Detroit Lions Mailbag: Who's the odd man out on a now crowded defensive line?

Welcome to another Detroit Lions mailbag. Now that the dust has settled on the the 2024 NFL Draft and we're making our way through offseason training programs, it's time to take a beat and answer some questions. Let's see what we got this week.

I hate to break it you, but I just don't see it happening at this point. Here's the thought process behind that. The Lions have two guys they feel pretty good about in Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kerby Joseph. They're likely about to be joined by a third guy that they feel incredibly good about and that's Brian Branch.

Branch was very good in the nickel last year, but with the Lions bulking up at cornerback, there's now room for him to move back to safety where he'll probably be a starter and work within the rotation that C.J. Gardner-Johnson didn't want to work within.

To add to the that, the Lions just signed C.J. Moore back and one of these UDFA's has a real shot to supplant Brandon Joseph as the UDFA guy in the mix. Ball State's Loren Strickland feels like one to watch due to his play style.

Related: Lions UDFA Spotlight: Violence could be the key for Loren Strickland's chances of making the roster

There's a lot of new guys on the line right now. The first guy that really comes to mind as being the odd man out is Levi Onwuzurkie. He's had some trouble coming back from that back injury and while he was healthy in 2023, he spent time as a healthy scratch after being taken out of the rotation. He seems like a guy that's destined for the practice squad right now.

You hope for a breakout season from him in the X-receiver spot. He had some contested catch ability at North Carolina. The Lions kept him stashed away on the 53-man roster last year while they worked with him all year long. I fully expect him to get a chance to play in 2024 after having a nice training camp and pre-season. But I don't know about the breakout thing at the moment. He might be buried again.

For me it's Mehki Wingo. I'm very interested to see what the Lions do with him in 2024. He was a steal in the draft. Wingo was expected to go much higher than where he got drafted. The size might be the reason. He's a bit undersized for an interior guy.

It makes you wonder if the Lions try him on the outside to see what he can do. He has some pass rush moves he can take advantage of.

He's a solid special teams guy. In fact, Lions GM Brad Holmes said in his post draft presser that Vaki is the best special team's player in this year's draft.

He's going to be a real help there in multiple facets. The one I'm interested to see the most is kick returner. Vaki is fast and can make a man miss. He could be well suited for the leagues new kickoff rule.

I would be shocked if they didn't take a look at what's out there. This is a team that just lost it’s number two receiver and it's not like they were just cool with that. The Lions wanted Josh Reynolds back, but he got a better deal in Denver.

I don't think they add a superstar or anything, but they could look in the trade market and free agency to find someone. The Lions have three roster spots left right now. Receiver feels like it has to fill one of those spots.

I put the chances at firm 62 percent. The Lions have the advantage of having him already in the building, but a lot of teams are coming for him and we don't know for sure that Detroit is still interested at this point. We'll see.

It's going to help for sure. I would expect to maybe see a little more of Derrick Barnes or Alex Anzalone in that spot though. Reader and McNeill are going to eat up a ton of space. Reader is a guy that frequently has two guys with him. It's not just going to help with the linebackers. Aidan Hutchinson, and who ever is on the opposite side from him, is going to eat as well.

Related: The Lions came insanely close to having a drastically different 2024 NFL Draft experience per an NFL insider