a torn abdominal muscle in May, and he is starting the season on the PUP list. He will be eligible to return to the 53-man roster after six weeks.

Greenwood is a project, and he has missed all of training camp. The Lions have work to do with Greenwood, and it is difficult to see an impact from him in 2012. If he does come back to the active roster, he will help out on special teams, as he is too raw to be counted on for anything else.

There is no early player grade for Greenwood as we have not seen him in any action.

Jonte Green

The Lions selected Green in the sixth round out of New Mexico State. He is another smaller cornerback who can really run well. The Lions are hoping that the athletic ability and speed of the three cornerbacks they drafted make them players in the NFL.

Green is a taller cornerback at 5’11” and 191 pounds. Like the other corners that were drafted, his measurable are off the charts. Green ran a 4.40 second 40-yard dash.

Green played a lot in the preseason with mixed results. Like most rookies, he was up and down. He played in all four games, registering five tackles and two pass breakups. Green looked pretty lost on the field a few times.

In the fourth preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, he started and got torched on a fade route that resulted in a touchdown. He did respond with an interception return for a touchdown. He struggled at times and played well at other times in the preseason.

Green is perhaps the last cornerback on the depth chart, and realistically his only impact will be felt on special teams. Green needs to play well in this area of the game if he wants to stay on the roster.

Green’s early player grade is a C.

Travis Lewis

The Lions got a gift in the seventh round when they selected Travis Lewis out of Oklahoma. He was an extremely productive football player in college, and most draft experts had Lewis getting drafted long before the seventh round.

Lewis has played extremely well in training camp and the preseason as middle linebacker for the second-team defense. Lewis is always near the action, and that matters. He does a terrific job of reading running plays and getting to the ball.

The Lions have Lewis behind Stephen Tulloch at middle linebacker on the depth chart. He has to develop throughout the season, but he is the Lions second-string middle linebacker. It is impressive for Lewis to come in as a seventh-rounder and make this team as a backup.

Lewis is in a situation where he could spell Tulloch at times, and that will allow him to get on the field a lot as a rookie. He will also play special teams like all rookies, but his impact will be at linebacker also.

Lewis’ early player grade is a B+.

Kellen Moore

The Lions signed Kellen Moore as a priority free agent after he went undrafted in the 2012 NFL draft. He comes to the NFL after having an illustrious college career.

Moore is quite simply a winner and he proved that in college, winning 50 games during his college career. Moore has more wins than any other quarterback in college football history.

Just about everyone has knocked Moore as a weak-armed quarterback who won’t be able to compete in the NFL. He has to rely upon his anticipation, accuracy and touch to deliver the ball into the ever-shrinking window in the NFL. There are times when he looks like he simply can’t do that.

Moore played in all four preseason games, struggling at times but looking good when finding his rhythm. He completed 41-of-78 passes for 434 yards and a completion rate of 52.6 percent. He threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions.

Moore is the third-string quarterback on the Lions’ roster. The plan is for Moore to watch and learn from the other quarterbacks on the roster.

It is hard to see Moore having any impact on the Lions in 2012, as they have one of the games’ top starting quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford. They also have an extremely solid backup in Shaun Hill. If the Lions have to go to Moore to make plays as a rookie, the Lions season will have been a disaster.

Moore’s early player grade is a C+.