Justin Rogers' final 2017 Detroit Lions grades

OFFENSE

Matthew Stafford, QB -- There was a three-game stretch, early in the season, when Stafford really struggled, but the overall stat line was among the best of his career. It was refreshing to see the deep pass be such an integral part of his attack in 2017, while his in-pocket movement continues to evolve. His biggest negative in 2017 were the fumbles. He put 11 on the ground, compared to seven the past two seasons combined. Grade: B+

Ameer Abdullah, RB -- Named the starter before the season by his coach and general manager, Abdullah wasn't able to hold on to the job. He finished with a disappointing 714 yards from scrimmage, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. There were some explosive gains in those totals, and he was hamstrung by poor blocking, but Abdullah shoulders a share of the blame for his performance. Grade: C

Theo Riddick, RB -- Riddick wasn't much better on the ground, averaging 3.4 yards per attempt, but played a much bigger role in the passing game than Abdullah, catching more than twice as many passes for nearly triple the yardage. Riddick dropped a few more than usual this season, but continues to be almost unstoppable running an angle route out of the backfield and remains highly elusive in the open field. Grade: B

Tion Green, RB -- The undrafted rookie got his shot late in the year and popped for a 33-yard gain on his first touch. He's clearly still in the early stages of his development and needs to learn to run behind his pads better, but showed some real promise as a short-yardage option down the stretch. Grade: B

Darren Fells, TE -- Well-rounded, but not great at any one thing, Fells scored three touchdowns on eight red-zone targets, but put a pair of possible touchdowns on the ground, including one in a narrow defeat to the Steelers. He wasn't brought in for his hands, he was brought in for his blocking, and wasn't as consistent as he needed to be in that department. For every great block, he couldn't hold the point of attack on another. Grade: C

Eric Ebron, TE -- Ebron had a dreadful start to the year, but came on strong down the stretch. His issues with drops slowed in the second half and he caught 35 of the 50 passes thrown his way the final eight games for 379 yards and three touchdowns. There was also some noticeable improvement with his blocking, particularly of the open-field variety. Grade: C+

Michael Roberts, TE -- Roberts caught just four passes as a rookie, while the team focused on developing his blocking. The progress he made in that area, from the beginning of the season to the end, was impressive. He showed a real commitment to his technique, and had some key blocks on running plays in the second half of the season. Unfortunately, his year ended on a sour note. He was suspended for the finale after missing a team meeting. Grade: B-

Marvin Jones Jr., WR -- Jones caught fewer than four passes per game, but maximized his targets, averaging a league-best 18.0 yards per reception. He proved to be a true deep threat for Stafford, catching 16 of 31 long balls for 599 of his career-high 1,101 yards. He also led the Lions with nine touchdown grabs. Grade: A-

Golden Tate, WR -- The perfect complement to Jones, Tate topped 90 catches for the fourth straight season, and 1,000 yards for the third time in four years with the Lions. One of the NFL's most elusive players, he led all receivers with 546 yards after the catch. And when the Lions needed to convert a third down, no route was as reliable as Tate running a shallow cross. Grade: A-

TJ Jones, WR -- A Week 15 shoulder injury ended his season, but it would be tough to find a non-starter who maximized his opportunities more than Jones. He caught a career-high 30 passes for 399 yards. His targets dropped significantly in the second half as Kenny Golladay got over an early-season hamstring strain, but Jones still managed to corral a number of key first-down grabs, as well as his lone touchdown, down the stretch. Grade: B

Kenny Golladay, WR -- There are times when Golladay's inexperience shines through, particularly with some unpolished route running. Still, he showcased explosive potential when healthy, catching two touchdowns in the season-opener and another in the finale. Only six players had more receptions of 40 or more yards. Grade: B-

Taylor Decker, T -- It took a couple of weeks to knock the rust off, following June shoulder surgery, but Decker seemed to be rounding back into form by the end of the year. At his best, he's a really good pass protector and arguably the team's best run blocker. Expect more success rushing to the left side in 2018. Grade: B-

Corey Robinson, OL -- The Lions tried Robinson at guard and it did not go well. He really struggled with his footwork and identifying assignments. He looked his best in the role when the team asked him to pull, showing a knack for marking his man on the move. At tackle, Robinson looked a little more at home, but lacked the consistency he seemed to be developing last year, before multiple foot injuries sidelined him for an extended stretch. Grade: D+

Graham Glasgow, C -- Glasgow displayed clear improvement, both from his rookie campaign and throughout the second season. There's still some inconsistency to shore up in pass protection, but there's signs he can be a capable run-blocking center in 2018 and beyond. Grade: B

Travis Swanson, C -- It was troubling to see Swanson suffer a season-ending concussion for the second straight year. But even before the injury, he wasn't playing well, taking a step back after breaking out in 2016. A free agent this offseason, it's looking more and more likely the Lions will go a different direction next season. Grade: D

T.J. Lang, G -- Early in the season, Lang looked good, but as the injuries mounted, his play slipped. A foot issue limited his ability to push off, and led to some glaring problems on short-yardage rushing attempts. Hopefully he can put the durability concerns behind him next season. Grade: B-

Rick Wagner, T -- Wagner battled an ankle injury for several weeks, but for the most part, looked like a good investment at right tackle. He had some pass-protection issues early in the season, but was better in the second half. He also proved to be an above-average run blocker. Grade: B+

Greg Robinson, T -- General manager Bob Quinn swung for the fences and whiffed when trading for Robinson, a former No. 2 overall pick, to fill in for Decker. The Lions found out what the Rams already knew, Robinson wasn’t cut out to handle the blindside at the pro level. A steady stream of lapses had Detroit happy to move on once Decker was cleared. Grade: F

