How much can last year’s class contribute in 2019?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions 2018 NFL DraftBreaking down expectations of Detroit Lions’ 2018 draft class in Year 2New Will Harris Jersey Womens ,115commentsHow much can last year’s class contribute in 2019?EDTShareTweetShareShareBreaking down expectations of Detroit Lions’ 2018 draft class in Year 2Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsIt isn’t exactly the busiest portion of the offseason, but rather than rank Lions players by high school nickname or find some funny way to talk about how the Lions are so far removed from truly dreadful drafting that they don’t even get honorable mentions anymore on some draft bust lists, we’re going to keep our eyes forward to the 2019 season. With the draft signings now coming in from the 2019 class, I wanted to take a look back at the 2018 group, and see how they may fit into Matt Patricia’s squad in year two.G Frank Ragnow (First round, 20th overall)2018 status: Starting left guard all year2019 status: Starting left guard (?) all yearRagnow came as a surprise to many Lions fans when he was selected, in part due to how quiet the team kept their interest. A favorite to land with the Cincinnati Bengals, who went right after the Lions, the New England Patriots, or the Minnesota Vikings, the former Arkansas Razorback was a coveted player the Lions felt they could plug into their interior line and get immediate production from. It was rocky at first, but Ragnow held on and eventually came into his own as he went from struggling rookie to solid starter to promising line anchor over the course of a season.2019 is likely going to see Ragnow right where he was the year prior, starting at left guard between Taylor Decker Matthew Stafford Jersey , whose fifth year option was recently applied, and 2016 third-round pick Graham Glasgow. With Glasgow facing a new contract, the left side of the line should be shored up. Having said that, right guard is a mess, with the “best” options being 2018 bench starter Kenny Wiggins and journeyman Oday Aboushi, neither of which inspire confidence. If the Lions seek out someone like Andy Levitre in the remaining free agent pool, or make a surprise trade, it’s possible the line shuffles a bit and Ragnow would be the most likely candidate to slide into RG. He’s played there before, and while keeping line cohesion is important, it is even more so to have five viable starters.RB Kerryon Johnson (Second round, 43rd overall)2018 status: RB2/3 to start, elite starter for a stretch before being placed on IR to end season2019 status: RB1A in a committeeLook, it would be awesome if we could talk about the exciting moments Johnson had as a rookie in the light of him being a starter in a ground-and-pound run game. As it is Darius Slay Jersey , Johnson has faced injuries at every stage of his football career and with his season ending as it did, I don’t see the Lions giving him a larger workload. The team now has two backs who can run inside and outside zone along with power after signing C.J. Anderson in free agency, and they’re likely to get a nearly identical amount of snaps to keep each fresh and, hopefully, healthy. This is a situation where it’s even possible Johnson doesn’t lead the team in touches this season, but as long as they’re getting efficient production and he remains healthy I have no concerns about his role this year.S Tracy Walker (Third round, 82nd overall)2018 Status: Sub package safety and special teams2019 Status: Starting FSI’m not going to mince words, I’m really excited to see Tracy Walker this year. He was an absolute stunner when the Lions selected him in the third round, and people immediately fell into one of three camps: fans who shared the team’s excitement with the pick despite him being an unknown, fans angry with the pick because he was an unknown, and liars who said they watched him and knew he would be a steal. Walker was projected to go on Day 3, but the team celebrated as if they’d somehow nabbed J.J. Watt outside of the top 10. Their enthusiasm was justified, as Walker ended up as one of the highest graded rookies in 2018 Marvin Jones Jersey , though he did have very limited snaps.The 2019 safety room has Quandre Diggs, newly drafted Will Harris, returning former spot starter Tavon Wilson and special teams standouts Charles Washington and Miles Killebrew. It’s not a stacked room, but it is crowded all the same. I still see Walker working his way into the lineup from Day 1 and earning a prominent role in the defense. With Walker, Diggs, and Harris all being able to play both safety spots and drop to the slot if needed, the coverage options are near limitless.DL Da’Shawn Hand (Fourth round, 114th overall)2018 status: PFWA, ESPN, and PFF all-rookie defensive lineman2019 status: Possible Pro BowlerIf you haven’t finished guzzling the kool-aid yet, Hand is a pitcher and a half of the Blue Hope Juice all by his lonesome. Drafted with almost no buzz at all, despite the Lions trading back into the round to get him, expectations weren’t super high. The Lions defensive line was viewed as an underwhelming unit and Hand underwhelmed as a former five-star recruit on the vaunted Alabama defensive line. fall to the middle if Day 3. Despite many projecting him to the interior of the offensive line due to his size and athletic profile Kerryon Johnson Jersey , the Lions made it clear they saw Crosby as a tackle, trotting out everyone and their mother to fill T.J. Lang’s spot when he went down hurt rather than giving the rookie a shot. He eventually got some work at tackle while Rick Wagner nursed injury and he held his own.Always the optimists, there are some that thought the Lions should have cut Wagner to start Crosby in 2019 and save some cap space. Considering the team isn’t desperate for cap relief (isn’t that nice?) and that Crosby did alright, not great—like Tracy Walker did in reserve duty—there’s little reason to thrust Crosby into a role he may not be ready for just yet. Until we see how he looks in camp, I think his 2019 looks much the same as his 2018 did.FB Nick Bawden (Seventh round, 237th overall)2018 status: Torn ACL early in camp, season lost2019 status: Starting fullback in an offense that will use oneBawden has largely been the forgotten man on the Lions roster. With the signing of Jesse James, selection of T.J. Hockenson and Isaac Nauta, and signing of enough tight ends to nearly bring it to double digits, it’s almost as if the Lions didn’t draft the lead blocker of multiple 2,000 yard backs last season.Until I have reason to believe otherwise, I think the fullback, and thus H-back Amani Oruwariye Detroit Lions Jersey , job is Bawden’s to lose. Any time I question that, I go back and watch a little tape and all the worry just washes away. I don’t see anyone in camp taking that job from him, and that’s including the option of retaining a lineman to do the deed, as the team did on occasion in Bawden’s unplanned absence. If he’s healthy and back to form, he has Vonta Leach upside. The Seahawks will see linebacker K.J. Wright and tight end Ed Dickson back at practice next week, Pete Carroll said Tuesday. Both have a chance to make their season debuts Oct. 28 when Seattle returns to action after its open date.Dickson now is eligible to play after spending the first six weeks on the non-football injury list. Dickson missed all of training camp and the preseason with a quadriceps injury.Wright underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee Aug. 27, and he was expected to miss only a couple of weeks. But Carroll revealed Tuesday that Wright had a setback during his rehab.“He has had a couple really good days,” Carroll said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. “He’ll practice with us and complete to to play next week when we return.”Tight end Nick Vannett will get “special work” this week and next week on his back issue that sidelined him Sunday, Carroll said.