We’re just over a week away from the Detroit Lions opening training camp for the 2026 season. With that in mind, I figured now was a good time to give my own perspective on the team’s 90-man roster and what it may look like after the dust of camp and the preseason has settled. Obviously, the outlook of this projection will change over the next month as the players jockey for spots. But here’s how I believe the roster stands before the players take the field.
Quarterbacks (2)
QB Jared Goff
QB Teddy BridgewaterQB Luke Altmyer
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I am not counting out rookie UDFA Luke Altmyer winning a roster spot by the end of training camp, but the much more likely scenario is that he sticks around on the practice squad to continue his development. But if he balls out in the preseason, it could produce an interesting conversation.
Running backs (4)
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
RB Isiah Pacheco
RB Sione Vaki
RB Jacob SaylorsRB Kye Robichaux
RB Jabari Small
Gibbs through Vaki are essentially locks to me. The question is whether Detroit should carry a fourth running back. Generally, they do, and when the Lions chose Saylors over Craig Reynolds last season, I think it was a revelation of how much they value his special teams.
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Tight ends (3)
TE Sam LaPorta
TE Brock Wright
TE Tyler ConklinTE Zach Horton
TE Thomas Gordon
TE Miles Kitselman
The Lions have recently only kept three tight ends on their roster, but I do wonder if last year’s depleted depth will make them reconsider in 2026. It’s hard for me to pick between Horton, Gordon, and Kitselman with little observations on each.
If Drew Petzing plans on running more 13 personnel in Detroit, the Lions would almost certainly keep a fourth. However, they also invested highly in their wide receiver group, so I’m not convinced 13 personnel is coming to Detroit. Therefore, I’m keeping three tight ends for now.
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Wide receivers (6)
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
WR Jameson Williams
WR Isaac TeSlaa
WR Greg Dortch
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
WR Dominic Lovett
WR Jackson Meeks
WR Tom Kennedy
WR Tay Martin
WR Lawrence Keys
WR Lucky Jackson
WR Tarik Black
WR Malik Cunningham
When I made my initial picks for the 53-man roster, I was only at 52 players with Dominic Lovett out. He’s thus far underwhelmed as both a receiver (too many drops) and special teams (just 50 snaps his rookie season). However, Detroit invested in him, and he could see a Year 2 jump. I very much considered Jackson Meeks here, especially considering I went light at tight end, but I still think he is a work in progress at both WR and TE.
Offensive tackles (4)
OT Blake Miller
OT Penei Sewell
OT Larry Borom
OT Giovanni Manu
OT Devin Cochran
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Giovanni Manu was also one of my last players in. Admittedly, he may spend most weeks as an inactive in this role, but I do think Detroit would be willing to give him one more year to develop. After all, Larry Borom is only on a one-year deal. I’m still giving Manu a shot to become the OT3 of the future, even if if the door to a starting offensive tackle job is closed for him.
Interior offensive linemen (6)
iOL Christian Mahogany
iOL Cade Mays
iOL Tate Ratledge
iOL Ben Bartch
iOL Miles Frazier
iOL Juice Scruggs
iOL Seth McLaughlin
iOL Melvin Priestly
iOL Michael Niese
iOL Mason Miller
OL Colby Sorsdal
I do like the depth here, and I think the Lions would be wise to keep as many of these players as they can. Barch and Scruggs are two experienced players who provide solide depth. Frazier will not only compete for the starting left guard spot, but he brings tackle versatility and has plenty of potential entering his first training camp (after missing all of last year’s practices).
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I’m not sure anyone else on the depth chart can realistically challenge for a starting position, but I am admittedly intrigued by Seth McLaughlin. It’s just hard to see him winning the backup center job after Detroit traded for Scruggs.
Edge defenders (3)
EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
EDGE DJ Wonnum
EDGE Derrick MooreEDGE Ahmed HassaneinEDGE Payton Turner
EDGE Anthony Lucas
EDGE Eric O’Neill
Three edge defenders sounds like a small amount, and I would have loved to find a place for Ahmed Hassanein or Payton Turner, but the truth is there is enough versatility among the defensive tackles to complement this group. Hutchinson, Wonnum, and Moore are all more “rush” ends, while Tyler Lacy and Levi Onwuzurike can play the “big” end roles in this defense.
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That said, Hassanein, Turner, or even Anthony Lucas could very much convince me to keep fourth over someone like Manu.
Defensive tackles (6)
DT Alim McNeill
DT Tyleik Williams
DT/EDGE Levi Onwuzurike
DT/EDGE Tyler Lacy
DT Skyler Gill-Howard
DT Jay TufeleDT Chris Smith
DT Myles Adams
DT Aidan Keanaaina
DT Mekhi Wingo
DT Tyre West
I like this group a lot. McNeill and Williams will both hold down the nose and three-tech spots. Onwuzurike and Lacy can play anywhere from the 3-to-5 tech. Gill-Howard should bring some much-needed interior pass rush, and Tufele takes the backup nose tackle roles lost by DJ Reader and Roy Lopez. I briefly considered rookie UDFA Aidan Keanaaina over Tufele, but it’s too early for me to bank on an undrafted rookie unseating a veteran.
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Linebackers (5)
LB Malcolm Rodriguez
LB Jack Campbell
LB Derrick Barnes
LB Jimmy Rolder
LB Damone ClarkLB Trevor Nowaske
LB Erick Hunter
LB Joe Bachie
Five linebackers is not a lot for the Lions, but their push for more nickel sets gives me a little more comfort in leaving this position shorthanded. Nowaske was one of the final players out on my roster, and he could very well win a job over Clark given his special teams skills. But I think Clark brings a little more proven defensive help while not taking a significant step back on special teams.
Cornerbacks (6)
CB D.J. Reed
CB Rock Ya-Sin
CB Ennis Rakestraw
CB Roger McCreary
CB Keith Abney
CB Khalil DorseyCB Nick Whiteside
CB De’Shawn Rucker
CB Aamaris Brown
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Detroit is going to need some cornerback depth after moving on from Terrion Arnold, and this will certainly be a competitive room in training camp. I wanted to find room for Whiteside, but the truth of the matter is that even after his awesome “Legion of Whom” performance, he only played 11 defensive snaps and 53 special teams snaps the rest of the season. Khalil Dorsey, meanwhile, is one of the most valued special teamers on the roster.
Safeties (5)
S Kerby Joseph
S Avonte Maddox
S Chuck Clark
S Christian Izien
S Thomas HarperS Dan Jackson
S Loren Strickland
PUP list: S Brian Branch
Branch to the PUP is a no-brainer after coach Dan Campbell sounded pretty pessimistic about his chances to heal by training camp. Joseph’s situation is much harder to predict, but I’m taking the optimistic route, because it certainly seems like the Lions safety has done everything he can to make it back on the field in 2026.
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As for the depth, I do have a feeling there could be only one roster spot up for grabs between veterans Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark, but I am more comfortable keeping both on the roster given the uncertainty surrounding the room. Izien and Harper round out the room with both youth and special teams upside.
Specialists (3)
K Jake Bates
P Jack Fox
LS Hogan Hatten
No competition. No surprises.
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