As the Lions’ 2026 roster countdown moves into the 70s, the names on the list start to feel a lot less like placeholders and a lot more like players who could matter before long. This is the part of the ranking where depth, development, and opportunity all start to collide - and for Detroit, several of these guys are going to be in the mix for real snaps this season.
At the top of this group is defensive tackle Jay Tufele at No. 70.
He was brought in late this offseason to help sort out the nose tackle spot after DJ Reader and Roy Lopez left in free agency. Nothing is guaranteed for Tufele, but he brings real NFL mileage with seven starts, 46 games, and more than 760 defensive snaps, including 473 over the last two years combined.
Just ahead of him sits interior offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin at No. 69.
His path has already taken a sharp turn in a short time. Two years ago, he won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football, but a torn Achilles late in that season wrecked his draft stock.
Cincinnati signed him as a UDFA, he was cleared to practice not long after, and still never made the Bengals’ roster, spending his rookie year on the practice squad. There was a route for him to make noise in Detroit, but the Lions’ additions of Cade Mays and Juice Scruggs make that road a lot steeper.
For now, he looks like a long shot to open camp on the 53.
Colby Sorsdal checks in at No. 68 after sliding for a second straight year. He was 40th on the 2024 list, then 64th last year, and now the fall continues.
He looked like he might miss the roster last season before injury sent him to injured reserve. He’s working at offensive tackle now, but the numbers game is rough with Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, and Giovanni Manu all seemingly ahead of him.
Defensive tackle Myles Adams lands at No. 67 and basically holds steady from a year ago. He spent all of 2025 on the practice squad without a call-up, and while Detroit’s defensive tackle depth is not especially deep, Adams is 28 and running out of time to make a strong enough case.
At No. 66 is edge rusher Anthony Lucas, one of the more intriguing developmental bets in this range. He turned heads at Lions minicamp after getting into a fist-throwing scuffle, but the buzz around him started before that.
He was the highest-ranked player in Detroit’s UDFA class by Consensus Big Board, and he came out of high school as a five-star recruit. The production never matched the recruiting hype, but the Lions are clearly hoping they can unlock something there.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer comes in at No. 65.
He’s already drawn praise for his intelligence and his huge confidence, and there’s also been some appreciation for his arm strength. Still, he’s got to prove he can actually run an NFL offense before anyone starts talking seriously about him as a 53-man roster piece, and that likely means a long preseason audition.
Safety Loren Strickland is No. 64, and his climb has been blocked by the sheer volume of additions at the position. Detroit has brought in Dan Jackson, Thomas Harper, Avonte Maddox, Chuck Clark, and Christian Izien over the last two years, which is a crowded lane for anyone trying to break through. There had been some hope Strickland could grow into a useful special teams player, but the depth chart has made that harder.
The first draft pick to show up on the countdown is also the final selection from Detroit’s 2026 class: defensive tackle Tyre West at No. 63.
That placement says something about the roster’s depth, even if it also means West has work to do. Under Brad Holmes, draft picks have rarely been cut in year one, but nothing is being handed to him.
Wide receiver Jackson Meeks lands at No. 62 after moving up from 77th last year. His rookie season brought only two game appearances and a few dozen special teams snaps, but there’s now some renewed optimism that the 2025 undrafted player could carve out a future at tight end, where he’s been getting work since the middle of last season. Even so, that remains a project, and another year on the practice squad would not be a surprise.
Dan Jackson rounds out the group at No. 61, and like Strickland, he’s been squeezed by the influx of safeties. Even so, Jackson has something working in his favor: he was a standout special teamer at Georgia, and Detroit is still looking for another four-core specialist. He’s also trying to get back on the field after missing his entire rookie season with an injury.
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