Detroit Lions: Grading the Strength of Every Position Unit Before Camps Begin

Every day and every article brings the start of training camp—and the season—closer. It's beautiful.

And frustrating.

I've found that I'll do anything to pass the time. In the past month, there have been five doctor appointments, an eye exam and a molar filling. 

I've even started going to the gym and volunteering to take friends to the airport. Frankly, it's disgusting.

Whatever. Just another week or so. In the meantime, let's burn our time in a better fashion by grading the strength of each Detroit Lions positional unit.

Quarterbacks

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Every year, Mike Sando from ESPN polls industry insiders for his "NFL QB Tier Rankings." His analysts weren't moved either way by Matthew Stafford's 2014 performance, placing him one spot higher than the previous year.

He tied for 12th with Eli Manning, which landed him in the second tier. According to Sando, these signal-callers "are less consistent and need more help, but good enough to figure prominently into a championship equation."

Far be it for me to agree with anyone, but that sums up Stafford perfectly.

He engineered five fourth-quarter comebacks last season. He also threw for 153 yards against the Minnesota Vikings and two interceptions against Chicago in consecutive weeks to make the late heroics necessary.

There were also the 42 touchdowns in 2011. And then the 85.7 quarterback rating last season. Mark Sanchez and Kyle Orton had better marks than the latter one.

That rounds out to a solid "B." Stafford can blame the minus on Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore.

Grade: B-

Running Backs

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

There's the potential of a dynamic backfield trio capable of handling any situation.

Need power and physical between-the-tackles running approach? Joique Bell averaged 3.9 yards a carry with an elusive rating of 46.9, per Pro Football Focus.

It's derived from a semi-complicated formula. All you need to know is Bell finished eighth among the 18 backs that handled at least half of their team's carries.

Plus, Theo Riddick has stud third-down back written all over him. His late performances against the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons displayed hands, shiftiness and an ability to make plays under pressure.

That leaves Ameer Abdullah, who can handle whatever you throw at him. Literally. He didn't drop a pass over his last two years at Nebraska, is deadly in one-cut schemes and packs a better punch in the middle than most diminutive backs.

That has the makings of a very good group. The unit just can't get over the hump to an "A" without a certified star.

Grade: B+

Wide Receivers

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Golden Tate's and Calvin Johnson's top-tier grades reinforce each other.

There's no need to read over Johnson's laundry list of accomplishments (three-time All-Pro First Team, single-season receiving yards record, etc.), but Tate's stay at the top has been a short one. After coming to Detroit's pass-first offense, he hoovered up 99 catches for 1,331 yards (seventh overall).

Those are top-of-the line numbers. Those are two solid A's.

But the rest of the unit doesn't do anything to help them out. In fact, nobody is a lock for the 53-man roster after them, which gives you an indication of how lowly the remaining players have to be graded.

Sure, there's potential in a few. Corey Fuller, T.J. Jones, and Ryan Broyles will be watched intensely during the preseason for any signs of growth or flashes of hidden talent.

But there are more question marks. Lance Moore might be a fine third receiver, but he won't be great. And if he makes the team, Detroit has decided to pull the plug on developing someone younger in favor of (hopefully) a steady veteran.

Grade: B

Tight Ends

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

If those last four or five wide receivers are living on potential, then Eric Ebron has built a religion on it.

There are numerous articles that have broken down how Ebron can break out this year. Here's one. Here's another. They all boil down to the same thing: Most rookie tight ends—even most of the greats—don't produce.

So Ebron isn't a bust yet. He's an incredible athlete who has all the tools to become one of the best at this position. Sound familiar?

Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have Matthew Stafford's credibility. We've seen Stafford produce in a high-volume offense in 2011. Ebron did set an ACC record for receiving yards by a tight end, but there have only been bits and pieces of plays where he looks elite.

Joseph Fauria isn't much different, except he doesn't have as high of a ceiling. He and Brandon Pettigrew create a talented, tough mix at the position, but they can't elevate it.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Larry Warford is a bona fide stud.

