Detroit Lions roster review: Offensive tackle

As part of our season wrap-up series, we are going to examine how each player on the roster performed in 2014. Next, let's take a look at the Detroit Lions' offensive tackles. (Note: Stats are from regular-season games only, and numbers for sacks, QB hits and QB hurries allowed are from Pro Football Focus.)

Riley Reiff - 15 games (15 starts) | Allowed 2 sacks, 5 QB hits, 27 QB hurries

Reiff had by far the best season of any Lions offensive tackle for two main reasons. For starters, he made 15 starts and only missed a single game because of an injury. On top of that, he tied with Larry Warford as the Lions' best-graded offensive lineman on PFF. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing season for the Lions' offensive line, but Reiff stood out as one of the few positives.

LaAdrian Waddle - 10 games (10 starts) | Allowed 5 sacks, 2 QB hits, 12 QB hurries

Waddle wasn't necessarily all that bad when he was on the field, but he had a tough time staying healthy. He missed six games during the regular season, and he dealt with knee and calf injuries and concussion issues. It's not out of the question that the Lions will make an upgrade at the right tackle spot this offseason given Waddle's inability to consistently stay on the field.

Corey Hilliard - 1 game (0 starts) | Allowed 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 1 QB hurry

Speaking of injuries, Hilliard stepped in for Waddle in Week 1 and suffered a season-ending foot injury. This forced the Lions to start their third-string right tackle for the first part of the regular season, and it left them with an overall lack of depth at the position. It's unclear at this point if Hilliard will be brought back as a veteran presence at tackle in 2015, but I suppose simply getting healthy is the most important thing for him right now anyway.

Cornelius Lucas - 15 games (3 starts) | Allowed 5 sacks, 3 QB hits, 15 QB hurries

Lucas had a pretty interesting rookie season. After the aforementioned injuries at right tackle, Lucas saw some playing time early in the year. He wasn't a starter initially (that job belonged to offensive guard Garrett Reynolds, who slid outside to tackle to step in for Waddle and Hilliard), but he eventually jumped up to second on the depth chart at both tackle spots. This led to him starting at left tackle when Reiff missed time with an injury, and this led to Lucas starting at right tackle at the end of the season. Lucas seemed more comfortable on the left side, but he could potentially be in the mix to start on the right side in 2015.

Previously: Quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver, tight end