Nearly each single season, one participant makes it by means of coaching camp and is a shock retention for the Detroit Lions’ 53-man roster. Oftentimes, it’s an undrafted rookie free agent—as seemingly each season there’s no less than one UDFA who makes the preliminary roster. Typically, it’s only a participant who went utterly ignored in coaching camp.
We’re nonetheless a month away from camp, however after minicamp and OTAs, we now have a baseline concept of the place the roster stands and an approximate depth chart.
So right this moment’s Query of the Day is:
Who’s your dark-horse candidate to make the preliminary Lions’ 53-man roster?
My reply: There isn’t any set definition for dark-horse candidates. I believe any UDFA would in all probability apply, nevertheless it actually isn’t restricted to Detroit’s 2024 UDFA class.
As a substitute, my choice will come from a veteran on the workforce: offensive lineman Netane Muti.
Now, it’s going to be very exhausting to interrupt the roster at offensive line. Not solely does Detroit have its 5 starters fastened, however they’ve two new draft picks and a few long-term tasks they aren’t doubtless to surrender on. However with these youthful choices comes the necessity of a veteran choice Detroit can belief in a pinch.
Earlier than we get into Muti, let’s have a look at the “locks” on the offensive line. You’ve acquired your 5 starters: Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler, and Penei Sewell. Fourth-round rookie Giovanni Manu isn’t going wherever. It actually looks as if Dan Skipper is considerably protected as their greatest backup sort out. So we’re already at seven offensive linemen, with out even counting sixth-round rookie Christian Mahogany or final 12 months’s fifth-round choose Colby Sorsdal. I wouldn’t depend these two as “locks,” however they’re in a great place to make the roster, and in the event that they do, we’re already as much as 9 gamers on the offensive line.
If these 9 make the roster, Detroit might simply persist with these. Most groups carry 9 offensive linemen. However they’d have so little expertise of their reserves, that I believe it could make sense to hold yet one more veteran participant, ideally on the inside.
That leaves Muti in competitors with guys like Kayode Awosika, Matt Farniok, Michael Niese, and a trio of undrafted rookie facilities.
Awosika has been their man for the final couple of seasons and certain enters camp as the favourite for the job. Don’t get me incorrect, Awosika has accomplished an admirable job since touchdown in Detroit in 2022—beginning 5 video games and logging offensive snaps in a number of extra.
Nonetheless, I believe Muti—who was a futures signing this offseason—has an opportunity to unseat him this 12 months. Muti was a sixth-round choose again in 2020 and spent his first three seasons growing with the Denver Broncos, filling in as a starter for 4 video games, whereas additionally being lively for a complete of 20 video games. Nonetheless, he was poached in 2022 from the Broncos’ apply squad to affix the Raiders, the place he stayed as a reserve till 2023. When Las Vegas made a training change this 12 months, the Raiders opted to not preserve Muti.
There’s not a ton of tape on the market on Muti—he’s logged a complete of 468 snaps over 4 years—however he has a number of issues working in his favor: he has expertise, he has expertise taking part in with Graham Glasgow (in Denver), and he’s one of many few reserve offensive linemen who’ve really been within the league for some time and developed.
Which dark-horse candidate on the Lions roster is your choose to make the 53-man roster?
