What will be the Detroit Lions’ best position battle?
The player acquisition phase of the offseason is basically over. Once the Detroit Lions’ UDFA signings become official, the Lions will be very close to their roster capacity limit, and while there may be tinkering here and there, what you see now is what you’ll get to start the Lions’ 2023 season.
Just looking at the Lions current projected depth chart, it’s easy to see just how improved this team is from a couple years ago. What’s a little harder to see is the amount of starting jobs up for grabs.
But if there’s one thing we know about this coaching staff, it’s that jobs are not given, they’re earned. So while it looks like most—if not all—of the Lions starting jobs may be claimed right now, the Lions coaches will allow for competition.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What will be the best position battle for the Lions this offseason?
My answer: I am just fascinated by how the tight end room will play out. Will second-round pick Sam LaPorta immediately jump to the top of the depth chart? Will Brock Wright hold down that sport for the entire offseason? But perhaps most interestingly, what is going to come of James Mitchell?
The Lions spoke optimistically of Mitchell earlier this offseason, simply because he’ll be now two years removed from his torn ACL. Do the Lions truly feel optimistic about Mitchell’s ceiling or does their drafting of LaPorta suggest they may be worried about his potential?
Then there’s the drastic weight change of Shane Zylstra—as pointed by our own commenter Hungry Lion. Zylstra, a former wideout, played at 239 last year, but his weight on the team website is now at 215—a hint he could be transitioning back to receiver. With the Lions suddenly a bit shorthanded at receiver, does Zylstra have a legit chance to make the roster at his new/old position?
Regardless of what happens, the Lions’ tight end room is one of their younger and most unsettled position right now. It should be fascinating how it all plays out.
What position battle are you looking forward to this offseason? Scroll down to the comment section at the bottom of the page and let us know!
Source: Pride Of Detroit
