Lions 2026 Week 2 Camp 53-Man Roster Prediction: Who Stays, Who Gets Cut?

With two weeks of training camp down, the Detroit Lions are beginning the next phase of preparations for the regular season.

Padded practices began Monday, and the Lions will now move into getting ready for their first preseason game on Thursday. Head coach Dan Campbell's decisions will get tougher as members of his preseason roster suit up for these exhibition games.

The previous eight training camp practices have given a solid impression on what the team has at its disposal. In the ensuing competitive environments that the Lions will have in the preseason, more players could make strong impressions.

Here is my latest projection for the 53-man roster after two weeks of training camp.

Quarterback (2)

In: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater.
Out: Luke Altmyer.

Altmyer has an uphill battle to beat Bridgewater for the backup job, but he's had an opportunity to pilot the second-team offense over the last two practices with Bridgewater absent. If Bridgewater's absence is extended, things could get interesting. However, the indication is that Altmyer's performance to this point hasn't been enough to threaten the veteran backup.

Running back (3)

In: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Sione Vaki.
Out: Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small, Kye Robichaux, Raheem Blackshear.

Gibbs has yet to be a full participant in practice after holding in to start camp, and Pacheco has missed the last two days with an undisclosed ailment. Vaki is out as well with a broken nose, so recent practices have been a depth showcase for the Lions.

Saylors and Small are both generating intrigue, while Blackshear could have an opportunity despite being a depth signing. These depth players will likely get plenty of work in camp, and as a result one of them could rise into an option who could compete for a roster spot.

Wide receiver (5)

In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Tom Kennedy.
Out: Dominic Lovett, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Malik Cunningham, Tay Martin, Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black.
Injured: Kendrick Law (IR).

The Lions have an established duo atop the depth chart in St. Brown and Williams, and TeSlaa and Dortch appear to be separating themselves from the rest. That leaves likely one spot, possibly two, to be competed for throughout the rest of camp.

As it stands, Kennedy is the most proven and trustworthy option. Though he's bounced between the active roster and the practice squad throughout his career, he is the longest-tenured Lion and has the trust of the coaching staff. He'll be a tough out, but the Lions have plenty of solid options to choose from.

Tight end (4)

In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin, Jackson Meeks.
Out: Nick Muse, Thomas Gordon.
Injured: Miles Kitselman (IR), Anthony Firkser (IR).

The Lions have had to deal with a pair of injuries with their depth options, but their top three might already be decided. Conklin has produced at a high level at times in his career, and should be a solid secondary receiving option behind LaPorta and the block-first Wright.

Meeks has created plenty of buzz with his performance early in camp. He showed plenty of talent last year in the preseason, and has bulked up amidst his position change. If he can produce in camp, there is a lot to like about his ability and potentially a depth role waiting for him.

Offensive line (9)

In: Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Cade Mays, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch.
Out: Devin Cochran, Michael Niese, Melvin Priestly, Colby Sorsdal, Mason Miller, Seth McLaughlin.
Injured: Giovanni Manu (NFI).

The Lions still have a pair of positions on their offensive line up for grabs, and through two weeks the competitions seem to be crystallizing. Reports indicate that Christian Mahogany has been handling left guard duties, with Blake Miller getting a trial by fire at right tackle.

If the Lions elect to play their starters in the preseason, Miller is one of the top players to watch as a first-round pick. He may still have work to do to earn the position, but the consensus is that he is in a good spot.

From a depth perspective, Scruggs appears to be slated to be a super-sub along the interior, while Borom will be the team's swing tackle. Frazier has versatility to play guard or tackle, while Bartch is largely unproven as he has been held out of team reps up to this point.

Defensive line (6)

In: Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Tyler Lacy, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard.
Out: Tyre West, Ben Stille, Mekhi Wingo, Myles Adams, Chris Smith, Aidan Keanaaina.

One of the biggest risers in camp up to this point has been Lacy, who I had out of my previous roster projection. He has turned heads with his performance and consistency, and appears to be trending toward having a legitimate role on this year's team.

On the flip side, Onwuzurike appears to be trending down somewhat. He still has the versatility to play inside and out as the big end, which would help the Lions' defense. However, after missing all of last season, he still has something to prove.

EDGE (4)

In: Aidan Hutchinson, D.J. Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein.
Out: Payton Turner, Anthony Lucas, Eric O'Neill

Because the Lions have so many options at the big end position, it could allow them to go lighter at EDGE. Even Hassanein seems to be trending toward a big end role, which leaves the Lions with three options as the speed rusher.

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard wants to see the team take some of the pressure off of Hutchinson, and Wonnum and Moore have the ability to do that. Turner has been sidelined since the first day, and right now his inactivity is his biggest detriment toward a spot on the roster.

Linebacker (7)

In: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin White, Malcolm Rodriguez, Damone Clark, Troy Reeder, Trevor Nowaske.
Out: Joe Bachie, Erick Hunter.
Injured: Jimmy Rolder.

Even though Rolder has not been added to an injury list yet, the injury he suffered seems to be a significant one and could cause him to miss the start of the regular season. If that's the case, he could be a candidate to go to injured reserve after final cuts are made.

The Lions are deep at linebacker, and got deeper with the addition of a starting caliber player in White. By going heavy at this position, they would give themselves a plethora of rotational options with the ability to also fortify their special teams units.

Cornerback (6)

In: D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Nick Whiteside, Roger McCreary, Khalil Dorsey.
Out: Aamaris Brown

The Lions have given Ya-Sin the first chance to earn the starting job opposite of Reed, and his workmanlike approach to practice has been exactly what the team needs. Rakestraw has also been impressive, and should play a significant role as long as he can stay healthy.

Whiteside is another player who the team has been impressed with. The Saginaw Valley State product is consistently making an impact, and after initially being viewed as an afterthought is now a serious contender not just for a spot, but for a contributing role.

McCreary's performance has been trending down, but I'm not ready to rule him completely out yet. The Lions are relatively thin at the position barring a roster move, and as a result I think he's worthy of being kept as depth.

Safety (5)

In: Chuck Clark, Christian Izien, Avonte Maddox, Dan Jackson, Thomas Harper.
Out: Loren Strickland.
Injured: Kerby Joseph (PUP), Brian Branch (PUP).

The Lions have been dealing with the absences of their two top safeties, and seem to be comfortable with the veteran options they have. Izien could be slotted for a nickel cornerback role, leaving Clark and Maddox as the top two safety options.

Behind them, Jackson and Harper have both had solid moments throughout camp as second team options.

Specialist (3)

In: Jake Bates (K), Jack Fox (P), Hogan Hatten (LS).

The Lions still have yet to bring in any competition for any of these three specialists, as coordinator Dave Fipp wants to maximize their practice reps. As a result, the Lions appear confident in this trio heading into the regular season.

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