Brad Holmes Does It Again
The draft is over and Brad Holmes just reminded everyone why he’s the best general manager this franchise has ever seen. After what felt like a rare off year in 2025, Holmes got back to doing what he does best: finding talent and building depth where the Lions need it most.
The Lions bulked up on defense in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, and now they look like a very deep group. This is what competent front office work looks like, people.
Way Too Early 53-Man Roster Projection
With all the new faces on the roster, let’s take a swing at what the Lions’ 53-man roster could look like come late August. Fair warning: this is about as predictable as a Dan Campbell fourth down call, which is to say anything can happen.
Quarterback
Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater, and Luke Altmeyer round out the quarterback room. The Lions have their starter and backup sorted, but keeping a third quarterback in Altmeyer makes sense. He gets the ball out quickly and doesn’t make mistakes. Sometimes that’s all you need from a QB3.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, and Sione Vaki get the nods here. The Lions didn’t draft a running back, which tells you they feel good about what Pacheco brings to the table. This also proves they still believe in what Vaki can become.
Jacob Saylors, Kye Robichaux, and Jabari Small are on the outside looking in.
Wide Receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams lead the way, followed by Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, draft pick Kendrick Law, and Jackson Meeks. Tom Kennedy, Malik Cunningham, and Dominic Lovett don’t make the cut.
Picking Law likely means Lovett needs to step up big time at camp. Law should get plenty of special teams work early, but he’ll have to wait his turn behind Dortch for meaningful offensive snaps.
Tight End
Sam LaPorta, Tyler Conklin, and Brock Wright hold down the fort. Not much changing here since the Lions didn’t draft a tight end. That tells you Holmes feels pretty good about what he’s got. Miles Kitselman should make the practice squad based on his blocking ability alone.
Offensive Line
Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Cade Mays, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, Juice Scruggs, and Ben Bartch make the roster. Giovanni Manu, Melvin Priestly, Colby Sorsdal, Michael Niese, Devin Cochran, and Seth McLaughlin are out.
The Lions should feel a hell of a lot better about their offensive line depth right now. They’ve got starting quality players at each spot and solid backups. For Manu to make the roster, he needs to show something special this summer.
Defensive Line Gets Deep
Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNiell, Tyliek Williams, Derrick Moore, D.J. Wonnum, Ahmed Hassanien, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Anthony Lucas make the team. The Lions might still add a veteran edge rusher in free agency, but even without one, this is a good group with plenty of versatility.
Anthony Lucas gets the nod over Tyre West because Lucas has a more defined role. West is a tweener without a clear plan yet.
Linebackers
Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Jimmy Rolder, Malcolm Rodriguez, Damone Clark, and Trevor Nowaske all make it. Congratulations, basically everyone survives the cut. The real question is what happens at Will linebacker in 2026. Rolder is the future there, but he might not be ready to step in immediately.
Secondary Gets Loaded
At cornerback: Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, Keith Abney, Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw, and Rock Ya-Sin make the roster. Khalil Dorsey, Nick Whiteside, De’Shawn Rucker, and Aamaris Brown don’t.
At safety: Kerby Joseph, Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper, and Dan Jackson get spots. Brian Branch lands on the PUP list to start the season, though Holmes said both Branch and Joseph are trending in the right direction.
The Lions have stacked the secondary with depth after getting torched by injuries there last season. Smart move.
Special Teams Stays Put
Jake Bates, Jack Fox, and Hogan Hatten keep their jobs. Nothing changing here and no reason to expect any changes for a long time.
The Bottom Line
This Lions team is deeper than last season’s squad, and the draft helped them find guys who can start in 2026 plus others who can contribute later this year or in 2027. Holmes built this roster the right way, and it shows.
Think this 53-man projection is spot on or did we completely whiff on some positions? Let us know which cuts you think we got wrong in the comments.
