Post Draft Prediction for the Detroit Lions 53-Man Roster

Secondary

Sep 8, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive back Rashean Mathis (31) during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Detroit won 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Currently on the roster: Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Chris Greenwood, Bill Bentley, Nevin Lawson, Chris Houston, Aaron Hester, Jonte Green, Mohammed Selsay, Cassius Vaughn, Glover Quin, James Ihedigbo, Isa Abdul Quddus, Don Carey, DeJon Gomes, Gabe Lynn, and Jerome Couplin

The Lions currently have ten players battling for a cornerback spot and and seven guys vying for the safety position. That’s a whole lot of players completely for very few spots. The wildcard in the secondary is Chris Houston. If I had to bet on it today, I’d say he’ll end up starting the season on the PUP list. He’s too expensive for the Lions to outright cut, but he’s too injury ridden to take up a roster spot.

That leads to a prediction of Darius Slay and Rashean Mathis as the opening day starters for the Lions at cornerback. Mathis was a solid player for the Lions last year, and the only thing Slay needs to be an effective cornerback is more experience. Behind them there are a ton of question marks. Each guy has his positives, but also bring negatives. One of the more intriguing camp battles will be between Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson for the nickel cornerback spot.

James Ihedigbo and Glover Quin will hold down the starting safety spots. Don Carey has proven to be a good special teams player, but last year he proved he couldn’t be trusted when thrown into a full time role. Jerome Couplin is one guy to watch throughout the offseason. He has lots of physical gifts, but there’s a reason he went undrafted.

My Guess: Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Chris Greenwood, Bill Bentley, Nevin Lawson, Chris Houston, Glover Quin, James Ihedigbo, Isa Abdul Quddus, Don Carey, and DeJon Gomes (11)