Detroit Lions Training Camp Risers, Fallers at Every Position
The Detroit Lions are tasked with cutting their current roster down to 53 by the end of the preseason.
Having one league-wide cut day will allow players to make longer and more succinct impressions. However, the early days of training camp are important for players to stand out and make their mark.
Here are risers and fallers from Lions' training camp after two weeks:
Quarterback
Riser: Nate Sudfeld
Faller: Adrian Martinez
The Lions feel good about what they have in Sudfeld. Though they've brought in Teddy Bridgewater for a visit, they've yet to make a move on that front.
Sudfeld has been solid in camp and has established himself as the backup. Martinez, on the other hand, is struggling to adapt to the speed of the defenses.
Running back
Riser: Justin Jackson
Faller: Craig Reynolds
Jackson, a late addition to the roster, has been the clear front-runner to be the team's third running back moving forward.
Reynolds hasn't made a significant impact early in camp and will need strong performances in preseason games to make his case.
Wide receiver
Riser: Dylan Drummond
Faller: Trinity Benson
The Lions have been impressed with their undrafted wideout. Drummond, a local product from Eastern Michigan, has been up to the challenge early and is rarely in the wrong spot.
Campbell admitted this week that Drummond has been climbing the depth chart. Drummond and Maurice Alexander have made plays consistently. For Alexander, proving he has versatility besides his ability as a returner will keep him in the conversation, possibly on the practice squad.
Unfortunately, just as soon as Benson was making plays at practice, he goes down with injury. The young wideout has not to show he can make plays or a long, consistent period of time.
Tight end
Riser: Sam LaPorta
Faller: Brock Wright
LaPorta has been above the line early in camp. A big receiving workload likely awaits, but all indications are that the Lions are also impressed with his ability to block.
Him and James Mitchell have both had strong camps, meaning Wright's role as the starter could very much be in jeopardy. The Notre Dame product is strong as a blocker but won't bring the same level of production as a receiver.
Offensive line
Riser: Colby Sorsdal
Faller: Ross Pierschbacher
Sorsdal, a fifth-round pick, has begun to separate himself from the second group of offensive linemen. He has positional versatility that should make him a strong depth piece.
His emergence, paired with Graham Glasgow's ability to play center, has hurt the value of potentially keeping Pierschbacher.
The Alabama product was the team's backup center in the spring, but Glasgow seems to have surpassed him in that aspect.
Defensive line
Riser: Brodric Martin
Faller: Benito Jones
Martin has impressed and drawn praise from Holmes and Campbell. Drafted as a project, he's come along faster than expected and is solidifying his role heading into the regular season.
This emergence likely pushes Jones down the depth chart, as Isaiah Buggs and Alim McNeill will be starting. Martin is playing his way up through the depth chart.
EDGE
Riser: Aidan Hutchinson
Faller: Julian Okwara
Hutchinson looks primed and ready to take the next step in 2023. He consulted with J.J. Watt prior to training camp and has practically lived in the backfield throughout the early stages.
It's going to be a tough battle for Okwara to crack the roster. James Houston's emergence last season paired with the healthy returns of Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris have made the position extremely competitive.
Linebacker
Riser: Jack Campbell
Faller: Malcolm Rodriguez
After a slow start to the offseason, Campbell has risen up to the first-team defense quickly in training camp. He repped alongside Alex Anzalone in Thursday's scrimmage.
Rodriguez likely out performed expectations for him last season as a sixth-round pick. However, he likely won't be seeing the same workload that he had when he started 15 games a season ago.
Cornerback
Riser: Starling Thomas V
Faller: Khalil Dorsey
Thomas has been a gem throughout the early part of camp. The undrafted free agent has become quite popular throughout Allen Park for his abilities on special teams as well as in the secondary.
Thomas was repping with the second-team against the starting offense on Thursday. Dorsey, meanwhile, hurt his stock with a low-hit that injured Shane Zylstra.
Safety
Riser: Brian Branch
Faller: Tracy Walker III
Branch is another impressive rookie who has scheme and positional versatility. His ability to tackle made him one of the best college defenders, and he's got skills in coverage to match.
Walker has been just fine since returning to action after his Achilles injury, but Branch's emergence will likely take some reps away from the veteran simply because he doesn't have the coverage skills of Kerby Joseph or C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