DEFENSE

Ziggy Ansah, DE -- This grade feels too generous, but it’s impossible to ignore the six sacks the final two weeks. And prior to the pass-rushing burst, Ansah had been playing well against the run. A free agent this offseason, at a position that typically generates monster paydays, his future with the franchise will be one of the front office’s toughest decisions. Grade: B

Cornelius Washington, DE -- Washington delivered about what you would have expected. He was a physical edge setter, with a limited set of pass-rush tools, but was occasionally able to crush the pocket with brute strength. Grade: C

Anthony Zettel, DE -- Zettel made the biggest year-to-year performance jump on the roster, serving as a reliable starter after Kerry Hyder’s season-ending injury. A better pass rusher than run defender, Zettel was too prone to misdirection. His rapidly developing array of rush moves, combined with high-motor pursuit, should have him prominently figuring into the team’s future plans up front. Grade: B

A’Shawn Robinson, DT -- Robinson has jaw-dropping athleticism for his size, but it’s not seen enough. His backside pursuit to force a fumble in the season opener and pick-six against Drew Brees highlight the potential, but the down-to-down impact is average for his position. He struggled to defeat double-teams after Haloti Ngata went down and isn’t much of a pocket disrupter. Grade: C+

Akeem Spence, DT -- Spence got better as the season went on, with his biggest impact coming as a pocket agitator on passing downs. His quickness is a better asset than his strength, which shows up in his inconsistency defending the run. Grade: C

Jeremiah Ledbetter, DE -- There were sparks of potential early in the season, but the rookie was largely a non-factor late in the year. He packed on quite a bit of weight before his rookie campaign and his first full offseason with the team should focus on adding the necessary strength to complement the pounds. Grade: C-

Jarrad Davis, LB -- Lions fans got a good taste of what Davis can do as a downhill defender. He showed a knack for shooting his gap and getting into the backfield against the run. But the angles weren’t always the best, leading to far too many missed tackles. That should clear up with experience. Additionally, issues in coverage led to a role reduction in the second half. He’ll need to be better there in 2018. Grade: C+

Tahir Whitehead, LB -- Whitehead made an impressive transition into a weakside role. His biggest growth, without question, was his ability to play the run. There was noticeable improvement with his reaction time and hand usage when working against blockers. He did have lingering issues in coverage, especially when asked to track assignments to deeper portions of the field. Grade: B

Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB -- Arguably the team’s best coverage option at linebacker, Reeves-Maybin has good sideline-to-sideline speed, helping him stick with backs coming out of the backfield. The rookie’s functional strength needs to get better in year two, which will allow him to maximize his natural instincts when defending the run. Grade: C+

Nick Bellore, LB -- A multi-faceted role player, Bellore was a serviceable backup linebacker, adequately served as the team’s fullback much of the season, all while playing a key role on multiple special teams groups. Grade: C+

Darius Slay, CB -- Week in and week out, Slay drew the toughest coverage assignments, against many of the league’s premier receivers, and more than held his own. Sure, there were some bumps in the road against A.J. Green and Kelvin Benjamin, but every corner is going to lose a few snaps. Most impressive was Slay’s ball skills improvement. He led the NFL with eight interceptions, more than earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Grade: A

Nevin Lawson, CB -- Lawson took a step back in the final year of his rookie contract, allowing opposing quarterbacks to have a passer rating north of 100 when targeting him. He also lead the Lions with seven penalties, while playing 36 percent fewer snaps per game than he did the year before. Grade: D+

D.J. Hayden, CB -- Hayden was far better in coverage than Lawson. The 76.7 opposing passer rating when targeted was better than league average. But Hayden was less reliable in run support. He missed five tackles on those plays. Grade: B-

Teez Tabor, CB -- Tabor didn’t see the field consistently until late in the season, but once he did, we got a look at a versatile defender capable of playing inside and out, supporting the run and blitzing. His play in zone is probably the area that will need the most improvement going forward. Grade: B-

Quandre Diggs, CB -- Diggs rebounded in a big way from a disappointing sophomore season, first in his traditional spot at nickel, then making a surprisingly effective switch to safety in the middle of the year. While there were some understandable positioning issues that cropped up during the transition, he compensated with multiple pass breakups caused by big hits, as well as generating four turnovers. Grade: A-

Glover Quin, S -- If there was a Pro Bowl snub on the Lions roster this season, it was Quin. The veteran continues to perform at the highest levels, showing elite anticipation in both the run and pass game. That led to a number of big plays, from key third-down stops to seven forced turnovers. Grade: A

Miles Killebrew, S -- Killebrew had a promising start to the season, giving credence to preseason projections he was primed for a breakout. But when asked to take on a bigger role, he struggled to swim. The hope is it’s just a bump in the road of his development. While working toward his next opportunity, Killebrew continued to play a significant role on special teams. Grade: C-

Matt Prater, K -- Prater continued to be perfect for his career on fourth-quarter kicks that could tie the game or give his team the lead. He missed just five of his 35 field goals on the season, with four coming from 50 yards and beyond. Grade: B+

Jamal Agnew, KR/PR -- If graded just on his punt return ability, Agnew would be an A+. The rookie was electric in that department, leading the league in average, scoring twice and looking like a legit threat to house it each time he fielded the ball cleanly. He also played an intriguing role on offense, mostly as a decoy. He’s only docked here because he couldn’t port his success on punts to kickoffs. Had he qualified, his average would have been last in the NFL. Grade: B+