The Detroit Lions are heading into training camp with plenty still unsettled on defense, and that’s created a much bigger roster bubble than the one on offense.
On Monday, the focus was the offensive side, where the Lions had just 15 players viewed as being on the bubble. Defense is a different story. With more turnover from last season and a lot of rotational jobs up for grabs, the Pride of Detroit staff came up with 20 players who could be fighting for their spots when camp opens Wednesday.
At defensive end, the lean goes toward the veteran. Payton Turner gets the edge over the younger developmental option, even with the obvious concern that his career has been slowed by injuries.
He missed all of last season with a rib injury, which keeps expectations in check, but the upside is still there. Ahmed Hassanein is in a tougher spot.
He also didn’t play last year, first because of a pectoral injury and then because he spent the rest of the season on the practice squad. He’s already won over Lions fans with his energy and nonstop effort, but he’s still new to the game and now has to handle a switch from rush edge to big end.
That’s a steep climb.
Defensive tackle is where the predictions get messy. There are multiple players competing for different interior roles, and it isn’t clear the Lions will even keep one reserve at every spot.
Tyler Lacy, who played 10 games with the team last year, is the only unanimous choice to make it. He appears to be in the mix for the same big end role as Hassanein and Tyre West.
Jay Tufele and Aidan Keanaaina are likely battling for a reserve nose tackle job, while Skyler Gill-Howard and Mekhi Wingo are both in the hunt as pass-rushing three-techs. It’s a crowded group, and the numbers don’t make the picture any cleaner.
Linebacker is another room with a lot left to sort out, though the staff’s votes were made before the Lions signed veteran Troy Reeder on Monday. The main question there is how many linebackers Detroit keeps.
The team has usually carried at least six, but with more nickel looks expected, five may be enough this time. The top four look pretty safe.
The real fight is for the fifth spot, with Nowaske offering SAM reserve ability, Damone Clark bringing experience on defense and special teams, and Reeder arriving with a resume that includes special teams captaincy and a long track record of beating the odds.
Cornerback looks more straightforward, at least for now, unless Detroit adds another player there after Terrion Arnold’s waiving. The expectation is that two starters will come from Reed, Ya-Sin, and Rakestraw.
McCreary and Abney are the main contenders for the nickel job, though both can also help on the outside. After that, the final spot comes down to what the Lions want from a CB6.
Dorsey is the clear favorite because of what he brings on special teams, but Whiteside has flashed enough at corner to keep himself in the conversation, and Detroit may want to keep developing him.
Safety is the one spot where the staff is unanimous, though that comes with a major caveat: Kerby Joseph has to come off the PUP list and be ready for the regular season. That’s still an assumption, not a certainty, and clarity should come later this week.
Behind him, the room mixes youth and experience well, with Izien and Harper on one side and Maddox and Clark on the other. Izien’s 440 special teams snaps and Harper’s 312 could also make it difficult for Jackson or Strickland to climb out of the bottom of the depth chart.
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