Detroit Lions: Position by position breakdown of the 53-man roster
By Reuben Gasee
Linebackers
- Christian Jones #52
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin #44
- Elijah Lee #55
- Jarrad Davis #40
- Jahlani Tavai #51
- Jamie Collins Sr #58
- Reggie Ragland #59
- Jason Cabinda #53
It’s debatable between the wide receivers and linebackers in regards to which position on the Lions has the most depth. The Lions have eight guys that can be inserted on the field as linebackers in which most of them can play at a high level.
Starting at weakside linebacker is Jamie Collins Sr. who the Lions brought over from the Patriots. Collins Sr had a solid season in 2019 where he recorded 81 tackles (58 solo) with seven sacks and three interceptions.
He is a versatile linebacker that the Lions are in need of. Second on the depth chart behind him is Reggie Ragland who was apart of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs last season. The third-string weakside linebacker is Jason Cabinda who’s entering his third season in the league, second with the Lions.
Up the middle, the Lions will have Jarrad Davis starting who tackled 63 players last season with 38 of those being solo. As the Lions didn’t pick up his fifth-year option on his rookie deal, if the Lions struggle, they could flip him at the deadline which would open up playing time for Jahlani Tavai.
On the strongside, Christian Jones will be the starter. In 2019, he recorded 51 tackles (29 solo) in 13 games. Behind him on the depth chart is Jalen Reeves-Maybin (37 tackles in 16 games) and Elijah Lee who appeared in eight games with the San Francisco 49ers last season.
The linebacker unit is now more versatile, something that the Lions have been seeking at that position for some time and they’re expected to be a huge part of the defense.