One of the sure signs that football is about to be back is the release of the first depth charts of the year. The Detroit Lions revealed theirs on Monday in advance of Friday night’s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.
It’s an unofficial depth chart, typically compiled by the team’s media relations staff. But it does give some indication of where players sit within the organization’s own eyes.
There aren’t many surprises on the initial chart. It matches up well with what we’ve seen in practices and our recent bubble watch projections.
A couple of notable spots on the depth chart:
- Quintez Cephus ahead of rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown on the WR line. That does not match up with the practice rep rotation.
- Rookie DE Levi Onwuzurike on the third-team defense. He’s been injured, but Da’Shawn Hand and Jashon Cornell have also looked impressive above him too.
- Corn Elder, one of the team’s prominent defensive free agents, on the same fourth-team line as undrafted rookies A.J. Parker, Jerry Jacobs and Alex Brown. That’s reflective of Elder’s first two weeks of camp, where he’s battled injury as well.
