Offense
Mandatory minicamp is over. Training camp is still six weeks away. So naturally it is time to project the entire depth chart and pretend we know what the hell is going to happen in August.
Here is what the offensive side looks like coming out of Allen Park.
The left guard battle is real. This might be the biggest position competition the Lions have going into training camp, and that is not nothing. The projection here has Miles Frazier winning the job over Christian Mahogany because Frazier projects as the more balanced option. Mahogany showed he could run block but struggled in pass protection, and you cannot afford to give Jared Goff less time than he already gets.
The tight end depth chart is worth noting. Tyler Conklin is listed ahead of Brock Wright, but do not treat that like gospel. There is going to be fluidity here. They will likely rotate based on matchups and play roughly the same number of snaps. Wright is not going anywhere.
Defense
This is where things get interesting.
D.J. Wonnum is listed as the starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson, with Derrick Moore behind him. Yes, Moore was a second round pick. No, that does not mean he starts Week 1. The Lions are going to take their time with him. Expect Wonnum to handle early down run snaps while Moore gets deployed in obvious pass rushing situations. At some point Moore will take over completely, but that might not happen until later in 2026.
Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are both listed as Week 1 starters. Yes, Branch is recovering. Yes, that sounds optimistic. But the Lions have not ruled out Branch being ready for training camp and even mentioned it as a possibility. So maybe we are manifesting it into existence. Or maybe we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. Either way, it would not be a Lions offseason without a little irrational hope.
Jimmy Rolder is projected as the Week 1 starter at Will linebacker over Malcolm Rodriguez. That is a legitimate surprise. Rodriguez seemed like the safe bet, but Rolder has apparently come along faster than anyone expected during OTAs and minicamp. Granted, this is all in shorts and helmets, but the translation to pads looks promising. The pick might actually win this job outright.
Roger McCreary gets the nod over Keith Abney II at cornerback. Abney is going to be good. He could absolutely start at some point. But right now McCreary might be too good to keep off the field. Brad Holmes does not miss often on veteran free agent signings, and this looks like another one of those moves that quietly makes the defense better without anyone noticing until October.
So there you have it. A depth chart projection built on optimism, minicamp observations, and the assumption that nobody gets hurt between now and September. What could possibly go wrong?
Think Rolder actually wins the starting job or are we getting way ahead of ourselves? Sound off below.
