The Detroit Lions have three preseason games in the books after previously facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins. That means it’s time for another installment of our 53-man roster projection.
As has become tradition, Jeremy Reisman and I collaborate on this projection in an attempt to give you a balanced look at where the roster sits coming out of the summer break. We come together to debate the roster, fight for our favorites, and compromise when possible. We will publish updated collaborative editions of the 53-man projection throughout training camp. Then, at cutdowns, we will each publish our own projections.
Let’s get started.
Note: An asterisk (*) denotes the player is a rookie
Quarterbacks (2)
Jared Goff
Kyle Allen
Hendon Hooker
Dan Campbell ensured there was no question about who the current leader for the backup job is, but now the question is whether the Lions will keep Hooker around as a third. The best case I can make for it is that he’s still on a cost-controlled rookie contract, and I’m not putting further development out of the question. However, this is a championship-level ballclub right now, and roster spots are too valuable. Keeping only two quarterbacks likely means adding one after cutdowns, because Hooker is unlikely to clear waivers. A brand-new practice squad QB is far from ideal, but it’s the hand Detroit has been given.
Running back (4)
Jahmyr Gibbs
David Montgomery
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki
Jacob Saylors
Deon Jackson
With Vaki returning from a hamstring injury and shining in the preseason game against the Dolphins, he likely put to rest any lingering thoughts of the Lions needing to make adjustments to this group. The top four backs look set, and the final preseason game against the Falcons will likely focus on Saylors and Jackson battling for a spot on the practice squad.
Wide receiver (7)
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Tim Patrick
Kalif Raymond
Isaac TeSlaa*
Jackson Meeks*
Dominic Lovett*
Tom Kennedy
Ronnie Bell
Jakobie Keeney-James*
Malik Taylor
Jackson Meeks has done everything right to earn a spot. He’s been productive, he blocks his ass off, he plays special teams, and per Dan Campbell, he’s “improved every day, every week.”
Erik and I debated for a long time whether Meeks had become WR6 or if he had warranted keeping a seventh receiver. While I was initially against the idea, Lovett is Detroit’s best option to back up Kalif Raymond for both this year and the future. With a shortened offseason due to injury, I think the Lions will want to keep Lovett around to see his development through. In the meantime, he can still contribute on special teams.
Meeks could also make an argument for Patrick’s spot, but we think Brad Holmes will value the experience and trustworthiness Patrick brings.
Tight end (3)
Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra
Zach Horton*
Steven Stilianos
Gunnar Oakes
One of the positions we considered reducing in order to make room for Meeks was tight end. Zylstra maintains a lead over Horton for the TE3 position, but there’s an argument to be made that neither has done enough to warrant a spot beyond a practice squad elevation. At the end of the day, the Lions surely would prefer the convenience of having a third option on the roster, for offense and special teams, and keeping the experienced veteran makes sense.
Offensive tackle (4)
Penei Sewell
Taylor Decker
Dan Skipper
Giovanni Manu
Jamarco Jones
Mason Miller*
Gunner Britton
It’s interesting to see Jamarco Jones jump Giovanni Manu in playing time, but I don’t think the second-year offensive tackle is in any danger of losing his roster spot. Dan Skipper had a relatively quiet day against the Dolphins, which is always a good thing for a tackle. And with him now playing the left and right side, Skipper’s roster spot feels safer than ever.
Interior offensive line (5 + 1 PUP)
Graham Glasgow
Christian Mahogany
Tate Ratledge*
Kayode Awosika
Kingsley Eguakun
Trystan ColonNetane Muti
Michael Niese
Zack Johnson
Active/PUP: Miles Frazier*
When Colon went down with an injury, an opportunity to seize the backup center job opened up for Eguakun opened and he appears to have grabbed it. He’s made steady progress over the last couple of weeks and has separated himself from Niese in their competition. Muti had a solid last game, reminding us not to rule him fully out just yet, but Awosika has looked strong as a guard-flexible reserve.
