Lions' Biggest Roster Hole Left to Fill

As the upcoming season approaches for the Lions, initial depth charts are being formulated, and the pathway to establishing the 53-man roster will be interesting to explore as training camp approaches.

The Lions will certainly have competitive roster battles at several different positions.

While pundits agree the Lions have improved this offseason, there remains a glaring roster hole that needs to addressed.

ESPN's Football Outsiders explored the biggest hole on each NFL roster following the NFL Draft:

"First-round cornerback Jeff Okudah will be a great fit in the secondary, and third-rounder Julian Okwara is an interesting prospect at edge rusher. That leaves the middle of the defense unaddressed, where Jarrad Davis and Christian Jones are once again penciled in as starters alongside free-agent pickup Jamie Collins. Davis is not the every-down linebacker the Lions were hoping for when they used a first-round pick on him in 2017. His 31.8% broken tackle rate in 2019 was the worst among players with at least 30 solo tackles, and he struggled mightily in coverage. The Lions opted not to pick up Davis' fifth-year option, leaving the team with no long-term plan in the center of the defense."

With all the great New England Patriots linebackers that Detroit head coach Matt Patricia was around while in New England, it remains puzzling why the middle linebacker position on the Lions' roster continues to remain such a glaring hole.

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