2023 Detroit Lions 53-man roster prediction
The Detroit Lions‘ first preseason game is in the books as they walked away with a 21-16 win over the New York Giants on Friday night at Ford Field. Now, the Lions shift their attention to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are coming to town for a pair of joint practices and preseason games. Here is my latest prediction on what I believe the 2023 Lions‘ 53-man roster will look when training camp concludes.
Quarterbacks (2)
- Jared Goff
- Teddy Bridgewater
I have been including Teddy Bridgewater on my 2023 Detroit Lions 53-man roster prediction articles since before the 2023 NFL Draft, and now, the Lions FINALLY signed him. With all due respect to Nate Sudfeld, who struggled against the Giants, Bridgewater is the no-brainer for the No. 2 QB spot.
Running Backs/Full Backs (4)
- David Montgomery
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Craig Reynolds
- Jason Cabinda (FB)
Justin Jackson was previously a lock to make the Detroit Lions roster out of camp, but he unexpectedly decided to retire. For now, I am going with four running backs so that I can add a player at another position.
Wide Receivers (6)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Josh Reynolds
- Marvin Jones
- Kalif Raymond
- Denzel Mims
- Dylan Drummond
I was one of the only writers to have Drummond on my Detroit Lions 53-man roster prediction last week, and in my eyes, he is still deserving of a spot. New to my list this week is Denzel Mims.
Tight Ends (3)
- Sam LaPorta
- Brock Wright
- James Mitchell
Consider this position locked up at this point.
Offensive Line (8)
- Frank Ragnow
- Taylor Decker
- Penei Sewell
- Graham Glasgow
- Jonah Jackson
- Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Matt Nelson
- Colby Sorsdal
I thought about adding one more offensive lineman to the mix but decided to roll with an additional defensive lineman.
Defensive Line (11)
- Aidan Hutchinson
- James Houston
- Romeo Okwara
- Charles Harris
- Josh Paschal
- John Cominsky
- Alim McNeill
- Isaiah Buggs
- Brodric Martin
- Levi Onwuzurike
- Matt Ioannidis (Not currently on roster)
Though Matt Ioannidis isn’t currently on the 2023 Detroit Lions roster, he’s an available free-agent defensive lineman whose inclusion would undeniably enhance the team’s run defense. If the Detroit Lions opt not to sign Ioannidis, I would recommend considering Benito Jones or Julian Okwara as a viable alternative.
Linebackers (6)
- Alex Anzalone
- Jack Campbell
- Derrick Barnes
- Malcolm Rodriguez
- Anthony Pittman
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Consider this position group set in stone.
Cornerbacks (5)
- Cameron Sutton
- Jerry Jacobs
- Will Harris
- Chase Lucas
- Starling Thomas
EVERYBODY has been highly impressed with Starling Thomas during training camp. As a result, I believe he is a LOCK to make the 2023 Detroit 53-man roster at this point. With Emmanuel Moseley currently on the PUP list, Chase Lucas has earned a place on the initial roster. However, once Moseley is back in practice, the position will undoubtedly be his.
Safeties (5)
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Kerby Joseph
- Tracy Walker
- Brian Branch
- Ifeatu Melifonwu
Consider this position group set in stone.
Special Teams (3)
- PK Riley Patterson
- P Jack Fox
- LS Scott Daly
Last week, I predicted that Jake McQuaide would steal the long-snapper job from Scott Daly, but I must have jinxed him because he was cut this past week.
