The preseason is over. Now Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have to turn a month of practices, three exhibition games and a whole lot of evaluation into 53 names.
Detroit’s deadline arrives at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, when every NFL team must reduce its Active/Inactive list to no more than 53 players. The league moved cutdown day to Sunday this year, creating an unusually quick turnaround after Saturday’s preseason finales.
For the Lions, several decisions became clearer during Saturday’s 25-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Others remain uncomfortable enough that Holmes could probably make three different versions of this roster and defend all of them.
After evaluating Detroit’s eight biggest remaining roster battles, here is my final prediction.
Quarterbacks — 2
Jared Goff
Joshua Dobbs
Dobbs made this call considerably easier Saturday.
The veteran completed 15 of 19 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns against Indianapolis, showing exactly the composure and efficiency Detroit wanted from the player backing up Goff.
Luke Altmyer gave Detroit plenty to think about this summer, and the QB2 competition became much closer than expected. But for a team expecting to contend immediately, Dobbs’ experience combined with his performance in the finale should win out.
Running Backs — 4
Jahmyr Gibbs
Isiah Pacheco
Sione Vaki
Jacob Saylors
Saylors removed most of the suspense Saturday by rushing for 100 yards on 17 carries.
Gibbs and Pacheco give Detroit one of the league’s most intriguing backfield combinations, while Vaki remains valuable because of his versatility and special-teams ability. Pacheco’s recent back issue also makes carrying four running backs an easy decision.
Saylors entered camp fighting for a job. He finished it looking like someone Detroit would regret exposing to waivers.
Wide Receivers — 5
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Isaac TeSlaa
Greg Dortch
Tay Martin
The first three were never in doubt. Dortch provides return ability and experience in Drew Petzing’s system, while Martin steadily separated himself from a crowded group over the final weeks of camp.
Martin added another touchdown against Indianapolis and has provided enough special-teams value to make him my WR5.
Five feels like the right number, especially with Detroit needing extra spots elsewhere.
Tight Ends — 3
Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Tyler Conklin
Jackson Meeks made this one painful.
He caught another touchdown Saturday and had one of the more impressive camps among Detroit’s bubble players. But keeping a fourth tight end would require taking a spot from a position where the Lions have a more immediate need.
LaPorta, Wright and Conklin provide enough versatility to enter the season with three.
Offensive Line — 9
Penei Sewell
Christian Mahogany
Juice Scruggs
Tate Ratledge
Blake Miller
Ben Bartch
Larry Borom
Miles Frazier
Seth McLaughlin
This group remains one of the roster’s biggest question marks.
Scruggs has emerged as the likely opening-day center while Cade Mays recovers from his wrist injury, but Detroit remains thin behind him. McLaughlin’s concussion complicates matters further, although his center experience is enough for me to keep him among the nine.
I would also expect Holmes to study every offensive lineman who becomes available following cuts. Detroit’s initial 53 does not have to be its Week 1 roster.
Defensive Line — 10
Aidan Hutchinson
Tyleik Williams
Alim McNeill
D.J. Wonnum
Tyler Lacy
Derrick Moore
Ahmed Hassanein
Levi Onwuzurike
Skyler Gill-Howard
Chris Smith
Ten defensive linemen sounds excessive until you look at the names.
Gill-Howard may have completed one of the best late roster pushes on the team. The sixth-round rookie capped his preseason with a sack and two quarterback hits Saturday, continuing a month in which his quickness and effort consistently created disruption.
Detroit’s defensive line has looked like its deepest position group throughout camp. The team’s own preseason coverage repeatedly highlighted how difficult these decisions would become, and Saturday did nothing to simplify them. Detroit entered the finale expecting several painful defensive-line decisions.
I’m finding room for 10.
Linebackers — 6
Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Devin White
Malcolm Rodriguez
Trevor Nowaske
Jimmy Rolder
Rolder is the interesting decision.
The rookie missed significant time during camp, but Detroit invested a fourth-round pick in him and may prefer keeping him on the active roster rather than sacrificing developmental opportunities.
Nowaske’s special-teams value gives him an important role behind Campbell, Barnes, White and Rodriguez.
Cornerbacks — 8
D.J. Reed
Rock Ya-Sin
Roger McCreary
Christian Izien
Nick Whiteside
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Keith Abney II
Khalil Dorsey
Eight is a lot.
Right now, I think Detroit needs eight.
The uncertainty surrounding Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph changes the secondary math, while Izien has also dealt with an injury. Abney has emerged as a legitimate nickel option, McCreary provides extensive NFL experience and Dorsey’s special-teams value makes him difficult to remove.
Rakestraw’s interception against Indianapolis was also a nice way to finish his preseason.
This group can shrink once Branch and Joseph return.
Safeties — 3
Chuck Clark
Avonte Maddox
Thomas Harper
This number looks terrifying until you get to the reserve lists.
Clark and Maddox give Detroit two experienced options while Branch and Joseph continue working toward their returns. Harper provides additional depth and special-teams ability.
The biggest decision Sunday may ultimately be what Detroit does with Branch and Joseph, because keeping both on Reserve/PUP gives Holmes two additional active-roster spots but guarantees neither can play during the first four games.
Specialists — 3
Jack Fox
Jake Bates
Hogan Hatten
No drama here.
Bates missed two extra points Saturday, but Campbell made it clear afterward that Detroit remains confident in its kicker. Fox remains one of the NFL’s best punters, and Hatten completes the trio.
Players Starting the Season on Reserve Lists
These players are not included in the 53 above, but remain part of Detroit’s plans:
Cade Mays — IR, designated to return
Giovanni Manu — NFI
Payton Turner — IR
Damone Clark — IR
Brian Branch — PUP
Kerby Joseph — PUP
The NFL’s 2026 rules require teams to make their PUP and NFI decisions simultaneously with final roster reductions, which makes Sunday particularly important for Branch, Joseph and Manu. The league’s official roster rules explain those options.
My Final 53
QB (2): Jared Goff, Joshua Dobbs
RB (4): Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors
WR (5): Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Tay Martin
TE (3): Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin
OL (9): Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Juice Scruggs, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Ben Bartch, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, Seth McLaughlin
DL/EDGE (10): Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, Alim McNeill, D.J. Wonnum, Tyler Lacy, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard, Chris Smith
LB (6): Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin White, Malcolm Rodriguez, Trevor Nowaske, Jimmy Rolder
CB (8): D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary, Christian Izien, Nick Whiteside, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Keith Abney II, Khalil Dorsey
S (3): Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper
Specialists (3): Jack Fox, Jake Bates, Hogan Hatten
TOTAL: 53
The Initial 53 Will Not Be the Final 53
That part is worth remembering.
Holmes has never treated cutdown day as the end of roster construction, and this year should be no different. Hundreds of players will become available around the league Sunday, with waiver claims due Monday afternoon.
Center and interior offensive line should be near the top of Detroit’s shopping list. The Lions could also react if an intriguing defensive back or another unexpected player hits the market.
So this is my final prediction before Holmes and Campbell make their decisions official.
Final being a fairly generous use of the word.
