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Five questions the Detroit Lions need to answer against the Giants

By Zack Moran

Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions watches the final seconds of the clock run down during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 31-24. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions watches the final seconds of the clock run down during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 31-24. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 29: Strong safety Sean Davis #28 of the Pittsburgh Steelers breaks up a pass intended for tight end Michael Roberts #80 of the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 29: Strong safety Sean Davis #28 of the Pittsburgh Steelers breaks up a pass intended for tight end Michael Roberts #80 of the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

2. Who is going step up for the tight ends?

The Detroit Lions tight corps went through a major overhaul this past offseason. The Lions decided to cut bait with Eric Ebron. Darren Fells left for greener pastures in Cleveland. The only returning tight end was a fourth-round pick, Michael Roberts. Roberts only caught four passes and mostly regulated to blocking last season. The Lions went out and signed Luke Willson and Levine Toilolo in the offseason. They also had Hakeem Valles on the practice squad.

I was looking for one of the tight ends to step up and take hold of the top tight end spot against the Raiders. Surprisingly it was Valles who stole the show. He caught two passes for 23 passes and looked smooth in his routes and had soft hands. Roberts got the majority of snaps but failed to catch his only target. Willson saw limited snaps and he also failed to register a catch.

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Willson looks to be the favorite for the No. 1 job because of his receiving and blocking abilities. Toilolo is a big blocking behemoth of a tight end. Roberts has had an up and down camp, but I don’t think they will cut bait with him that quick. Even though Valles has been a camp darling, he might be on the outside looking in. His receiving abilities offer intrigue, but his blocking needs improvement.

The biggest question will be is if the Lions will carry four tight ends this year. Usually, they only carry three, but every single one of them is making a case for the roster. The Browns played the Giants last week, and their tight ends walked all over them. David Njoku caught two passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns. This is the game for the tight ends to show what they can bring to the table.

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