Breaking Down All the New Faces on the 2015 Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have kept the core of a playoff team intact by retaining all but four of their starters, including special teams. There has been some turnover, and those new faces could play a key role in pushing this team over the top.
There are at least six or seven rookies who could make the roster this year. They're a source of cheap potential-laden labor, and some will undoubtedly find themselves in the starting lineup come September.
There are also a few veterans added who will help determine Detroit's fate. Whether through trades or free-agent signings, the four featured here have a better-than-average chance of making the roster and contributing to the postseason cause.
So click through to review the latest crop of reinforcements with the best chance to make the team.
OT Corey Robinson
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The Lions can't stay away from big tackles. It's an addiction on par with Pharrell and his hats or Kanye West and attention.
LaAdrian Waddle, Riley Reiff and recent convert Xavier Proctor are all 6'6". Cornelius Lucas is a ridiculous 6'9". Corey Robinson fits right in at 6'7". Mike O'Hara of DetroitLions.com broke down the massive tackle from South Carolina:
"As a physical specimen, Robinson has what teams look for in tackles. He checked in at the Combine at 6-7 and 324 pounds, with the longest arms of any offensive lineman (35-5 inches) and 10.5-inch hands. Robinson did not run at the Combine. At his Pro Day he was timed in 5.3 and 5.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and draft guru Gil Brandt described him as having “real good feet for a lineman.”
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The basic physical attributes are a match, but it's his playing style that likely grabbed the attention of the scouting department.
Robinson uses his all of his body when crashing down on defenders in the run game. And he puts his long arms to work containing pass-rushers, especially on stunts and twists, two moves that killed Detroit in 2014.
He needs to work on his footwork to become a contributor. However, he has an excellent shot to stick as a reserve tackle his rookie season while learning behind three relative veterans.
CB Quandre Diggs
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Detroit also can't stay away from cornerbacks in the draft, especially in the later rounds.
Predecessors Jonte Green and Chris Greenwood have moved on, but Quandre Diggs has the goods to stick on the active roster. Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson would be the presumptive nickel and dimebacks if they weren't returning from injury, so the former Longhorn has a chance to play a big role immediately.
It's easy to look at his 5'9" frame and his sixth-round draft status and write him off as another shot in the dark from general manager Martin Mayhew. Yet he's already earning first-team reps over veteran Josh Wilson, and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin isn't shy in explaining why:
"Teryl Austin on Quandre Diggs: “He’s scrappy, he’s tough, he’s got good ball skills, he’s got good football sense that I’ve seen so far."
— Detroit Lions Fans (@DetLionBlood) May 30, 2015"
Diggs is also a willing tackler. He has every attribute that teams would want in a slot corner except for a great 40 time. He can overcome that with his instincts and quickness, meaning Detroit went from zero nickelbacks at the end of 2014 to plenty of choices this fall.
FB Michael Burton
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Detroit watched Jed Collins take his talents to Dallas, leaving a 252-snap hole in the backfield, per Pro Football Focus. So the Lions selected fullback Michael Burton in the fifth round in continuance of their needs-based draft.
Burton will be the starter barring an incredible turn of events. The 5'11", 242-pounder can bring the same abilities as Collins, although Burton might be a little meaner.
He recently told Dave Dye of Fox Sports Detroit, "[a] fullback's mentality is smash-mouth football. That's what you gotta have. That's what I have. I love contact."
He also went on to add, "I love being the guy that springs the open run. I have more joy in hitting a big block and taking a guy out and then having my running back run 60-70 yards for a touchdown."
That attitude will endear him to a veteran locker room built on the Caldwellian principle of accountability. Burton wants to come in and do his job, which is to set Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah up for success. And he proved it by putting on 20 pounds since the end of the college season, per Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
Plus, Burton will be able to contribute through the air. He has good enough hands and open-field acumen to make defenses pay for heeding him no mind.
