Training camp and the preseason are over for the Detroit Lions, and now they have their initial 53-man roster set. While there could be some changes over the course of the next few days, there's not likely to be any seismic changes. With that in mind, we're ready to take a crack at what the Lions' depth chart could be Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Here's what we got:
Position |
Starter |
Backup |
Backup |
QB |
Jared Goff |
Kyle Allen |
|
RB |
Jahmyr Gibbs |
David Montgomery |
Craig Reynolds |
WR1 |
Amon-Ra St. Brown |
Dominic Lovett |
|
WR2 |
Jameson Williams |
Kalif Raymond |
|
WR3 |
Isaac TeSlaa |
||
TE |
Sam LaPorta |
Brock Wright |
Shane Zylstra |
LT |
Taylor Decker |
Jamarco Jones |
|
LG |
Christian Mahogany |
||
C |
Graham Glasgow |
Kinglsey Eguakun |
|
RG |
Tate Ratledge |
Kayode Awosika |
|
RT |
Penei Sewell |
Giovanni Manu |
The big notable one here is that we're projecting the Lions will give Isaac TeSlaa the WR3 job over Tim Patrick. At this point, he's shown both in the preseason and in training camp with the first team that he can help the offense in a big way with his blocking ability as well as his ability to put some chunk plays on the board. That's why the Lions felt so comfortable that they traded Patrick away to the Jaguars.
Outside of that, we have the Lions' new offensive line with Glasgow taking over at center, Mahogany at left guard, and Ratledge at right guard. The group has looked good in the summertime. Let's see how they do in Week 1.
One of the interesting notes is that the Lions kept all of their centers. Glasgow, Eguakun, and then Trystan Colon is on the practice squad. They wanted to cover all bases on this one.
Position |
Starter |
Backup |
Backup |
Edge |
Aidan Hutchinson |
Al-Quadin Muhammad |
|
DT |
Tyleik Williams |
Mekhi Wingo |
Tyler Lacy |
DT |
DJ Reader |
Roy Lopez |
Chris Smith |
Edge |
Marcus Davenport |
Tyrus Wheat |
|
LB |
Jack Campbell |
Derrick Barnes |
Trevor Nowaske |
LB |
Alex Anzalone |
Grant Stuard |
Zach Cunningham |
Nickel |
Amik Robertson |
||
CB |
D.J. Reed |
Rock Ya-Sin |
|
CB |
Terrion Arnold |
Khalil Dorsey |
|
S |
Brian Branch |
Avonte Maddox |
|
S |
Kerby Joseph |
Daniel Thomas |
Jack Campbell has the greendot now, and he's going to be the quarterback of the defense going forward. From everything we've seen from him in his career and this summer, he's ready for this shift for sure.
The defensive line depth is certainly interesting, to say the least. Davenport looks significantly better than he did last summer, and that might make the Lions feel comfortable enough to where they don't feel like they need to bring Za'Darius Smith back. Wheat will be behind him. It might seem like they're ultra thin there right now, but guys like Lacy, Wingo, O'Connor, and Nowaske can rotate in as pass rushers, too. On top of that, the open roster spot can be used to bring up Isaac Ukwu or Keith Cooper Jr. We'll see what they try to do.
Position |
Starter |
Kicker |
Jake Bates |
Punter |
Jack Fox |
Long Snapper |
Hogan Hatten |
The most comfortable players at training camp in 2025. These guys had no challenges for their jobs, and they pretty much just hung out and kicked field goals and punts off to the side all summer. They're all very good at what they do; that's why there was never a challenge.
Injury list type |
Player |
Reserve/PUP |
Alim McNeil |
Reserve/PUP |
Miles Fraizer |
Reserve/PUP |
Levi Onwuzurike |
Reserve/PUP |
Malcolm Rodriguez |
Reserve/NFI |
Josh Paschal |
Injured Reserve |
Dan Jackson |
Injured Reserve |
Justin Herron |
Injured Reserve |
Ennis Rakestraw |
Injured Reserve |
Colby Sorsdal |
Injured Reserve |
Ezekiel Turner |
Injured Reserve |
Kenny Yeboah |
The good news is that the guys on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI can come back this season. Onwuzurkie is not expected to return this year, but the rest of the guys are, and they could be back sooner rather than later. The guys on injured reserve are done for the year.
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