Predicting the Detroit Lions final roster: Who stays, who goes?

Detroit Lions secondary to watch

A few years ago this Lions unit lacked speed and playmaking and would not function well in the man-cover scheme used in Detroit, brought here by Patricia. Fast forward, the unit has the best depth in recent memory with a lot of room to figure out some question marks. Cornerbacks Trufant, Okudah, Oruwariye, and Coleman pair nicely with Harmon, Walker, and Harris at safety.

The secondary is used in a lot of ways and there’s overlap from some of the safeties and linebackers, giving the best athletes a role to be on the field. The defense can employ from four to six defensive backs for any opponent, based on the multiple alignments used.

Mike Ford has experience playing in the slot and outside and so he should make the final roster, likewise, safety Jayron Kearse is likely to stick based on his experience and ability to move around plus contribute on special teams.

The players who need to make a statement come from the guys on the outside looking in. Cornerbacks Tony McRae, Darryl Roberts, Dee Virgin are all gunning to provide slot depth but more importantly special teams impact.

The safeties, Bobby Price, and Jeremiah Dinson are longer shots to make the roster with C.J. Moore having the best shot to return as the lone free safety to backup Tracy Walker or Duron Harmon who can both play the deep part of the field.

Prediction: This was a tough group to decide those last couple of spots but with Jamal Agnew making the roster as a return man-slot cornerback-slot receiver, he covers a few roles. After Agnew, Mike Ford and C.J. Moore get the nod as primary backups who will double as special teamers bringing the total defensive backs to eleven roster spots.

Fifteen plus eleven more give us 26 defensive players, although Agnew is more of a specialist.