Now that training camp is about done, two rounds of player cuts are in the books and the preseason finale looms, it’s time to update the Detroit Lions 53-man roster projection.
The Lions helped provide some real clarity in their moves to get to the 80-man roster limit on Tuesday. Moving four players to the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists opened up those four roster posts and showed where the positional holes will be from those moves.
Here’s the latest set of 53-man projections, with a couple of asterisks that I’ll explain too. Note that this is just for the initial 53-man roster. Things change with waiver claims and the players on reserve lists coming back.
Quarterback - 2
Starter – Jared Goff
Reserve – Tim Boyle
The only drama is if the Lions keep the third quarterback, David Blough–who had a rotten practice Tuesday night that I cannot ignore as I write this Wednesday morning. The way the players and team talk about it, it sure feels like Detroit is only keeping two.
As for Blough’s fate, he jumps to near the top of the available QB market if he’s released (yes really, look at who is out there). I would expect him to return on the practice squad but it’s far from a given another team won’t give him a better opportunity.
Running back - 4
Starter – D’Andre Swift
Reserves – Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds, Godwin Igwebuike
FB Jason Cabinda going on reserve/PUP leaves just four in the backfield, and I strongly believe the Lions use his roster spot (temporarily) at tight end and not RB.
Igwebuike makes it over Justin Jackson and Jermar Jefferson for his return specialist ability. Jackson has at least made it an interesting battle for the last spot in the last few days with his ability to rip off long runs on the outside.
Tight end - 4
Starter – T.J. Hockenson
Reserves – Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra
Cabinda’s move to the reserve list is a godsend for Zylstra to make the 53-man roster. Zylstra beats out Devin Funchess because he’s more reliably healthy and can play the H-back role the Lions use Cabinda in (Wright can too). He’s more ready to play Week 1 than Mitchell, with the fifth-round rookie still working back to full speed from his collegiate knee injury.
Wide receiver - 6
Starters – DJ Chark, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds
Reserves – Kalif Raymond, Trinity Benson, Quintez Cephus
The three starters and Raymond are roster locks. After that, it gets dicey.
Cephus would have that fifth spot locked up if he was reliably healthy, but he’s missed a lot of practice time and also is not an asset on special teams, which leaves him vulnerable. Benson feels safe at the moment because he can play both inside and outside and has performed well on special teams, though he should probably still rent and not buy in Detroit. Tom Kennedy could edge out either or both of them and it would not be the least bit surprising, but I’ve got Kennedy out for now.
Maurice Alexander has a shot too but it’s more for his return specialist capability. Toughest position group to predict. Kalil Pimpleton has practice squad written all over him, and that’s intended as a compliment for the nifty UDFA.
Offensive line - 8
Starters – Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Penei Sewell
Reserves – Evan Brown (IOL), Matt Nelson (T), Tommy Kraemer (IOL)
The starters are set in stone. Brown is too, and Nelson sure feels that way. The last spot is not, however. Kraemer has better positional versatility than Logan Stenberg and has generally been the better player for nearly all of the last two seasons, but Stenberg–almost exclusively a right guard–is making a late charge with his fantastic preseason game in Indy.
Detroit could keep nine here too. Dan Skipper has quietly performed pretty well as the second-string left tackle. The loser of the Kraemer/Stenberg battle would almost certainly be claimed by another team, so if the Lions fear too much not being able to hold onto him, a ninth spot makes some sense.
Defensive line - 9
Starters – Aidan Hutchinson (DE), Charles Harris (DE), Alim McNeill (DT), Michael Brockers (DT)
Reserves – John Cominsky (DE), Austin Bryant (DE), Jashon Cornell (DT), Isaiah Buggs (DT), *Julian Okwara (DE)
No drama among the starters. Bryant and Cominsky have both solidified roles with excellent summers. Cornell has consistently been the No. 3 DT and takes most of the first-team reps when Brockers sits out practices. Buggs gets better by the week as McNeill’s backup.
Okwara gets the asterisk. His status is a complete variable, but I’ll offer this as my guess as to what happens: I think Okwara makes the first 53-man roster but then immediately goes on IR so he’s not lost for the season; if he gets placed on IR before cutdowns, he’s done for the year. It’s a natural move when the Lions make a successful waiver claim off another team’s cutdowns.
Hard to leave Demetrius “Sawed-off” Taylor off the 53. I wouldn’t rule out Taylor pushing out Cornell, who has faded since playing very well early in the summer. Sixth-round James Houston needs a year on the practice squad as he completes his transition from off-ball LB to pass rusher. There is some minor risk another team poaches Taylor after cutdowns.
As for Levi Onwuzurike–good question. I can see him making the 53 and then immediately being flipped to IR. My guess right now is that he winds up going on I.R. before the cutdowns and is lost for the season.
Linebacker - 5
Starters – Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez
Reserves – Derrick Barnes, Chris Board, Anthony Pittman
I feel very confident that Anzalone, Rodriguez, Barnes and Board all make the final roster, with Anzalone and Rodriguez both getting starting nods. Board offers open-field speed and is a proven special teams fanatic from his days with the Ravens.
Pittman gets the No. 5 nod for the specialized role of SAM rusher. It’s basically a stand-up pass rusher lining up just outside or behind the DE on the TE side of the formation, and it’s one the Lions use a lot against 2-TE sets. Pittman has been better in that role than Jarrad Davis more consistently, and Pittman is also clearly the more reliable special teamer.
Josh Woods is a tough cut. Do not rule him out; Woods can close in a hurry, tackles well and does himself favors on special teams.
Cornerback - 8
Starters – Amani Oruwariye, Jeff Okudah, AJ Parker
Reserves – Jerry Jacobs*, Will Harris, Bobby Price, Mike Hughes, Chase Lucas
Oruwariye is locked in as one starter. Okudah and Harris are fighting for the other outside starting spot, and Parker returns in the slot.
Jacobs earned the asterisk because he’s currently on the PUP list, but it’s the active PUP list. That means he will be ready before Week 5, but not necessarily Week 1. Jacobs hasn’t practiced yet. My belief (today anyway) is that Jacobs’ status keeps Hughes on the roster to start the season for depth purposes. Hughes is definitely on the bubble, as is Lucas.
Price is probably the Lions’ best special teams player and he’s shown growth as an outside CB. I don’t think his roster spot is in any real jeopardy. Lucas backs up the slot as a rookie, but he’s vulnerable if the Lions like someone cut by another team more than the 25-year-old who can only play inside.
Saivion Smith is the toughest cut, and I do absolutely believe he’ll be claimed by another team.
Safeties - 4
Starters – Tracy Walker, DeShon Elliott
Reserves – Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu
Providing Melifonwu is healthy–he’s currently out with an injury–this foursome should be very secure. The biggest question comes with the No. 5 safety and if the Lions keep five.
In this projection, they let C.J. Moore (and JuJu Hughes) slide off the initial 53-man roster with the understanding that either vet can come back right away. Could Moore, an experienced defender who is an asset on special teams, make the final 53? Absolutely.
This is where the balance of an extra WR or DL or CB makes the roster projection complicated. Because Will Harris can play safety in a pinch and Chris Board has safety-like qualities for certain packages, the Lions could get away with just four to start.
Specialists - 3
Long snapper – Scott Daly
Punter – Jack Fox
Kicker – Austin Seibert
Daly and Fox are uncontested in their spots. Seibert gets the nod at kicker over Riley Patterson for his superior leg strength, though that’s not a given at this point.
