The Math on This Roster Is Absolutely Brutal
The Detroit Lions roster is stacked. That much is obvious when you look at the 91 players in training camp right now. Gone are the days of 2021 when maybe 10 guys were safe and everybody else was fighting for their lives. This is the opposite problem, and honestly, it is a good problem to have.
After going through all 91 players on the roster, 91 because of Ahmed Hassanien’s international exemption, one number jumps out. 41 players are locked into making the 53-man roster. That leaves only 12 spots open.
Think about that. You have got roughly 50 players fighting for 12 spots. There is no room for mistakes, no room for trouble, no room for anything. You want to make it, you have to be damn near perfect.
The Locked-In 41
These guys are making the roster barring catastrophe. Jared Goff. Teddy Bridgewater. Jahmyr Gibbs. Isaiah Pacheco. Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jameson Williams. Issac TeSlaa. Greg Dortch. Sam LaPorta. Brock Wright. Penei Sewell. Christian Mahogany. Cade Mays. Tate Ratledge. Blake Miller. Juice Scruggs. Miles Fraizer. Larry Borom.
On defense, you have Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, Alim McNeill, D.J. Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Tyler Lacy, Sklyer Gill-Howard, Ahmed Hassanien, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Nick Whiteside, D.J. Reed, Roger McCreary, Keith Abney, Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Christian Izien, Thomas Harper, and Chuck Clark.
That is 41 names you can write in pen. Everyone else is in pencil.
The 12 Spots Up For Grabs
So who makes it? Here is the current best guess, and yes, this is subject to change the second someone gets hurt or makes a ridiculous play in practice.
Wide receiver Dominic Lovett. He has looked better and better as the weeks have gone on. The return game belongs to Greg Dortch. That job is his to lose. Lovett is making plays in the return game, he can be a gunner, and he has flashed on offense too. He is in.
Tight ends Tyler Conklin and Jackson Meeks. Detroit is going to want extra tight ends. Conklin fits what they want to do. He is a really good blocker, and now that he is healthy and on the field, we are going to get to actually see what he looks like. Meeks is in because of the versatility, the hybrid receiver-tight end role. He is getting better. The Lions look at him and say, we want to grow with that guy.
Running back Jacob Saylors. A couple of weeks ago this would have been Sione Vaki. But Vaki’s injury, the fact that Jahmyr Gibbs is back at practice, the fact that they signed Raheem Blackshear, all of it is adding up. I do not know if Vaki’s injury problem is something they can just look the other way on anymore. It sucks because I really had high hopes for him. I bought in big time. At this point, I do not know anymore.
Edge rusher Levi Onwuzurkie. He is starting to look good, starting to show some stuff out there. Tyler Lacy is ahead of him as part of the locked-in group, but Onwuzurkie is really starting to show it. I believe in what he has got going on.
Linebacker Devin White. Look, he is not the All-Pro, Pro Bowler that he used to be. But White still brings a lot in terms of veteran leadership and veteran presence. In the run game, he can be great for this team. Concerned about how he plays in coverage, but he is going to earn a spot.
Cornerback Avonte Maddox. The only thing with Maddox is figuring out where he plays. He could play nickel, he could play slot cornerback, he could play safety. So can Christian Izien, Keith Abney, and Roger McCreary. It looks more and more like Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are going to be ready early in the season. You have got Thomas Harper, the veteran presence of Chuck Clark. So many other guys are safer than Maddox right now, but he still makes the 12.
Special teamer Khalil Dorsey. Really good special teamer. He might be the best gunner in the league. You are going to be happy you held on to him when your special teams unit looks good.
Defensive tackle Myles Adams. I like his run-stuffing ability. He could be that bottom-end-of-the-roster type who you are happy to have around for goal-line sets and situations where you really need to stuff the run. The only big question is what he can do beyond that.
Linebacker Damone Clark. Good in coverage, good against the run. He has had some injury issues in the past, but when healthy he has looked really good. Detroit is not in a spot where they need to rely on his health, so you take what you can get out of him.
Edge rusher Anthony Lucas. The undrafted free agent is someone the Lions want to stash on the 53-man roster. You might not see him play at all, but if he can develop into the player they think he is, he is going to be really good.
Running back Sione Vaki. He is a good special teamer. I just think his running back days are probably over. Lions fans are not going to be happy about that. They traded up to get him.
Nobody Beyond the 41 Is Safe
Those are the 12 right now. Even some of those guys in the locked-in 41, maybe you are not the safest dudes in the world. If you are not in this 12, you need to find a way to get yourself in it.
This is what a good roster looks like. This is what Brad Holmes has built. 50 guys fighting for 12 spots. Hell of a position to be in.
Who do you think makes the cut? Are we underrating someone or completely overrating a guy who has no business being here? Drop your take below.
