Following the Detroit Lions’ 17-13 preseason victory at Ford Field on Saturday, Aug. 22, the team has only three practices and one preseason game remaining for players on the bubble to make a case for landing on the 53-man roster.
Jobs will be won and lost in the coming weeks, but a number of players toward the bottom of the depth chart at their respective positions have already locked up spots.
Here’s our latest projection for what the Lions’ initial 53-man roster could look like after cutdown day.
Quarterback (2)
In: Jared Goff, Luke Altmyer
Out: Josh Dobbs
Dobbs has had a lackluster training camp and hasn’t done much in the preseason to make me feel better about his ability to command the offense in the event that something happens to Goff. He can get back on the 53-man roster with a strong week at practice and the preseason finale; maybe he just needs a little more time to find his rhythm. But right now, I just don’t see it with him. Altmyer, on the other hand, has grown a ton throughout the last month and is worth keeping around as a lottery ticket at the game’s most important position, even if his preseason performances haven’t been sensational.
Running back (4)
In: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors
Out: Jabari Small, Raheem Blackshear, Trayveon Williams
The Lions’ depth running backs have made this a pretty interesting competition, but ultimately, I think there’s only one spot open. Saylors has been impressive rushing the football during preseason and brings high special-teams value while also consistently repping higher on the depth chart than the rest of the bubble players.
Wide receiver (5)
In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Greg Dortch, Isaac TeSlaa, Tay Martin
Out: Dominic Lovett, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black, Malik Cunningham, Tom Kennedy
If the Lions keep a fourth tight end — more on that in a second — they probably only have room for five wide receivers, which means there’s only one available spot for a bubble player. Martin has consistently drawn praise for his ability to do the little things, which could land him on the roster as a special-teams extraordinaire. But he only has two catches for 25 yards, including one against the Commanders on four targets. I think Wilson would have had a terrific chance of being WR5 before his injury against Washington.
Tight end (4)
In: Brock Wright, Jackson Meeks, Sam LaPorta, Tyler Conklin
Out: Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton
We know the Lions’ trio of LaPorta, Wright and Conklin are likely locks. The only question is whether Detroit will make room for a fourth tight end in Meeks, who led the team in receptions (four) and yards (33) and had a forced fumble on special teams that helped seal the Aug. 22 preseason win. With LaPorta’s status for Week 1 (hip) a tad uncertain, I’m going to add Meeks to the roster this time around.
Offensive tackle (3)
In: Blake Miller, Penei Sewell, Larry Borom
Out: Colby Sorsdal, Devin Cochran
NFI: Giovanni Manu
Cochran quietly held his own against the Commanders in his 2026 preseason debut. But given the versatility that Borom provides, as well as Miles Frazier’s ability to step in at tackle in a pinch, it’s hard to find a place for Cochran on the 53-man roster.
Offensive guard (4)
In: Ben Bartch, Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, Tate Ratledge
Out: Mason Miller, Melvin Priestly, Michael Niese
Bartch entered camp as a legitimate challenger for a starting guard job but could be ending it near the bubble because of his limited availability throughout. I still think the Lions are high on him and will want to keep him around as the next man up on the interior offensive line, but if he’s not back at practice this week, his standing could be in danger. I don’t see the other players on the bubble having much of a shot at sneaking their way in.
Center (2)
In: Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin
Out: None
IR to return: Cade Mays
Scruggs is firmly entrenched as the backup center and will likely be your starter in Week 1 with Mays (wrist) set to miss “significant time.” The only real question is whether McLaughlin can make it onto the 53-man roster. Given Ratledge’s resistance to the position, I think McLaughlin makes it as the backup center. But if Bartch can show something in the next week as a backup guard, perhaps the Lions will leave McLaughlin off with the potential to force Ratledge into the emergency center role.
Defensive line (10)
In: Aidan Hutchinson, Ahmed Hassanein, Derrick Moore, DJ Wonnum, Tyler Lacy, Alim McNeill, Chris Smith, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard, Tyleik Williams
Out: Ben Stille, Myles Adams, Mekhi Wingo, Tyre West, Eric O’Neill, Anthony Lucas, Payton Turner
Stille has been one of the splashier players since joining the team in camp, but given the depth Detroit has built up along the defensive line, I struggled to find a place for him. He absolutely has a chance to make the roster, though. West, meanwhile, has been uber quiet, to the point that the only thing that makes me think he’ll receive a practice squad invite is the fact that he’s a drafted rookie. I also think they could make room for Wingo, but they left him off the game-day roster nearly all of last season and he has missed ample time in camp with injury. Smith doesn’t fill up the stat sheet but fills an important role at nose tackle. Onwuzurike has potential to be a surprise cut.
O’Neill definitely has an outside shot to make the roster, but Hassanein has been the more consistent player throughout camp, and I think the Lions have enough inside-outside versatility along the defensive line to get by.
Linebacker (6)
In: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Jimmy Rolder, Malcolm Rodriguez, Devin White, Trevor Nowaske
Out: Damone Clark, Erick Hunter, Joe Bachie, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Troy Reeder
I had Rolder on IR-to-return last time around and Clark on the 53-man roster, but we haven’t seen or heard from Clark in weeks and Rolder could start practicing relatively soon. I would’ve liked to find room for Hunter, and Bachie has a legit shot at making the final group. But I’m limiting myself to six linebackers to make room for a few more players in the trenches and secondary.
Cornerback (7)
In: D.J. Reed, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Rock Ya-Sin, Keith Abney II, Nick Whiteside, Khalil Dorsey, Christian Izien
Out: Aamaris Brown, Roger McCreary, Ekow Boye-Doe, Bump Cooper Jr.
The only player I was on the fence about here was McCreary, and any further injury problems to Rakestraw or someone else would probably get him on the roster. But Izien, Abney, Rakestraw, and all three safeties we have making the roster have the ability to play nickel corner, so I’m not sweating the possibility of losing him. But he has been playing better as of late and could find a way to sneak on in the last week of camp.
Safety (3)
In: Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper
Out: Dan Jackson
PUP: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph
We’ve been given no indication that Branch or Joseph are going to start practicing in the immediate future, and even if they can get back on the practice field shortly after the start of the regular season, new league rules will allow them to practice during the four-game absence and then get back to the field in Week 5. So, for the time being, I’m going to leave them on the PUP list. Izien has the ability to play safety if need be, so the Lions are well covered at the position.
Specialists (3)
In: Punter Jack Fox, kicker Jake Bates, long snapper Hogan Hatten
Out: None
This group is locked in as the specialists trio, barring something completely unforeseen.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions 53-man roster projection: Who’s in, out entering final week?
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
