Friday open thread: Which new Lions jersey number stands out most?

With the NFL preseason quickly approaching, we are getting ready to see live football once again. This season will be a little different though, as earlier this offseason the league officially announced changes to the jersey number system. Of note, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends can all take numbers between 1-49 as well as 80-89, linebackers can go 1-59 or 90-99, and defensive backs have 1-49 available to them.

This is going to take some adjustment. When the Lions released the roster list full of players’ new numbers, there were clearly some who took advantage of the league’s relaxed numbering policy. While this will add some new excitement, it will definitely require paying a little more attention to which players are lining up where.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which new Lions jersey number stands out most?

My answer: For me, it is easily the new single-digit jerseys which grab my attention. Typically associated with quarterbacks and specialists, there are currently four players who jumped on the opportunity to join this somewhat exclusive club in 2021, though the No. 9 shirt remains open for now. These were not the only changes, but they will be the most apparent this fall.

Tyrell Williams will be donning the No. 6 jersey, while Quinton Dunbar and Mike Ford will rep No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, from the secondary. However, the most jarring to see is Jamie Collins, whose No. 8 just seems wrong for a linebacker. Though this is not entirely foreign at the collegiate level, it will definitely take a few games in Detroit for this to really sink in.

Your turn.