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DT Gabe Wright
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Remember when the Lions were known for racking up more felonies than wins? Every guy on this list is considered a "good guy" with a strong work ethic. Sounds like a smart combination when putting together a winning team.
Defensive tackle Gabe Wright took to the above credo with gusto. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com set the scene of one Wright's first practices:
"Wright was relentless in individual drills. He was consistently the first player off the ball and his quickness stood out in those drills. In the team portion of practice, Wright said he made it a point to hustle down the field to make plays on ball carriers, something defensive line coach Kris Kocurek emphasizes in practice on a daily basis.
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While this is a great sign, it's important to address the error in the winning formula laid out above. A team also needs to have talent. Fortunately, Wright fits into the Detroit defensive tackle mold in that respect too.
Wright has a great first step. The tape shows a player exploding off the line and piercing pockets, which will pair well with the motor he's showing off in practice. Now that sounds pretty familiar too, doesn't it?
CB Alex Carter
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The only head-scratching pick for Detroit came in the third round. Alex Carter is the opposite of Quandre Diggs in that he is a great physical specimen without the impressive body of work. The noticeable difference led Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson to tweet the following:
"Lions redeem themselves with Diggs. Think he's a far better cornerback than Alex Carter.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) May 2, 2015"
Don't worry. This isn't a hatchet piece on Carter, because he does have talent. It just needs to be developed, so don't look for him to unseat Rashean Mathis any time soon.
Carter is a 6'0, 196-pound outside cornerback who loves to get physical. Teryl Austin's scheme is a good fit for him so long as he can get his hands on the receiver and have a safety over the top.
Additionally, it's unclear which position Carter ultimately will play. The Lions have started him off at cornerback in the hopes that he'll one day be Mathis' successor, but don't be surprised if he ends up taking James Ihedigbo's spot instead.
RB Ameer Abdullah
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The most exciting pick was easily Ameer Abdullah. The running back from Nebraska is deceptively strong but will be counted on to bring the fireworks back to a lagging ground game.
His 40 time didn't do his game speed justice. However, his 42" vertical and 3.95-second 20-yard shuttle prove he has the type of burst that Joique Bell could only dream of.
Plus, he's shown offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi that he should get some of Theo Riddick's targets. Lombardi recently gushed to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about how well Abdullah was doing with the extra reps he's been getting because of Bell's injury:
"It helps them learn and, again, I think that's an exceptionally bright group, too. I like Abdullah more every day. He's a real pro, and every day, you can see him do things that really excite you. And Theo, we're excited about what he's going to be able to do. He showed some flashes last year, but he'll get more opportunities.
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Abdullah didn't drop a single pass during the final two years of his Nebraska career, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Considering his great burst in space and ability to make cuts while getting vertical, Abdullah should become an irreplaceable cog in Detroit's offense early in his rookie year.
OG Laken Tomlinson
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We saved the most practical pick for last here with first-rounder Laken Tomlinson.
Detroit's need at left guard before the draft couldn't have been more obvious. They didn't have one until the Lions traded back five picks in the first round for Manny Ramirez. And that still didn't give them a good enough option at Rob Sims' old position.
Tomlinson, however, is a perfect fit with Detroit's renewed emphasis on the power-run game. It's his strongest ability, as SideLion reporter Bruce McCoy broke down:
"Laken packs a powerful hand punch that jolts the defender upright. Once he locks onto the defender, it’s pretty much game over for them because of his ability to keep his legs moving and determination to knock his butt down. Laken has several knockdown blocks in his time at Duke and that’s no coincidence that he’s regarded as one of the best run blocking OG in the draft.
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This isn't meant to denigrate his ability to keep Matthew Stafford clean. Tomlinson proved quite capable in college considering Pro Football Focus ranked him as the best pass-protecting lineman of 2014.
The Lions needed to fortify the interior offensive line this offseason. Tomlinson should do so immediately and for the next decade.
OG/C Manny Ramirez
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Manny Ramirez has the special distinction of returning rather than just arriving. He was a fourth-round selection of the Lions in the 2007 draft and stuck with the club through 2010.
