Lions plan to cross-train two rookies at different positions, here's the other new guys who could be playing different spots in 2025
The Detroit Lions drafted two offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft. Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier are both guards by trade, but the Lions plan to see what they can get out of them at center too. “Yeah, absolutely. Again, (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach) Hank (Fraley), he’ll cross-train all those guys. He’s […]
The Detroit Lions drafted two offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft. Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier are both guards by trade, but the Lions plan to see what they can get out of them at center too.
“Yeah, absolutely. Again, (Lions Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach) Hank (Fraley), he’ll cross-train all those guys. He’s going to cross-train all of those guys, so if they’ve only been at guard, he’s going to put a ball between their legs and see if they can snap. But again, if they can – Hank’s not going to put somebody in a tough position either, so he’s going to be able to assess if they have the right makeup and mentality and communicative skills. That’s a big part of just – it’s not about just being able to snap, I mean, you have to have elite communication skills, not just as a starter, but even as a backup.”
The Lions love having players who have positional versatility when they get here. They also don't mind teaching that player to have it in their back pocket either. With versatility in mind, here are a few players that could be doing a handful of things in 2025:
Avonte Maddox
The Eagles used Maddox as a cornerback, safety, and even a linebacker at times. In Detroit, it would seem that he's primarily going to be used as the third safety. But it's nice to know you have a guy who maneuvers around when you need him, too.
Grant Stuard
First and foremost, Stuard is going to get a lot of his run on special teams, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell really let us know at the league meetings he plans to have Stuard playing linebacker on defense, too. He also mentioned that Stuard could get some run at fullback as well. This makes sense since Stuard played some running back in college at Houston.
Zach Horton
An undrafted rookie that you'll probably have yourself familiarized with by the end of camp. He's going to be at tight end, of course, but with his run-blocking ability, it makes sense that he could get some fullback snaps too.
4 players the Lions aren’t giving up on after the 2025 NFL Draft, including a guy we like to call ‘Diet Brian Branch’
After the 2025 NFL Draft, we talked a little bit about how the draft could affect some veterans' starting jobs, and we also talked about how some players could get released. With the latter on the remind, today we want to talk about the players the Lions probably aren't giving up on despite the draft. Let's jump […]
