During the offseason Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his Twitter account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: Looking at the numbers at guard right now, I'd consider that a pretty deep position.
The Lions have Laken Tomlinson, Larry Warford and Geoff Schwartz at the position. Travis Swanson has played guard in the NFL. Rookies Graham Glasgow and Joe Dahl also have experience playing there. The Lions are essentially six deep at the position with a good mix of veterans, youth and talent.
Detroit's a bit light on edge rushers, however. Ziggy Ansah and Devin Taylor are the starters. Wallace Gilberry was signed to the rotation this offseason. That's really it when it comes to experience at the position.
The team drafted Anthony Zettel in the sixth round and it appears he'll have a good chance to play early on if the numbers stay where they currently are.
The team lists Brandon Copeland as a defensive end, but he's split time both at defensive end and at linebacker throughout his career. A couple undrafted free agents – James DeLoach and Deonte Gibson – will get a chance to impress, but teams don't head into training camp counting on undrafted rookies to make an impact.
The Lions are an injury or two away at the position from being in a very tough spot.
20man: I'm not big into projections before actually seeing players on the field in August. It's the reason I don't do win-loss projections in April or grade the draft in May, but I'll indulge you, Jacob.
I think Riley Reiff starts at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson at left guard, Travis Swanson starts out at center, Larry Warford at right guard and Taylor Decker at right tackle.
Warford and Swanson are on short leashes with Schwartz, Dahl and Glasgow waiting in the wings.
20man: I have to go Golden Tate on this one, Ryan.
There's history and chemistry between Matthew Stafford and Tate. He led the team in receptions each of the last two seasons with 99 and 90, respectively.
I think it will be hard for Riddick to reach 80 catches again this season. Teams will scheme hard against him.
I expect Ebron's stats to take another significant increase in year three, but the 90-catch range is probably a bit high for him.
In the end, I expect Tate and Jones to be right there, with Tate edging Jones out.
20man: Probably Glasgow at center.
Travis Swanson was inconsistent in his first full season as a starter. He finished 34th out of 40 graded centers by Pro Football Focus last season. He received the second worst pass-blocking grade at the position.
Glasgow is a big body taken in the first two days of the draft, where teams are typically looking for immediate impact. It will be a good competition to watch between Swanson and Glasgow all through training camp, but it always seems like this staff leans toward veterans when it's a close call.
20man: This is really a make-or-break season for Van Noy. Typically, the rule of thumb is that if a player doesn't show something by year three, he probably isn't going to, at least not in that same franchise.
Van Noy is kind of a player without a true position. He's a two-down linebacker because he doesn't cover all that well. But he's not a pure pass rusher either where the Lions can put him exclusively at defensive end. What is his natural position?
He'll have a chance to win the starting SAM linebacker spot in training camp.
20man: It's hard for a fourth-round rookie draft pick to come into this league and make an immediate impact. The game is so much bigger and faster at this level, especially out wide and down the field in the secondary.
I believe veteran Rafael Bush is the favorite in the clubhouse to earn a starting spot next to Glover Quin, but it's a wide-open competition with Killebrew and Tavon Wilson, among others, certainly in the mix.
Bush hasn't shown that availability is his best ability over the last two seasons. He missed 21 games due to injury over that span and has played in all 16 games just once over a six-year career.
Injuries could force the Lions to turn to Killebrew early, unless he just has a spectacular camp, which is always a possibility.
@ttwentyman What's the thought process behind not adding to the stable of RBs? Are they counting on Zenner to be the short-yardage/power RB? — Mike Joiner-Hill (@MikeJH_316) May 23, 2016
20man: The Lions added veteran Stevan Ridley (5-11, 220) in free agency and drafted Dwayne Washington (6-1, 223), both of whom can be between-the-tackles runners in this offense.
Watch film on Washington and you'll see he's a no nonsense runner. He gets north and south and can be a short-yardage back with big-play potential because of his size and speed. Ridley can run up in there too. Zenner's also a guy they can use in those situations because he's good at finding creases.
I think the Lions have a nice mix of backs with Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and those I mentioned above.
20man: This is another one of those camp competitions that we'll have to watch closely. It's hard to really predict before the pads come on.
A'Shawn Robinson was a terrific selection for the Lions in the second round. I think Teryl Austin's attacking scheme is really going to suit him. He gets to attack instead of two-gapping all game like he did at Alabama.
That being said, I sat down with Walker this offseason and he's properly motivated after missing most of last season due to a broken leg and dislocated ankle.
I think Walker starts Day 1 of training camp, but will have to earn the starting role every day after that for the next four weeks.
20man: I may be in the minority on this one, but I believe finding a scheme that fits and being comfortable within that scheme has more impact on a quarterback than losing a single weapon.
Yes, that weapon was Megatron, one of the all-time greats, but the cupboard isn't bare in Detroit. Golden Tate is a Pro Bowl caliber receiver. Marvin Jones has shown he can make plays all over the field. Theo Riddick caught more passes than any running back in the NFL last season. Eric Ebron is about as athletic as they come at the tight end position.
Stafford and Jim Bob Cooter see football the same way. Stafford seems very comfortable in a system that allows him to get the ball out of his hands quickly and spread the ball around. I'd expect him to progress in that kind of scheme rather than regress, especially if all the additions to the offensive line this offseason offer up more protection and the ability to better run the football.
20man: Two undrafted free agents have made the Lions' initial 53-man roster in each of the last three seasons. We'll see if that trend continues in 2016 after GM Bob Quinn made it his mission to add depth to the roster this offseason.
If I had to choose a few players to watch out for I'd probably start with Ohio State guard Chase Farris. He's a little raw, but has a high ceiling as a converted defensive lineman. It might be tough for him to crack the numbers at guard, but it's possible with a good camp.
Incarnate Word tight end Cole Wick is a well-rounded tight end that impressed on his pro day as both a blocker and pass catcher.
Louisiana Tech cornerback Adairius Barnes recorded 10 interceptions the last three seasons and posted a 41.5 vertical in the pre-draft process, which allows him to play even bigger than his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame.
Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee or North Carolina pass catcher Quinshad Davis could be in the discussion for the fifth receiver spot behind Tate, Jones, Jeremy Kerley and TJ Jones. Lee averaged 19.9 yards per catch last season and Davis offers a big frame (6-4, 218) with production in college (25 TDs)