He spent the past four years with the Denver Broncos, giving him his first taste of professional team success. Detroit's front office is hoping the veteran wisdom he picked up under Peyton Manning and John Fox can be applied to a young offensive line in search of a leader.
At least that's how head coach Jim Caldwell sees it. He told Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News that "(He) has a good sense of what being a real pro is and I think you'll see some of that wear off on some of our young guys."
While that leadership will play a key role in the line's development, Detroit is likely hoping it doesn't have to rely on Ramirez on the field. His crazy 19.4 PFF grade in 2013 looks like the exception rather than the rule. His best role will be as a reserve and mentor who guides rather than plays.
WR Lance Moore
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When Lance Moore was picked up by Detroit, the thought was he would provide the same type of leadership as Manny Ramirez. Moore played in the same system during his eight-year career with the New Orleans Saints that Detroit employs now.
The thinking was he could impart the intricacies of the offense to the current crop of receivers. Calvin Johnson recently discussed Moore's impact with Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com:
"He (Moore) came in right away giving me and everyone tips on how to run certain routes and how you can—not deviate—but make adjustments so everything doesn’t look the same to the DBs that maybe have seen it before. That was a big help to me and it worked right away, some of the things he taught me. You see him doing it and you know it works.
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But Moore isn't willing to just be a happy-to-be-here mentor. He's stood out in practice due to his comfort with the scheme, leading the Oakland Press' Paula Pasche to state that he has a "legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster" because "he finds a way to get separation and catch the ball."
Moore could be the missing piece for an offense desperate to find another credible threat behind Johnson and Golden Tate. Detroit would prefer its young receivers develop and grab the role, but Moore could easily make this team as the third or fourth wide receiver.
DT Tyrunn Walker
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Unlike Lance Moore, it was assumed Tyrunn Walker would be the starter next to Haloti Ngata since he was the only true veteran left. Caraun Reid hadn't shown anything last year to make us think otherwise, but it appears Walker is in for a bigger fight than we originally thought:
"Even with Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker both here, Caraun Reid continues to operate with starters at DT. (Alongside Ngata today)
— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) June 16, 2015"
This shouldn't be overly surprising though. The former Saint was a rotational piece who had flashed potential before signing with the Lions, not a starter.
The question surrounding Walker will be his scalability. In his 306 snaps last season, he accumulated 14 hurries, one quarterback hit, three sacks and 11 defensive stops. That limited production was good enough to grade out as the 21st-best defensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
So will Walker be able to translate that type of pressure to a larger number of snaps? It's too early to tell, although it might not matter. Since the defensive tackles will rotate, the coaching staff can ride the hot hand anyway.
DT Haloti Ngata
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Haloti Ngata is the piece de resistance in the fight to stay on top of the defensive hill.
The longtime Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle is a five-time All-Pro who immediately filled a large part of the Ndamukong Suh hole. And he is extremely cost-effective since Detroit was able to get him for a fourth- and fifth-rounder. Plus, the Lions are only on the hook for $8.5 million of his salary this year.
Ngata has had a slightly difficult time adjusting to a new scheme, but the voluntary OTAs were a good test run. He elaborated to Justin Rogers of MLive on that difficulty and the changes he plans to make:
"I've been playing a certain way nine-plus year, even in college," Ngata said. "It's just changing up technique and getting used to it. Hopefully, I can keep on improving and I can play the way they want me to play.
I probably want to come in 10 pounds lighter than I am now. I'm just trying to get a feel for everything. Now that I know what to expect a little bit, I think I probably have to come back lighter because of the way they play here.
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Should Ngata lose the weight (and there's no reason to think he won't), it will alleviate some of the concerns about his snap count in an attacking defensive scheme. He won't be asked to replace everything Suh could do. However, Ngata was always strong against the run, and a svelter version of him will be able to create more pressure on passing downs.
All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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