He finished as Pro Football Focus' Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2013, finishing as the league's fourth-highest-graded guard. And despite nagging injuries that forced him to miss three games, he still ranked as 16th out of 78 qualifying guards.

He gets an "A." Yet the rest of the unit doesn't come close to Warford's standard.

Riley Reiff is adequate. He's a solid run-blocker who gets beat too often by the pass rush. He gave up 34 total pressures in 2014, and while that's 15 fewer than the year prior, that number needs to get down to the low to mid-20s.

Youthful optimism and varying degrees of talent make up the remaining mix of players.

We've seen LaAdrian Waddle play at a "B" level, but health limited him to 561 snaps in 2014, and he struggled in the run game. Plus, will he even be ready to go when the season starts?

Laken Tomlinson is a first-round rookie with solid potential. Travis Swanson looked good for one game at center during his rookie year. That's encouraging—not defining. There's a lot left to see with this group.

Grade: C+

Defensive Line

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The defensive line is also banking on some youngsters in 2015. However, when you have Ziggy Ansah and Haloti Ngata playing prominent roles in the grading, things tend to work out well.

Ansah led the league with 20 quarterback hits and tacked on 34 hurries. If he's getting close enough to legally hit a quarterback—the newest rules* require contact two seconds before the release of a throw now—a new move or two should convert a few of those to sacks.

Ngata will hold down the point of attack against the run. Whether he can penetrate consistently and stay fresh will be another matter, making him a speculative "A-."

Then things get weird.

Jason Jones is an edge-setter, not a pass-rusher. Devin Taylor failed to take a step forward last year.

And the young defensive tackles all have promise for different reasons, but there's nothing concrete to build a strong case around yet.

Grade: B

*No actual evidence to back this up. Just a hunch.

Linebackers

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Things only get better as you move away from the trenches.

DeAndre Levy is one of the league's best outside linebackers. The national attention is growing, but it's well short of what the league's second-leading tackler deserves.

The middle will get a shot in the arm. Stephen Tulloch finished 2013 with the second-highest grade among all inside linebackers, in front of Patrick Willis and Luke Kuechly.

It's unclear how great the combination of Tahir Whitehead and Kyle Van Noy can become this year. Whitehead proved himself a thumper who is average in coverage or as a pass-rusher. Van Noy was drafted because of his length and agility, two attributes that should translate well once his head is on straight.

Grade: A-

Secondary

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The secondary could be better than the linebackers.

There were games last season where Darius Slay completely erased top options. Ask Dez Bryant. He was held to three catches for 48 yards in the Wild Card round.

Yet, it's safety Glover Quin who receives top billing. The Pro Bowler snagged a league-leading seven interceptions and only allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 76.5 when teams threw at him.

James Ihedigbo and Rashean Mathis are both older. And both have played arguably the best football of their careers lately, the assertion being certain for Ihedigbo.

The depth behind these players is what gives this unit durable teeth. Rookie Quandre Diggs has looked stronger than even the most positive scouting reports dreamed, and Isa Abdul-Quddus played adequately in Ihedigbo's stead last season.

Grade: A

Special Teams

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

We could end on consecutive A's if it weren't for that pesky WR/KR designation affixed to Jeremy Ross' bio.

Sam Martin has a demonstrated ability to coffin-corner punts to swing the field-position battle in Detroit's favor with one dead-eyed kick. There is the annual shank that has helped doom the team in big losses, but the trade-off is an easy one to make.

You won't find that demerit in Matt Prater's game. He only missed two field goals past his rust-shaking debut. There are some personal issues, however, that appear to be under control. And Detroit felt confident enough to give him a three-year deal, per Spotrac, albeit with little guaranteed money.

However, Ross' decision-making and ball-security concerns can't keep the lofty grading trend going.

Grade: B

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All contract details sourced from 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.