The Detroit Lions took a 16-14 loss at Paycor Stadium to the Cincinnati Bengals, and that game offered a fresh look at how the 53-man roster picture is shaping up for 2026.
At running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors are projected to stay in. Trayveon Williams, Jabari Small, Kye Robichaux and Raheem Blackshear are out.
Saylors has taken advantage of Vaki being injured, while Vaki’s status has drawn skepticism. Even so, head coach Dan Campbell still described Vaki as one of the top special teams players on the roster.
The receiver group looks deeper. Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch and Tay Martin are in, while Dominic Lovett, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Malik Cunningham, Tom Kennedy, Lucky Jackson and Tarik Black are out. Kendrick Law is listed on IR.
Campbell recently singled out Martin when discussing who has stood out in the receivers room, and Martin can strengthen his case with more plays in camp. Lovett, meanwhile, didn’t do enough in the preseason opener.
At tight end, Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin are the projected keepers. Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton and Jackson Meeks are out. Meeks still has a shot, but he has to stack better practices and show more in preseason games if he wants to push the Lions into keeping four tight ends.
Up front, the offensive line projection includes Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch and Seth McLaughlin. Devin Cochran, Michael Niese, Melvin Priestly, Colby Sorsdal and Mason Miller are out, while Giovanni Manu is on NFI and Cade Mays is injured. McLaughlin was solid in pass protection against the Bengals, but his run blocking still needs to take a big step forward to stay in the mix.
On the defensive line, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Tyler Lacy, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard and Chris Smith are in. Tyre West, Mekhi Wingo and Myles Adams are out.
Wingo is hard to justify keeping because of the lack of impactful plays and the injuries that have followed him. Gill-Howard helped his case with a strong first showing, including athletic pursuit of Bengals quarterback Josh Johnson.
At edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, D.J. Wonnum, Derrick Moore and Ahmed Hassanein make the cut, while Payton Turner, Anthony Lucas, Eric O'Neill and Ben Stille do not.
Hassanein drew a lot of praise after his standout showing against Cincinnati. Turner, a free agent defensive end, has yet to make an impact while working back from a back injury, and his path to the roster looks shaky unless he gets healthy and contributes soon.
Linebacker projects to include Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin White, Malcolm Rodriguez, Trevor Nowaske and Erick Hunter. Troy Reeder, Joe Bachie, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Damone Clark are out, and Jimmy Rolder is injured. Hunter put together a solid week at camp and has already caught the eye of special teams coach Dave Fipp.
In the secondary, D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Nick Whiteside, Keith Abney, Khalil Dorsey and Christian Izien are in, with Aamaris Brown, Roger McCreary and Ryan Cooper Jr. out. McCreary has had a rough start to camp and has not done enough to lock down a spot in a room where others have stepped up.
At safety, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Dan Jackson and Thomas Harper are projected to make it. Loren Strickland is out, while Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are both on PUP. The Lions should feel comfortable if Clark and Maddox open the season in starting roles.
Jake Bates is in at kicker, Jack Fox at punter and Hogan Hatten at long snapper.
In Other News...
Lions Suddenly Face A Real Test At Center Up Front
Cade Mays injury has quickly turned a routine training camp storyline into a real depth-chart issue for the Lions up front. A wrist problem is expected to keep the center out for a stretch, and it comes at a moment when the team is already managing another absence inside, with Juice Scruggs working back from a soft tissue injury.
That leaves Detroit sorting through its internal options at a spot that asks for steady communication and reliability every snap. Seth McLaughlin and Michael Niese are the names being discussed most as possible stopgaps, and the reaction around the team has been mixed, with some fans uneasy about the uncertainty while others trust the coaching staff to piece the line together until everyone is available again. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Need Backfield Help More Than Fans Realized
Training camp has already made the Lions backfield a little thinner than it looked on paper, and Detroit responded by adding a familiar type of depth piece in Trayveon Williams. The former Bengals, Chargers and Browns running back arrived with a reputation built more on special teams than on offense, which makes him a practical camp addition for a team trying to keep its backfield functional while injuries have piled up.
Williams, a sixth-round pick in 2019, brings experience and versatility to a room that suddenly needs both. He is now in the mix for a roster job, and for Detroit the bigger issue is less about splash than about finding dependable insurance as camp keeps testing the position group. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have An Anthony Richardson Decision Worth Watching
The backup quarterback spot has become a real point of interest in Detroit after Teddy Bridgewaters retirement left the Lions sorting through options behind Jared Goff. They brought in Joshua Dobbs and added rookie Luke Altmyer, but the position still carries some uncertainty for a team trying to keep its depth chart sturdy heading into the season.
Anthony Richardson only adds to the intrigue. Indianapolis has already moved forward with Daniel Jones as its starter and is looking for a trade partner for Richardson, and his latest preseason outing offered another reminder of why he remains one of the more watchable young quarterbacks in the league. For a Lions team keeping an eye on every available arm, that kind of situation is the sort worth monitoring closely. [Read more 🡒]