Lions 2025 Week 1 Depth Chart

The Detroit Lions begin the 2025 regular season with a showdown against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Below is a depth chart prediction for the Lions in their season-opener, complete with inactives and injuries the team is dealing with at this point in the season.

Quarterback

Starter: Jared Goff
Backup: Kyle Allen

Goff begins his fifth season as the Lions' starter. Allen won the backup job in the preseason with a strong showing, and the Lions have confidence in his ability to lead the offense if he has to enter for any reason.

Running back

Starter: Jahmyr Gibbs
Backup: David Montgomery
Reserves: Craig Reynolds, Jacob Saylors
Injured/Inactive: Sione Vaki (Out with hamstring injury)

The Lions signed Saylors to the active roster Saturday after Vaki was ruled out. By adding Saylors to the active roster, there's an indication that the Lions may be without Vaki for multiple weeks. Reynolds is also available to step up in the event of an injury.

Wide receiver

Starters: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa
Backups: Kalif Raymond, Dominic Lovett

The Lions will carry all five receivers into Sunday's game, as both TeSlaa and Lovett will make their NFL debuts. After a strong preseason in which he usurped Tim Patrick, TeSlaa will be looking to prove that his big training camp was no fluke. Raymond and Lovett will likely both be playing big roles on special teams.

Tight end

Starter: Sam LaPorta
Backup: Brock Wright
Reserve: Shane Zylstra
Injured/inactive: Kenny Yeboah (Injured reserve)

The Lions elected to go with Zylstra over Zach Horton, and the veteran will likely have a special teams role in addition to certain packages on offense. LaPorta and Wright form a solid tandem of tight ends, which gives the Lions some flexibility.

Offensive line

Starters: Taylor Decker (LT), Christian Mahogany (LG), Graham Glasgow (C), Tate Ratledge (RG), Penei Sewell (RT)
Backups: Kayode Awosika (OG/OT), Kingsley Eguakun (C), Giovanni Manu (OT).
Injured/inactive: OG Miles Frazier (PUP), OT Jamarco Jones (Injured reserve), OG/OT Colby Sorsdal (Injured reserve), OT Justin Herron (Injured reserve)

Tate Ratledge is expected to make his first-career start at right guard, while it will be Christian Mahogany's second-career regular season start. The interior offensive line is one o f the biggest question marks on this year's team early on. Elsewhere, Manu is active for the first time in his NFL career.

Defensive tackle

Starters: DJ Reader (NT), Tyleik Williams (3T)
Backups: Pat O'Connor, Roy Lopez
Reserve: Tyler Lacy
Injured/inactive: Chris Smith (inactive), Mekhi Wingo (inactive), Alim McNeill (PUP), Levi Onwuzurike (PUP)

The Lions will get creative with their defensive line, as they have two defensive tackles inactive this week. Williams will get some action in his NFL debut, with O'Connor likely to spell him in certain situations. Lopez is a nose tackle who will take some of the workload off Reader, while Lacy is active after being claimed off waivers following roster cuts.

EDGE

Starters: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport
Backup: Al-Quadin Muhammad
Injured/inactive: Tyrus Wheat (inactive), Josh Paschal (NFI)

All eyes will be on Hutchinson in his return from injury. He had a strong camp, and will be expected to have a big impact in Sunday's game. The Lions will likely utilize some of their versatility at the defensive tackle position with just three active EDGE rushers Sunday.

Linebacker

Starters: Jack Campbell (MIKE), Alex Anzalone (WILL), Derrick Barnes (SAM)
Backups: Zach Cunningham (MIKE/WILL), Grant Stuard (WILL)
Reserves: Anthony Pittman (Elevated from practice squad)
Injured/inactive: Trevor Nowaske (Out with elbow injury), Malcolm Rodriguez (PUP), Ezekiel Turner (Injured reserve)

Detroit has strong depth at the linebacker position, and all six are expected to contribute in some capacity. In addition to the three starters, Cunningham and Stuard are capable of spelling the two above them when needed. Pittman will likely be a special teams stalwart as the team's lone practice squad elevation this week.

Cornerback

Starters: D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson (Nickel)
Backups: Rock Ya-Sin, Avonte Maddox, Khalil Dorsey
Injured/inactive: Ennis Rakestraw (injured reserve)

Will Sunday be the start of Arnold's breakout? The 2024 first-round pick is viewed as a potential breakout candidate and will start opposite of free agent signing D.J. Reed on Sunday. Ya-Sin, Maddox and Dorsey are all veterans who could step up in a pinch.

Safety

Starters: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch
Backups: Daniel Thomas
Injured/inactive: Thomas Harper (inactive), Dan Jackson (injured reserve)

Like the EDGE position, the Lions can be creative in the event of an injury. Joseph and Branch will play every down, but if needed the team could turn to Thomas, Ya-Sin or Maddox.

Specialists

Kicker: Jake Bates
Punter: Jack Fox
Holder: Jack Fox
Long-snapper: Hogan Hatten
Kick returners: Grant Stuard, Craig Reynolds
Punt returner: Kalif Raymond

The Lions didn't bring any competition into camp for Bates, Fox or Hatten, so the trio was able to bank all the available reps. Stuard showed some ability as a return man throughout the preseason, and will likely be paired with either Reynolds or Saylors back deep. Raymond will handle punts after a strong year in this department last year.