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The Lions have a lot of impending free agents in the 2018 season. Players like Glover Quin, Ziggy Ansah, and Matthew Stafford, and Eric Ebron all need to be re-signed. In most of those cases, the Lions will absolutely want them back. There are however instances in which player demands are unreasonable, or friction with coaches or other players make moving on the best option. Franchise tags, fifth-year options, and plain old contract extensions are options, but so is drafting a replacement. The fourth tier of players are the ones that will not start in 2017, but likely will in 2018.

Some are simply in need of development, others play positions that do not transition well to the NFL. Some play positions in which the Lions just do not need a starter in 2017, but need a plan for the future. These players are not going to have an impact immediately but will save the team salary cap space in the future. Their salaries are much lower than equivalent veteran players, so the team may choose to move on. The previous tiers have been: Most Impactful, Day One Starters, and Starters by the End of 2017.

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The Fourth Tier

1. Mitchell Trubisky: QB, North Carolina – Games – Highlights – Combine
2. Takkarist McKinley: DE, UCLA – Games – Highlights – Combine
3. DeShone Kizer: QB, Notre Dame – Games – Highlights – Combine
4. Tarrell Basham: DE, Ohio – Games – Highlights – Combine
5. David Njoku: TE, Miami – Games – Highlights – Combine
6. Adam Shaheen: TE, Ashland – Games – Highlights – Combine
7. Patrick Mahomes: QB, Texas Tech – Games – Highlights – Combine
8. Evan Engram: TE, Ole Miss – Games – Highlights – Combine
9. Nathan Peterman: QB, – Games – Highlights – Combine
10. Marcus Williams: S, Utah – Games – Highlights – Combine
11. Pat Elflein: C, Ohio State – Games – Highlights – Combine
12. TJ Watt: LB, Wisconsin – Games – Highlights – Combine
13. Duke Riley: LB, LSU – Games – Highlights – Combine
14. Charles Harris: DE, Missouri – Games – Highlights – Combine
15. Jordan Willis: DE, Kansas St. – Games – Highlights – Combine
16. ArDarius Stewart: WR, Alabama – Games – Highlights – Combine
17. Davis Webb: QB, Cal – Games – Highlights – Combine
18. Montravius Adams: DT, Auburn – Games – Highlights – Combine
19. Cameron Sutton CB, Tennessee: – Games – Highlights – Combine
20. Derek Rivers: DE, Youngstown St. – Games – Highlights – Combine
21. Carlos Watkins: DT, Clemson – Games – Highlights – Combine
22. DeShaun Watson: QB, Clemson – Games – Highlights – Combine
23. Jaleel Johnson: DT, Iowa – Games – Highlights – Combine
24. Demarcus Walker: DE, FSU – Games – Highlights – Combine
25. Ethan Pocic: C, LSU – Games – Highlights – Combine
26. Jake Butt: TE, Michigan – Games – Highlights – Combine
27. Bucky Hodges: TE, Virginia Tech – Games – Highlights – Combine
28. Gerald Everett: TE, South Alabama – Games – Highlights – Combine
29. Eddie Jackson: S, Alabama – Games – Highlights – Combine
30. Kendell Beckwith: LB, LSU – Games – Highlights – Combine
31. Tanoh Kpassagnon: DL, Villanova- Games – Highlights – Combine
32. Tanzel Smart: DT, Tulane – Games – Highlights – Combine
33. Kenny Golladay: WR, Northern Illinois – Games – Highlights – Combine
34. DeDe Westbrook: WR, Oklahoma – Games – Highlights – Combine

This has been one of the biggest tiers in the draft, and part of the reason is because many of these players are going to be drafted early, but not by the Lions. Any of the quarterbacks on this list wearing a Lions jersey would be a shock, to say the least. This list is an odd mix of first round picks and day three players, but their role in the future of the Detroit Lions would be the same. Players who would have the ability to play special teams while they waited for the seat atop the depth chart to open got a push-up. There are a lot of players that could replace current Lions starters, but only if given a year to learn under them.