The Detroit Lions are down to one preseason game, and the final roster decisions are starting to come into focus on defense.
Saturday’s win over the Commanders gave a few bubble players a real chance to help themselves, and a handful did exactly that. EDGE Derrick Moore made a strong first impression in his preseason debut, picking up one of Detroit’s two sacks in the game.
D.J. Wonnum had the other.
Moore also finished with two total pressures and two defensive stops, then earned a 70.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
That showing matters because Moore and Wonnum are both in the mix for the starting EDGE job opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Wonnum appears to be ahead right now, but Moore has kept himself in the conversation. At the very least, the University of Michigan product has put himself in position to earn real snaps as a rookie.
Skyler Gill-Howard also kept building his case. The 2026 sixth-round pick turned in another productive outing and looked every bit like a player who’s making it hard for the Lions to leave him off the 53-man roster. He played 23 snaps against Washington and posted a 76.7 PFF overall grade.
Dan Campbell has clearly taken notice.
"... He knows he’s not a huge guy, but he knows who he is and he knows how he has to play,” Campbell said about Gill-Howard in the postgame.
“And he plays with high effort and he’s crafty, man. He’s explosive and he’s violent.”
Ben Stille also had some moments, working at both nose tackle and the “Big End” spot. But despite a solid showing, the 28-year-old free-agent addition - who last played for the Buccaneers and Cardinals - still looks like a long shot for the roster.
The same can’t really be said for Moore and Gill-Howard, whose stock went up, or for Myles Adams, Tyre West and Eric O'Neill, whose chances took a hit. Adams and O'Neill didn’t get on the field until the fourth quarter, and West didn’t play at all.
That kind of usage says plenty about where they stand with the coaching staff heading into next Saturday’s preseason finale against the Colts. Each seems likely to be left off the opening roster.
In the secondary, Nick Whiteside had the roughest day of the bunch. He had been trending in the right direction before Saturday, but against Washington he gave up 69 receiving yards on three catches, including 55 yards allowed on the boundary to Nick Nash. It was a difficult afternoon for Whiteside, and he’ll need a much cleaner outing against Indianapolis if he wants to keep his momentum.
Here’s the rest of the Lions’ bubble list entering the final week of the preseason: Thomas Harper, Ahmed Hassanein, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Mekhi Wingo, Tyler Lacy, Chris Smith, Aidan Keanaaina, Anthony Lucas, Joe Bachie, Erick Hunter, Troy Reeder, Aamaris Brown, De'Shawn Rucker, Loren Strickland and Dan Jackson.
In Other News...
Lions Could Raid Ben Johnsons Bears For Help After Cutdowns
As the roster churn settles after cutdowns, the Lions could be watching Chicago a little more closely than usual. The Bears have a few players who may draw interest around the division, and Detroit is in the kind of spot where depth pieces, special teams help and insurance at more than one position can matter just as much as splashier additions.
Kyler Gordon is the most intriguing name in the group because of his versatility, while Roschon Johnson could appeal as a physical back with room to fit into a rotation. Jamree Kromah is more of a developmental flier, but those are the kinds of low-cost bets teams often make in late August. Nothing is guaranteed, and it all depends on how Chicago sorts out its final roster, but Detroit has enough familiarity with Ben Johnsons new home to keep an eye on what shakes loose. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Center Battle Just Got More Unsettling Before Week 1
Detroits center picture took another hit in the preseason game against Washington, when reserve center Michael Niese went down with a right knee injury and did not return. Niese had been in line to compete for the starting job, so his absence matters beyond just one preseason outing. It trims down a position group the Lions were already sorting through as they try to settle the middle of the offensive line before Week 1.
Dan Campbell acknowledged the situation, and now the competition appears to be narrowed to Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin and Tate Ratledge. For a team that values continuity up front, every practice rep at center carries extra weight, and injuries only make the evaluation more complicated. The Lions still have options, but the path to a dependable answer in the middle looks a little less straightforward than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Rookie DT Is Flashing But One Issue Still Threatens His Role
Skyler Gill-Howard made a strong impression in the Lions preseason win over Washington, flashing the kind of disruptive presence that can turn a rookie into a quick favorite around camp. The defensive tackle earned the highest PFF grade among Detroit defenders who played at least 20 snaps, and his best moment came on a tackle for loss against the Commanders. Dan Campbell singled out his relentlessness and effort, the kind of traits that tend to travel well from August into the regular season.
Gill-Howard has already shown enough juice to make the conversation interesting, especially as a situational pass rusher with a path toward early snaps. But he also knows there is still work to do as he adjusts to the NFL, and he pointed specifically to run defense as an area he needs to sharpen. For a young lineman trying to carve out a role on Detroits front, that part of the evaluation still matters, because the flashes are real but the margin for error at defensive tackle is never very wide. [Read more 🡒]