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

Detroit Lions offensive linemen to watch

With eight slots fairly decided by draft position and experience, the Detroit Lions have to decide what positions they back up further. Generally, it would be a tackle and an interior player that would round out the final ten but the Lions may not feel the need to have another tackle after Decker, Vaitai, and Crosby.

Caleb Benenoch, Dan Skipper and Matt Nelson are the candidates at tackle, while Beau Benzschawel, Oday Aboushi, and Benenoch are competing for interior positions. Benenoch has primarily played guard with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was a college tackle.

If we were gamblers, Benenoch’s athleticism and six-foot-six frame suggests that he would be the better tackle-guard combo player, while it’s a toss-up between Aboushi and Benzschawel because rookie Jonah Jackson also has experience at center and he’s already got his ticket punched as a guard.

Benzschawel has collegiate center experience, is a good run blocker but is a liability in pass protection, while Aboushi is an athletically limited guard but has NFL starting experience. Whether or not the Lions choose a tenth player here is debatable.

Prediction: Benenoch and Benzschawel are the choices but those are the picks we could easily change our minds on about the roster. Both men offer some ability to play tackle and interior but we could easily see the Lions opting for only nine linemen.

As the prediction sits there are ten line spots used. We were on the fence about a tenth lineman, a fifth running back, or a sixth wide receiver.