Defensive end (5)
Aidan Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Josh Paschal (Active/NFI)
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Nate Lynn
Ahmed Hassanein* (injured)Mitchell Agude
Isaac Ukwu
We’re making a few assumptions here. One, we’re assuming Dan Campbell sticks to his word that Josh Paschal could return to practice in early September. The only way that happens is if the Lions take him off NFI; otherwise, he’d have to be sidelined from practice and games for the first four weeks of the season, minimum.
The other assumption is that the Lions are getting bad news on Hassanein’s injury from Saturday night. Campbell seemed to indicate it could sideline him a little bit, which may not be as bad as it sounds. As long as it’s not a season-ending injury, the Lions could be well-positioned to handle his injury. If they place him on one of the two IR-to-return spots at roster cutdowns, it would open up an opportunity for a guy like Nate Lynn, who is having a strong preseason. Then, when Hassanein is back and ready, he could return after a minimum of four weeks.
Defensive tackle (5 + 2 PUP)
DJ Reader
Tyleik Williams*
Roy Lopez
Pat O’Connor
Keith Cooper*
Chris SmithMyles Adams
Brodric Martin
Active/PUP: Alim McNeill, Mekhi Wingo
While we are optimistic on Paschal, we’re less optimistic on Wingo’s potential return, which opens up a fifth roster spot on the defensive line. Last week, we considered Chris Smith for the role, but Cooper’s positional range and consistent early opportunities from the coaching staff have won us over. Not only is Cooper the primary 4i with O’Connor filling in at 3-technique, but he’s also been repping at the 3T and nose tackle in pass rushing situations. We’d love to see more on-field production out of Cooper, but he’s steady enough against the run to fill a need on the roster.
Linebacker (6 + 1 PUP)
Alex Anzalone
Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Grant Stuard
Trevor Nowaske
Zach Cunningham
Anthony Pittman
Ezekiel Turner
DaRon Gilbert
Active/PUP: Malcolm Rodriguez
We’re sticking with what we’ve had for this room for several weeks now. Nowaske is a special teams fiend and the team’s best backup SAM linebacker. While Cunningham has looked like a savvy vet this preseason. They could always do some weird roster gymnastics by cutting someone like Cunningham (who isn’t subject to waivers as a veteran) and immediately bringing him back. But as of now, there’s no reason to do so.
Cornerback (5)
Terrion Arnold
D.J. Reed
Amik Robertson
Rock Ya-Sin
Khalil Dorsey (Active/PUP)
Erick Hallett
Nick Whiteside
Tyson Russell
D.J. Miller
Luq Barcoo
Allan George
Here’s where the cut for Meeks comes. In a perfect world, we’d love to have room for a sixth corner, but with Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox cross-training at both safety and corner, we felt comfortable with the team’s depth in the secondary. If we were to find a roster spot for another defensive back, the decision was down to Hallett and Whiteside. Last week, we leaned towards Whiteside because of his coverage skills, but Hallett’s positional range to play all five defensive back spots, ability to fill gaps in run support, and decent coverage skills have put him in the lead. Unfortunately, we deemed Meeks too valuable to expose to waivers, and Hallett becomes player 54 on the roster.
Safety (4)
Brian Branch
Kerby Joseph
Avonte Maddox
Ian Kennelly*
Loren Strickland
Morice Norris
The room looks thin, but Rock Ya-Sin has been repping at safety for weeks now and may even be considered a full-time safety at this point. Regardless, he’s an option. Additionally, if Erick Hallett makes the team or the practice squad, he could always be an emergency option, as well.
While I thought Loren Strickland had a strong game against the Dolphins, Kennelly has now repped ahead of him for several weeks, both on defense and on special teams. Strickland is a great candidate to be put on the practice squad.
Specialists (3)
Jack Fox (P)
Jake Bates (K)
Hogan Hatten (LS)
Life is easy for these three right now.
At a glance, here’s a look at our current 53-man roster projection: