While the Detroit Lions still have from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday, August 26 at 4pm EST to make a decision about their final 53-man roster, there are a few assumptions to be made about which direction the team will be going in after another loss in the preseason.
The Lions dropped their final preseason game to the Houston Texans by a final score of 26-7. The only score of the day came at the hands of Kyle Allen and Isaac TeSlaa. After that the offense, mostly led by Hendon Hooker after the first quarter, struggled to get anything against the Texans pass rush.
Additionally, getting stops on the Texans felt like pulling teeth. The "on the bubble" EDGE players for the Lions featured in this one, like Isaac Ukwu and Mitchell Agude, barely did anything to warrant another look ahead of roster cuts. And, pass breakups were far and in between for a secondary that couldn't stop getting their hands on the ball against the Miami Dolphins last weekend.
It was a fairly boring final game ahead of these major cuts, but at the same time, it helped to answer a ton of questions about players that were truly 50-50 options for Detroit ahead of the roster deadline. An asterisk next to a player's name in this prediction indicates they are a rookie.
53-man roster prediction following Lions' final preseason game
Quarterbacks (2)
Jared Goff
Kyle Allen
Hooker couldn't buy yards in this contest, marking his third game in a row of being completely outmatched by Allen in contrast. A stark stat: Allen had five touchdowns and no turnovers in his last three preseason games, whereas Hooker had three interceptions and zero touchdowns over that same stretch of time.
It's always hard to say it's over for a 3rd round pick, especially as the team genuinely though this would be the year Hooker could finally get the QB2 role in earnest with a healthy training camp and preseason under him. Instead, Allen outplayed him completely, and Hooker's on the chopping block now.
Wide receivers (6)
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Isaac TeSlaa*
Jackson Meeks*
Tim Patrick
Kalif Raymond
Outside of the obvious starters (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams), the Lions happened upon an interesting battle for WR3 between the veteran Tim Patrick and rookie Isaac TeSlaa. TeSlaa was, by far, the Lions' best rookie in preseason, and it has started to lead to some wondering if Patrick could end up being a trade chip to make room for TeSlaa's development as a starting WR3.
That's a bit too rich for the blood right now, though, with the likeliest outcome being Patrick gets a majority of the reps at WR3 to begin the year, and TeSlaa getting some playcalls designed for him here and there in red zone or 3rd and long situations.
Jackson Meeks also eeks out a role over fellow rookie Dominic Lovett here, with Meeks ending up a gunner alongside Kalif Raymond to begin the year. Look for Lovett to land right with the practice squad if available.
Running backs (4)
Jahmyr Gibbs
David Montgomery
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki
Sione Vaki makes the cut here, but one running back that wouldn't be a shock to see make the cut on the final roster is Jacob Saylors. The former UFL product had a really solid preseason, rushing for 80 yards on 24 total carries.
He clearly has explosiveness in his back pocket, but was held back by his inability to stop running right into defenders at times.
Vaki should be getting that spot over him, though. The Lions have to see what they've got from their 2024 4th rounder when he's healthy, and he's a solid RB4 behind Craig Reynolds, David Montgomery, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Tight ends (3)
Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra
The Lions simply didn't get enough of either Steven Stilianos or Gunnar Oakes to justify not keeping their current TE1 through TE3 order in place. LaPorta will be back as top dog int his group, with Wright and Zylstra adding solid blocking depth to the room.
Offensive line (10)
Penei Sewell
Taylor Decker
Tate Ratledge*
Graham Glasgow
Christian Mahogany
Dan Skipper
Giovanni Manu
Netane Muti
Jamarco Jones
Kayode Awosika
The Lions' starting line of Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Tate Ratledge, Graham Glasgow, and Christian Mahogany is very strong despite the substraction of Frank Ragnow from the equation. Regardless, their backups of Dan Skipper and Giovanni Muti have looked really good in preseason and training camp.
EDGE (4)
Aidan Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Nate Lynn
Hutchinson and Davenport got no burn in preseason, but they've apparently looked elite in training camp. The Lions' broadcast crew commented on Davenport's dedication to getting more durable this offseason during the game against the Texans, which is a great thing if you're Hutchinson and looking for solid help at the pass rush.
Al-Quadin Muhammed and Nate Lynn, fittingly, were the best EDGE players for Detroit in their preseason bout against the Texans. They managed to team up for one sack during the contest, and both just seemed to have major fire under them compared to the rest of the room.
While Trevor Nowakase looked spry, it felt a bit too little, too late. Other EDGE rushers vying for a spot didn't look too inspiring in the final game vs. the Texans - Isaac Ukwu and Mitchell Agude, specifically.
READ MORE: Update on Lions pass rusher is sure to ramp up calls for re-signing Za'Darius Smith
Defensive line (5)
DJ Reader
Tyleik Williams*
Keith Cooper Jr.*
Roy Lopez
Pat O'Connor
Brodric Martin had to have a great training camp and preseason in order to secure a spot on this roster as another 2023 draft pick still vying for a role with Detroit. Unfortunately, he just didn't impress enough. He's taken a lax approach to this year's camp, but he's been notably outworked by rookie Keith Cooper Jr.
Tyleik Williams, a first round pick by the Lions in this year's draft, also impressed in training camp and in his limited playing time in preseason. There's a reason why neither he or Ratledge played much in preseason once they showed face against the Atlanta Falcons - Detroit's coaching staff had seen enough from both.
Linebackers (6)
Alex Anzalone
Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Grant Stuard
Zach Cunningham
Anthony Pittman
No surprises here outside of perhaps Nowaske missing out on the Lions' linebacker room. Anzalone is playing after receiving a weirdly minuscule tweak to his contract with the Lions, Campbell has been dubbed the captain of the defense, and Barnes comes back as one of Detroit's more underrated defenders.
Stuard, who is also likely to get some action as a punt returner and gunner in this year's special teams unit, is the perfect, hard nosed Swiss Army knife this team needed to snag this offseason.
Cornerbacks (6)
Terrion Arnold
Amik Robertson
D.J. Reed
Nick Whiteside**
Rock Ya-Sin
Kahlil Dorsey
This is where things get tricky. Despite some great preseasons for Luq Barcoo and Tyson Russell, they're sacrficed to make way for Kahlil Dorsey, Rock Ya-Sin, and Nick Whiteside on the depth chart. These are solid backups to starters in Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, and D.J. Reed. It's tough carving this room out given how talented they have all been in this year's camp and in preseason.
Whiteside makes the cut after signing with the team from the XFL this offseason, hence the double asterisk.
Safety (4)
Kerby Joseph
Brian Branch
Ian Kennelly*
Avonte Maddox
As a tidy bow on one of the Lions' best stories in training camp, the team picks up Ian Kennelly to be on their final roster. The Michigan native started for two preseason games, finishing up with a total of 11 tackles. He's looked better and better as camp has gone on, sponging up as much information as he can from veterans Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
He beats out Loren Strickland and Erick Hallett in this scenario.
Special teams (3)
Jake Bates
Jack Fox
Hogan Hatten
Arguably the best unit for the Lions, the team keeps all three special teams players on their final roster. Jack Fox remains in contention as the league's best punter.
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