Detroit Lions roster versatility showing promise for 2018

The Detroit Lions under general manager Bob Quinn has been focusing on versatility with personnel lining up in multiple positions.

When general manager Bob Quinn started with the Detroit Lions, a lot was said about his goal of finding versatile players to put on the football field. In his first draft, Quinn started by adding to the trenches on both sides of the ball, but he also grabbed players that could help in multiple positions. And, he was lucky enough to inherit a few such players.

Now, three drafts later, we can start to look at some of those players he’s picked up, such as interior offensive linemen Graham Glasgow and Joe Dahl.

As shown last year, Glasgow, who was drafted as a guard, stepped into the role of center when the Lions needed assistance at the position due to injury. He fared well enough to be the projected starter at the position in 2018 with rookie first-round pick Frank Ragnow slotted at left guard.

Glasgow has played in all but one game since he was drafted, pulling both guard and center duties during that time. Ragnow was a center at Arkansas, so it’s worth noting he’s moving to the left guard spot during training camp practices and showing a little versatility of his own.

Dahl, on the other hand, is showing he can step in for anyone on the interior of the offensive line whenever needed. During training camp this year, he stepped in for right guard T.J. Lang in the first official practice. He’s played in six games each of the past two years while filling in for starters along the line proving quality depth is nice to have on the roster.

On the defensive side of the ball, Miles Killebrew was drafted as a big-hitting safety to complement the stable of defensive backs. But he’s in a fight for playing time due to the versatility Quinn inherited with Quandre Diggs. This has resulted in Diggs making the most of his opportunities and Killebrew fighting for a roster spot.

In a recent training camp spotlight by DetroitLions.com writer Tim Twentyman, Diggs was labeled as a “Swiss Army Knife.”

"“I play everything. I told you guys in the spring, I can line up anywhere. You might see me somewhere else tomorrow. It just depends on what the personnel is and what the game plan is.”"

Whether he’s playing slot cornerback or safety, Diggs is making plays and making life harder for the receiver he’s asked to cover. He’s not shying away from any challenge and is certainly not lacking any confidence.

Diggs is the latest player to make some noise in training camp as an example of versatility on this roster. Something Quinn is certainly happy to have and something Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia must be excited to put to work in his defensive scheme.