The Detroit Lions head into their season opener against the New Orleans Saints with a rookie class that could end up mattering a lot sooner than expected.
All but one of the team’s draft picks made the roster coming out of training camp, with Tyre West ending up on the practice squad. The Lions also found a place for undrafted free agent Eric O'Neill, who did enough to earn a spot after impressing the staff. That leaves Dan Campbell with six rookies on the initial active roster, and each one has a different path to the lineup.
The clearest case is Miller. The first-round pick from Clemson looks lined up to start at right tackle, with the Lions moving Penei Sewell to the left side after cutting ties with Taylor Decker this offseason.
Miller won the right tackle job over veteran Larry Borom during camp, and the expectation is that he’ll be out there from the jump. There could be some early bumps, but the belief around him is that his durability and readiness make him a day one starter.
Moore’s route is a little different. He should open the season as a rotational piece, then try to force his way into a larger role with steady play.
He flashed in the preseason by getting after the Washington Commanders and recording a sack, and the Lions view him as a player who can grow into a starter. D.J.
Wonnum is set to start opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but Moore is the next man up in certain packages. If he holds up against the run and keeps pressure on quarterbacks, he could move into the starting group by midseason.
Rolder’s path got more complicated. He was limited for much of camp because of an injury, though he was back practicing for the Lions on Tuesday.
Before that setback, the Michigan product had put together an impressive offseason and looked like someone who could compete for snaps as a replacement for the departed Alex Anzalone. The injury, along with the signing of Devin White, pushed him down the depth chart.
He’ll likely have a special teams role right away and could see some snaps in specific packages, but a starting job does not look imminent. If everything breaks right, late in the regular season is the time to revisit his chances.
At cornerback, Abney stands out as a possible surprise. Detroit is relatively thin in experience there, with D.J.
Reed, Rock Ya-Sin and Roger McCreary as the main veteran options. Khalil Dorsey has played in the league, but his resume has mostly been tied to special teams.
That opens the door for Abney, especially because he can work inside as a slot corner. Ennis Rakestraw and McCreary are both in the mix for the nickel spot, along with safety Christian Izien, but Abney showed enough in the preseason to get early consideration.
He may not be a Week 1 starter, yet by midseason he could be in line for a major role and would be one injury away from cracking the lineup.
Gill-Howard may have had the loudest preseason of the group. He was disruptive in all three exhibition games, showing real pass-rush juice and surprising Brad Holmes with how well he handled the run.
Even so, he begins the season behind Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams, with Levi Onwuzurike and Tyler Lacy also in the mix. That likely leaves Gill-Howard in a rotational role to start.
The Lions could lean on him more later in the year, but McNeill’s status as one of the team’s best defenders makes it tough to see the rookie leapfrogging him anytime soon. The more realistic outlook is that Gill-Howard becomes a rotational player in year one and maybe a starter in year two if injuries don’t change the picture.
O'Neill is the long-term project of the bunch. He sits at the bottom of the depth chart and is viewed as a developmental option, though the Lions are intrigued enough that he could be active on game days early in the season.
There won’t be a heavy workload waiting for him at first, with Hutchinson, Wonnum, Moore and Ahmed Hassanein handling most of the work. Still, O'Neill could carve out some snaps as a big end and try to build toward a larger role next season.
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