The Detroit Lions could have as many as nine new starters when the NFL season opens. Here’s a starting-lineup projection:

Offense

Quarterback (Matthew Stafford): He’s the starter, and there’s no question about that. He’s the only player the Lions have where if he were to be injured, the season would be in real peril. He has improved every year under Jim Caldwell and is one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the game.

Running back (Ameer Abdullah): The Lions said Abdullah was their starter after the draft, and as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be the lead guy. Theo Riddick will take a lot of snaps, particularly in two-minute and pure passing situations, and Zach Zenner should get some run, too, but Abdullah, coming off a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2016 season, is the No. 1 back.

Wide receiver (Golden Tate): He has had 90 or more catches each of the past three seasons, and two of those years, he had 1,000-plus yards as well. He consistently makes defenders miss and is dynamic in the short-to-intermediate passing game.

Wide receiver (Marvin Jones): After a hot start, Jones had a tough final two-thirds of the 2016 season. He had a career-best 930 yards, but his catches and touchdowns were inconsistent. He didn’t score after Week 6 and didn’t have more than four catches in a game from Week 5 until Week 17. He needs to be more consistent in his second year in Detroit.

Wide receiver (Kenny Golladay): In three-receiver sets, the Lions could choose to push Tate into the slot to open up room for the rookie from Northern Illinois. He impressed during the spring and has good leaping ability and a large catching range. His hands are strong, and he’s a red-zone threat. He could surprise this season.

Tight end (Eric Ebron): He’s the starter, although on run downs in one-tight-end sets, Darren Fells might spell him. He set career highs for catches and yards last season and is a prime candidate for a breakout year if he can stay healthy.

Left tackle (Greg Robinson): It is a toss-up on who will fill in for Taylor Decker until he returns from shoulder surgery. The Lions traded for Robinson, who has the potential if the scheme fits match and he works hard enough. Otherwise, it’s a competition between Robinson, Cornelius Lucas, Corey Robinson and Cyrus Kouandjio for the starting spot.

Left guard (Graham Glasgow): Glasgow will be pushed by Joe Dahl and Laken Tomlinson, but he should win the job after a good rookie showing.

Center (Travis Swanson): He was one of the better centers in the NFC until a concussion ended his season in Week 13. He’s back and should be the anchor of a refurbished offensive line.

Right guard (T.J. Lang): As long as he’s healthy, the Pro Bowler will come in and replace Larry Warford without any hiccups and should open up holes for Abdullah.

Right tackle (Rick Wagner): The Lions set the market for the position and knew they needed a big upgrade. They got it in Wagner, a former Ravens right tackle who should upgrade the pass protection and be able to handle run blocks with ease. He’s part of a big investment in the offensive line.

Defense

Defensive end (Ezekiel Ansah): Will the Lions get the ascending Ansah, who was a Pro Bowler in 2015? Or was last year’s injury-plagued season, when he had only two sacks, a sign of the future? For a team that struggled rushing the passer, they have to hope Ansah returns to form in the final year of his rookie deal.

Defensive end (Cornelius Washington): Kerry Hyder will get the attention, but the Lions could end up starting Washington, who is more of a run edge setter, which the team had with Jason Jones in 2014. If Washington can provide some pass-rush pop, something he flashed during his time in Chicago, the Lions might have gotten a valuable free-agent pickup.

Defensive tackle (Haloti Ngata): He hasn’t been the Pro Bowler he was for the Ravens, but at 33 he’s still valuable and showed last season he still can make the splash play when necessary. Monitoring his reps throughout the season will be key.

Defensive tackle (A’Shawn Robinson): Last year’s second-round pick, Robinson was a starter by the end of the season and could be the team’s breakout candidate on defense this year. He has good anticipation deflecting passes and the speed to provide some pass rush inside, which Detroit lacked last year.

Strongside linebacker (Tahir Whitehead): He was Detroit’s middle linebacker last season, and while he put up good tackle numbers, there were some issues. He’ll potentially be the Sam in base situations and slide over to the weak side in the nickel, which the Lions should be in most of the time. When that happens, figure Quandre Diggs, Miles Killebrew or DJ Hayden will end up on the field as the fifth defensive back.

Middle linebacker (Jarrad Davis): The Lions are banking on the first-round pick sliding in and being a productive player immediately. He’ll call the defenses, and so far during the spring, his instincts have been good. The next question: whether his hitting, which college coaches raved about, measures up in the NFL.

Weakside linebacker (Paul Worrilow): In base sets, Worrilow could end up here (or at Sam, flipping with Whitehead). Either way, pass coverage is going to be an issue, and the two outside spots remain a question mark for the Lions heading into camp as to what they’ll get out of two high-tackle players. Rookie Jalen Reeves-Maybin could make a push here.

Cornerback (Darius Slay): The Lions’ No. 1 corner has been on the cusp of the Pro Bowl the past two seasons. Is this the year he finally gets some accolades as one of the better corners in the game? To do that, he probably needs to force more turnovers.

Cornerback (Nevin Lawson): He’s entering a contract year and will be pushed by second-round pick Teez Tabor. But Lawson has been better than people think, even if he doesn’t have the interception totals to prove it. Another year of development from Lawson could give the Lions one of the better corner tandems in the NFC.

Free safety (Glover Quin): The leader of the defense and one of the team’s emotional core players, Quin has been remarkably healthy and consistent since signing with the Lions in 2013. One of the league’s true free safeties, he is a sure tackler and someone who rarely gives up a big play. He has also been a mentor to Slay, Lawson and others.

Strong safety (Tavon Wilson): He beat out Rafael Bush for the job last year and played well in his first year with the Lions. Now? He’ll get another challenge from Miles Killebrew, who is being groomed to start at some point.

Special teams

Kicker (Matt Prater): He was a Pro Bowler last year and is one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history. The only question is if (or when) the Lions sign him to a contract extension.

Punter (Sam Martin): The best punter in franchise history, he has become one of the most consistent in the league, is a strong kickoff man and has a booming leg that was an asset last season. Can he overtake the Rams' Johnny Hekker to earn a Pro Bowl nod this season?

Long-snapper (Don Muhlbach): He’s the only Lions player with a longer tenure than Stafford, as a two-year battle with former sixth-round pick Jimmy Landes ended when the Lions cut Landes last month. Muhlbach remains to keep one of the better special-teams units in the NFL intact for another year.