All Lions: Week 1 Starter Projections
Here are two reasons for you to be excited today: It's officially the first day of summer, and CBS Sports has released its Week 1 starter projections, including for the Lions.
It's still over a month until training camp will commence for the franchise in Allen Park, Mich.
However, it's never too early to prognosticate who the team's starters will be come Week 1 of the regular season on September 13 against the Chicago Bears.
The two projections made by CBS Sports' Josh Edwards that stick out the most to me are the decisions he made at right guard and at linebacker.
Edwards has Ohio State product Jonah Jackson, Detroit's second of two third-round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft (No. 75 overall), starting at right guard.
While I don't fault him for tabbing Jackson to be the starter, I think Kentucky product Logan Stenberg, Detroit's fourth-round pick this past April, also has a chance to get meaningful playing time at the position.
Edwards has Stenberg slotted as the backup left guard behind Joe Dahl.
Expect Jackson and Stenberg to be battling for the RG job all throughout training camp.
Then, there's the middle linebacker spot, which could come down to a battle between fourth-year pro Jarrad Davis and second-year player Jahlani Tavai.
Tavai encountered his fair share of struggles as a rookie a year ago. However, he also showcased that he has the potential to be an impact linebacker as time goes on in his NFL career.
He's definitely due for an uptick in production in 2020 and subsequently should be due for an increase in playing time.
However, Edwards presently has the Lions' 2019 second-round selection slotted behind veteran Christian Jones for one of the two inside linebacker spots.
Sure, the organization inked Jones to a two-year extension midway through last season and largely of the versatility he possesses to play at all four different linebacker spots (on the outside and inside).
However, he also ranked toward the bottom-half of all qualified linebackers in productivity a season ago, according to Pro Football Focus.
Edwards has Davis projected to start at the other inside linebacker spot and Jamie Collins and Romeo Okwara slated to start at the outside linebacker spots.
Here's what he had to say about Detroit's linebackers group heading into 2020:
"Linebacker is another spot that appears to be up in the air. Jamie Collins is a chess piece who can be deployed at different spots but his main role could come on the edge. Jarrad Davis and Christian Jones are set to start but Jahlani Tavai is a young player on the rise who could lock up a starting spot before long as well."
Fair to say, the starting linebacker spots won't be finalized until the end of the exhibition season.
Let's take a look now at the other trending Lions stories from around the web on Saturday, June 20:
- Speaking of training camp battles, Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman takes a look at which positional battle will be the most exciting.
- USA Today Lions Wire's Jeff Risdon highlights the former Lions that are on the ballot for the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame class.
- The Detroit News' John Niyo explains why ex-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who hasn't played a down in the NFL since 2016, won't end up in the Motor City.
- DetroitLions.com columnist Mike O'Hara profiles former Lions left tackle Jeff Backus, who played all 12 seasons of his NFL career in Detroit from 2001-12, in the latest edition of his "Where are they now" series.
Related
Bob Quinn's Best Draft Selection in Rounds 5-7 of NFL Draft
Can Matthew Stafford Trust His Tight Ends in 2020?
3 Ways Cory Undlin Can Be Successful Year One in Detroit
Cory Undlin: Lions' Linebacker Group Will Be "Fun to Watch" in 2020
NFL EVP Troy Vincent Says Jim Caldwell Does Not Get Enough Credit for Matthew Stafford
