2016 Detroit Lions post-draft projected depth chart

Now that the Detroit Lions have ten new fresh faces on the roster, it's time to look back at the positional breakdown and see where each player stands. Some players once believed to be integral parts of the Lions' future, now have to wonder if they'll be looking for a new job come August. Meanwhile, others who may have been afraid of losing their spot to a shiny, new rookie may have breathed a sigh of relief when the Lions passed on upgrading their position over the weekend. Let's look at who's in, who's out, and who is in big trouble.

Note: I am not including any 2016 undrafted free agents, as the team has not made any of those signings official yet.

Offense

QB: Matthew Stafford | Dan Orlovsky | Jake Rudock (R)
RB: Ameer Abdullah | Stevan Ridley | Theo Riddick | Zach Zenner | George Winn | Dwayne Washington (R)
FB: Michael Burton 
WR: Golden Tate | TJ Jones | Corey Washington | Austin Willis
WR: Marvin Jones | Jeremy Kerley | Corey Fuller | Ryan Spadola 
TE: Eric Ebron | Brandon Pettigrew | Tim Wright | Jordan Thompson | Casey Pierce | Matthew Mulligan
LT: Riley Reiff | Corey Robinson | Lamar Holmes
LG: Laken Tomlinson | Geoff Schwartz
C: Travis Swanson | Graham Glasgow (R) | Gabe Ikard
RG: Larry Warford | Joe Dahl (R) | Darren Keyton
RT: Taylor Decker (R) | Michael Ola | Cornelius Lucas | Tyrus Thompson

Analysis:

For now, Jake Rudock is slotted behind Dan Orlovsky, and I imagine that's where he'll stay for awhile. Rudock is still very much a project and the Lions will be more comfortable with a seasoned veteran behind Matthew Stafford for most, if not all, of the 2016 season.

But big changes are coming on the offensive line. As of now, the only rookie I've designated a starting role is first-round draft pick Taylor Decker, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Graham Glasgow beat out Travis Swanson in training camp. Add Joe Dahl into the mix with newly added Geoff Schwartz and suddenly the Lions' offensive line depth -- which was atrocious last year -- becomes a big strength. Unfortunately for guys like Corey Robinson, Cornelius Lucas and Darren Keyton, it means their futures in Detroit are tenuous, at best.

Defense

DE: Devin Taylor | Anthony Zettel (R)
DT: Tyrunn Walker | Caraun Reid | Gabe Wright | Kerry Hyder
DT: Haloti Ngata | A'Shawn Robinson (R) | Stefan Charles | Khyri Thornton
DE: Ezekiel Ansah | Wallace Gilberry
MLB: Tahir Whitehead | Josh Bynes | Stephen Tulloch
OLB: DeAndre Levy | Brandon Copeland | Kyle Van Noy | Antwione Williams (R) | Khaseem Greene | Jerry Franklin
CB: Darius Slay | Alex Carter | Johnson Bademosi
CB: Nevin Lawson | Darrin Walls  
NCB: Quandre Diggs | Crezdon Butler
SS: Rafael Bush | Miles Killebrew (R) | Isaiah Johnson
FS: Glover Quin | Don Carey | Tavon Wilson

Note: This depth chart represents the Lions' base defense consisting of just two starting linebackers and five defensive backs.

Analysis

The Lions' defensive tackle position is suddenly full of talent, and it seems like Gabe Wright may be the odd man out. Last year, the Lions kept five defensive ends and four defensive tackles on their 53-man roster. This year, it looks like those numbers may be inversed. Either way, Wright has an uphill battle to beat new addition Stefan Charles in camp. At defensive end, the Lions likely have their four contributors for 2016, but they'll certainly need more competition during the offseason.

In the secondary, the Lions have an interesting situation brewing. After Rashean Mathis' retirement, the Lions second outside corner position is open for the taking. Nevin Lawson and Alex Carter are the two most likely candidates to step in, but both are relative unknowns. At the strong safety position, look for the Rafael Bush - Miles Killebrew camp battle to be one of the most competitive this summer.

Special teams

K: Matt Prater
P: Sam Martin, Kyle Christy
LS: Don Muhlbach, Jimmy Landes (R)

Analysis:

#LONGSNAPPERWATCH2016 is back on. Let the games begin...in three months.