Lions' Post-OTAs 53-Man Roster Prediction

The Detroit Lions have wrapped up organized team activities, and the last long break before the start of the NFL season is officially here.

Detroit has had to deal with some adversity as of late, with Frank Ragnow announcing his retirement after seven seasons and leaving the Lions in need of a new anchor for their offensive line.

Overall, there are several difficult decisions the Lions will need to make as they assemble their roster into it's final form at the conclusion of training camp.

Here's my prediction for the Lions' 53-man roster following the conclusion of OTAs.

Quarterback (2)

In: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
Out: Kyle Allen

The Lions will have plenty of opportunities to evaluate Hooker's development in game situations. In addition to the extra preseason game, the Lions will also have at least one joint practice with opponents.

As a result, a more clear picture of the player that Hooker is should be formulated. He had good spurts last year in the preseason, and the Lions are still betting on his upside. Allen may provide a stiff test, but Hooker should do well enough to remain the Lions' backup.

Running back (4)

In: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki
Out: Kye Robichaux, Anthony Tyus III

The Lions' affinity for special teams versatility will like play a huge role in why they carry four running backs into the regular season. Vaki was a special teams ace last season, and could see an increased role in his second campaign as he continues to develop as a running back.

Gibbs and Montgomery give the Lions one of the NFL's most exciting backfield tandems in the league. Meanwhile, Reynolds is an experienced veteran who has a strong understanding of the team's pass-protections.

Wide receiver (6)

In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett
Out: Ronnie Bell, Jakobie Keeney-James, Tom Kennedy, Jackson Meeks, Malik Taylor

The Lions have a solid nucleus of talent at the wide receiver position, with St. Brown leading the way while looking to put together his third-straight All-Pro season. He's joined by Williams, who is once again expected to have a huge year, and a pair of veterans in Patrick and Raymond.

TeSlaa and Lovett add unique skill sets to the group as well, with TeSlaa being a big and fast wideout with great hands while Lovett is a smaller, shiftier wideout who is consistently a yards after catch threat.

Tight end (3)

In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra
Out: Kenny Yeboah, Luke Deal, Zach Horton

LaPorta and Wright are set in stone as the top two tight ends, with LaPorta looking to build on a strong finish and Wright trying to provide his trrademark reliability.

Zylstra is competing with several players for that third spot, but his familiarity with the Lions' offensive scheme should give him an upper hand.

Offensive line (10)

In: Graham Glasgow, Tate Ratledge, Christian Mahogany, Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Trystan Colon, Dan Skipper, Miles Frazier, Gio Manu, Kayode Awosika
Out: Jamarco Jones, Colby Sorsdal, Michael Niese, Mason Miller, Netane Muti, Kingsley Eguakun

The Lions have some turnover on the offensive line with the departure of Kevin Zeitler and most recently Frank Ragnow's retirement. Detroit will need to get two new interior offensive line starters in the mix, which is why drafting Ratledge and Frazier and signing Colon has a lot of value.

Glasgow is expected to be the player that the LIons turn to first for snaps at the center position. However, Ratledge has the build to succeed in that spot and may be the organization's long-term answer.