Breaking Down Detroit Lions' Preseason Injury Situation

Injuries and the preseason's length have been on the tip of everyone's lips and fingers since Jordy Nelson's knee buckled and Maurkice Pouncey's ankle broke. Those are the types of major injuries the Detroit Lions have been able to avoid thus far.

(Don't worry. I sacrificed a pint of peach Schnapps to the injury gods and lit some incense in honor of St. Ripken.)

But the Lions have plenty of minor to mid-major aches and pains that could affect how the season plays out, or at least how it starts, considering the latest practice report described a packed trainer's room:

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Lions out today: Eric Ebron, Ezekiel Ansah, Kyle Van Noy, Larry Warford, Caraun Reid and Kevin Snyder. Chris Owens appeared limited, too.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) August 24, 2015"

That's the bird's-eye view of the situation. Let's take a stroll through the medical ward and peel back the bandages to see how deep the cuts go.

Plenty of Appendages

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

General manager Martin Mayhew has done a nice job of adding weapons to quarterback Matthew Stafford's arsenal. Last year it was Golden Tate who stood out. This year could see Ameer Abdullah as a worthy fantasy football pickup for any team.

That depth at playmaking positions will help if either tight end Eric Ebron or running back Joique Bell continues to miss time.

Bell hasn't practiced all of offseason, instead recovering from Achilles and knee surgeries on the PUP list. The good news is he's been working out on the sidelines, and Paula Pasche of the Oakland Press thinks he's close to practicing:

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#Lions Joique Bell said he's working hard to get back. Must be close - he looked pretty mobile playing Ping Pong in locker room today.

— Paula Pasche (@paulapasche) August 24, 2015"

Ebron's injury is a bit more mysterious. Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News received word from head coach Jim Caldwell that his injury should be a short-term thing.

It's easy to look past Ebron's potential contribution since the team won 11 games in 2014 with him recording 25 catches. However, none of the wide receivers not named Tate or Johnson have set themselves apart this preseason, meaning Detroit will be leaning heavily on the second-year tight end to become the third receiving option.

For what it's worth, he appears ready, which is why his health carries a lot of significance:

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Stafford said Eric Ebron is one guy that's jumped out to him in terms of a big jump in play from last season.

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 24, 2015"

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

But Only Two Legs

The offensive line doesn't have the same resilience. Injuries ravaged the front's performance last year, and a lack of depth was a chief conspirator.

That's why general manager Martin Mayhew added guards Laken Tomlinson and Manny Ramirez, but neither is within two levels of Larry Warford:

"

Larry Warford has an ankle injury. Officially questionable, but obviously won't be back in this game

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 21, 2015"

There's currently no timetable for his return, and don't expect one from the buttoned up Caldwell. In fact, all he offered to MLive Media Group's Kyle Meinke was that "[i]t's going to be a little while," whatever that means.

This puts the Lions in a tough spot. Warford and left tackle Riley Reiff are Detroit's best linemen, and the pillars of their respective sides. Ramirez would fill in for Warford, but Detroit might need to find room on the roster for preseason standout Taylor Boggs.

"

Taylor Boggs with yet another pancake. This time against Roy Philon.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) August 18, 2015"

Boggs has the highest Pro Football Focus (3.9) grade on Detroit's offense this preseason, giving up just two quarterback hurries in 62 pass-protection opportunities.

Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle's return is a stabilizing shot in the arm. Perhaps the Lions will roll the dice with three tackles on the initial 53-man roster in order to keep Boggs around. Both possibilities here entail risk, but no Boggs and an injured Warford would leave Detroit without an interior backup.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

And a Weakened Core

For the past half-decade, Detroit's strength has been its defensive line. While offseason defections changed its dynamic, there was plenty of talent left once the draft dust settled—on paper, that is.

Five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata figures to be a huge cog in the defensive tackle rotation. However, he has yet to practice due to a hamstring issue that's lingered for over a month and is starting to cause stress regarding the season opener:

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Lions coach Jim Caldwell backs off guarantee that Haloti Ngata will be ready by Week 1. http://t.co/Zj00YFAEso

— Freep Sports (@freepsports) August 23, 2015"

To make matters worse, both defensive tackle Caraun Reid and defensive end Ezekiel Ansah are battling issues of their own. The latter's has been cast into the same category as Ebron's, per the Katzenstein report cited above. The former's is considered closer in line with Warford's.

That leaves free-agent acquisition Tyrunn Walker, rookie Gabe Wright and preseason darling Jermelle Cudjo as the only viable defensive tackles on the roster. Walker was dominant against Washington, snagging a sack and a defensive stop in just 11 snaps while blowing up other run plays with his bull rushes and penetration.

Wright has shown flashes but looks like a rookie. And Cudjo was a fringe roster candidate who will move toward lock status if Reid's and/or Ngata's injuries continue to sideline them. The Lions will likely rotate defensive ends Jason Jones and Devin Taylor inside often, should that be the case.

As stated above, the situation isn't dire at this time. It's also far from ideal. The next few weeks will now be more interesting and irksome for Lions fan than previously anticipated.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

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.