The offseason activities and minicamp have come to an end for the Detroit Lions. After the open practice sessions, it feels like we have a better grasp on the Lions roster and how it might shake out when the final cuts down from 90 to 53 may look.
Here’s my early stab at what the initial 53-man roster will look like after the final preseason game and the end of training camp.
Quarterbacks - 2*
Starter: Jared Goff
Reserve: Nate Sudfeld
On the initial 53-man roster, the expectation is for the Lions to only keep two quarterbacks. But there’s a necessary asterisk to that projection.
Rookie Hendon Hooker isn’t going anywhere. However, even though he’s looking good in his progress from knee surgery, it still seems unlikely he begins the regular season on the active roster. Instead, Hooker projects to start on the non-football injury list. That opens up a roster spot elsewhere and buys more recovery time for Hooker. Sudfeld’s growing mastery of the offense helps facilitate stashing Hooker instead of rushing him into readiness.
Running backs - 4
Starter: David Montgomery
Reserves: Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Jason Cabinda (FB)
There are two questions here:
–How many do the Lions keep, four or five?
–Who makes it after Montgomery and Gibbs?
I came away from the minicamp week with any question about Cabinda possibly not making the team effectively eliminated. The battle for the RB spots after the top two will be one of the biggest competitions during training camp and preseason. Jermar Jefferson and Mohamed Ibrahim are capable backs left on the cutting room floor here.
Wide receivers - 6
Starters: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams*, Marvin Jones
Reserves: Kalif Raymond, Josh Reynolds, Antoine Green
There is an asterisk for Williams because he will miss the first six games due to suspension. That almost certainly means the Lions will keep an extra receiver. But I don’t expect that player to make the initial 53-man roster.
Instead, it will be a player who gets waived initially and then quickly re-signed once Williams’ suspension officially kicks in. Early guess: Maurice Alexander, who can contribute as the return specialist.
Tight ends - 3
Starter: Sam LaPorta
Reserves: Brock Wright, James Mitchell
This is perhaps the most unsettled position group on the entire roster. LaPorta will certainly play a lot as a second-round rookie, though there could be games where he doesn’t “start” for the Lions. He should get the most passing targets of the TEs, too.
Wright feels safe as the returning starter and jack-of-all-trades type of tight end. Mitchell should get more playing time in his second season after missing most of his rookie year recovering from knee surgery. However, Shane Zylstra and Derrick Deese Jr. could conceivably play their way onto the roster with strong summers.
Offensive line - 9
Starters: LT Taylor Decker, LG Jonah Jackson, C Frank Ragnow, RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, RT Penei Sewell
Reserves: OT Matt Nelson, C Ross Pierschbacher, OL Colby Sorsdal, IOL Graham Glasgow
The starting lineup is set and won’t change unless injuries force the issue. Of course, injuries have been an ongoing issue for the line. Vaitai didn’t play in 2022 due to back surgery, while Ragnow is dealing with a toe injury that has bothered him since missing most of 2021.
It’s because of those durability concerns — Ragnow will seldom practice — that the projection here includes an extra lineman. Glasgow returns to Detroit with major injury concerns of his own after his three-year Denver stint. Sosrdal, the team’s fifth-round pick from William & Mary, is a college tackle but is learning guard as well.
Defensive tackles - 4
Starters: Alim McNeill, Christian Covington
Reserves: Brodric Martin, Isaiah Buggs
The top four here are pretty well established already, though the exact pecking order and playing time is still up for competition–with McNeill as the clear top dawg.
This is another position where the Lions could choose to keep an extra player, but this projection draws upon the positional versatility of some of the defensive ends to kick inside. If the team opts to keep five DTs on the active roster, a battle between Benito Jones, Levi Onwuzurike (if cleared to play) and UDFA rookies Chris Smith and Cory Durden figures to be highly competitive in training camp and preseason.
EDGE - 6
Starters: Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris
Reserves: Josh Paschal, John Cominsky, James Houston, Romeo Okwara
All six listed here feel very safe, though the sequence is still to be determined. Paschal and Cominsky can also move inside in packages, while Harris and Houston can handle some situational reps at linebacker.
Julian Okwara did not make the cut here, but he’s certainly capable of making the team. Anyone else is fighting to make the practice squad
Linebackers - 6
Starters: Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell
Reserves: Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Anthony Pittman
It’s a matter of time until Campbell, the No. 18 overall pick, takes over a starting role from either Barnes or Anzalone. The latter is beloved by the coaching staff for his mastery of the defense and leadership. Barnes could stay on the field when the team goes to three LBs.
Detroit almost exclusively deploys two off-ball backers, but the reserves here are the core of the special teams units. Keep an eye on UDFA Trevor Nowaske as a potential party crasher here.
Cornerbacks - 6
Starters: Cam Sutton, Jerry Jacobs, C.J. Gardner-Johnson (slot)
Reserves: Will Harris, Brian Branch, Starling Thomas
PUP: Emmanuel Moseley
Moseley’s recovery from ACL surgery complicates the picture here. He projects as a starting outside CB, or to at least compete with Jacobs for that role. From an observational standpoint, Moseley was clearly behind Hooker in the level of activity he was performing with trainers in minicamp. Newcomers Sutton and Gardner-Johnson are clear starters.
Harris and Branch, a second-round rookie, are positionally versatile. Harris took snaps at every CB and safety role over the last two seasons, while Branch effectively did the same at Alabama. Thomas is the lone UDFA projected to make the team. The speedy UAB product offers real potential on the outside.
Safeties - 4
Starters: Tracy Walker, Kerby Joseph
Reserves: Saivion Smith, Ifeatu Melifonwu
Walker’s return to health after missing most of 2022 is a huge boon. He and Joseph give the Lions a pair of starting safeties who can play multiple styles of coverage.
Smith and Melifonwu are both converted cornerbacks coming off injuries. With their versatile backgrounds and the volume of CBs who can also double as safeties, it’s probably fairer to list all the non-outside CBs as “defensive back” rather than differentiating positions.
The durability concern with the depth here leaves the door open for someone like Brady Breeze or UDFA Brandon Joseph to seize a spot.
Specialists - 3
Kicker: Michael Badgley
Punter: Jack Fox
Long snapper: Jake McQuade
Fox will be the punter; we know that much. The other two spots are subject to summer competition. Badgley was one of the “winners” of minicamp simply by not kicking and letting competitors John Parker Romo and Riley Patterson struggle. McQuade and Scott Daly are battling for the long snapper role and it’s completely up in the air.
