At some point Thursday night, Dan Campbell probably will not care what the scoreboard says in Cincinnati.

He will care about Luke Altmyer’s command of the offense. He will watch Blake Miller handle NFL pass rushers. He will see whether Seth McLaughlin looks like a legitimate temporary answer at center and whether Nick Whiteside, Ahmed Hassanein and a crowded group of receivers can turn strong training camps into roster spots.

The Detroit Lions open the 2026 preseason against the Bengals with most of their established starters expected to sit. That makes this game particularly important for the players living somewhere between No. 40 and No. 60 on Brad Holmes’ roster.

Detroit entered camp with several legitimate competitions, and the first two weeks have already changed the picture. Whiteside and Hassanein have been among the biggest risers, while injuries have created new opportunities along the offensive line and secondary.

So before the Lions play their first preseason snap, here is my current prediction for Detroit’s initial 53-man roster.

One important note: I am projecting Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to begin the season on Reserve/PUP, meaning neither counts against this 53. Both continue recovering from significant injuries, and Campbell has indicated their returns are likely to come after the regular season has already started.

Quarterback: 3

Jared Goff
Josh Dobbs
Luke Altmyer

Cuts: None

This projection changed dramatically when Teddy Bridgewater stepped away and Detroit signed Dobbs.

Before camp, keeping three quarterbacks seemed unlikely. Now I think the Lions may have to.

Altmyer has done enough this summer to make exposing him to waivers uncomfortable. His development was already attracting attention before Bridgewater’s departure, and Thursday night could strengthen his case significantly because Campbell expects the rookie to handle a heavy workload.

Dobbs gives Detroit the experienced backup it wanted.

Altmyer gives it a quarterback worth developing.

Prediction: Detroit finds room for all three.

Running Back: 4

Jahmyr Gibbs
Isiah Pacheco
Sione Vaki
Jacob Saylors

Cuts: Jabari Small, Kye Robichaux, Raheem Blackshear

The first three are easy.

The fourth is anything but.

Campbell has described Saylors and Small as essentially trading punches throughout camp, with special teams expected to be an important factor. Detroit kept four running backs on its initial roster last season, and that remains the logical number.

Right now, I give Saylors the slightest edge.

Small can absolutely flip this prediction during the preseason.

Wide Receiver: 5

Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Isaac TeSlaa
Greg Dortch
Dominic Lovett

Cuts: Cedrick Wilson, Tay Martin, Tom Kennedy, Malik Cunningham, Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black

This might be the position where I change my mind the fastest.

Campbell called this the deepest receiver room Detroit has had during his tenure and said the competition behind the established group is wide open.

St. Brown, Williams and TeSlaa are secure. Dortch’s return ability and familiarity with Drew Petzing’s offense make him extremely difficult to leave off. Detroit also values exactly the type of offensive and special-teams versatility Dortch provides.

That leaves one spot in this projection.

I’m taking Dominic Lovett.

Cedrick Wilson’s experience makes him dangerous in this battle, while Tom Kennedy seems to spend every August refusing to disappear.

Five receivers might also be too few if this group plays as well as Campbell believes it can.

Tight End: 3

Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Tyler Conklin

Cuts: Jackson Meeks, Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton

Injured reserve: Miles Kitselman

Here is one of my toughest cuts.

Jackson Meeks has a real chance.

The converted receiver has caught Campbell’s attention because of his ability to separate and contribute on special teams. Detroit believes his toughness gives the coaching staff ways to use him even though he is lighter than a traditional tight end.

For now, I still have LaPorta, Wright and Conklin.

Do not write Meeks’ name down in ink on the cut list.

Offensive Line: 9

Penei Sewell
Christian Mahogany
Cade Mays
Tate Ratledge
Blake Miller
Larry Borom
Miles Frazier
Juice Scruggs
Seth McLaughlin

Cuts: Ben Bartch, Devin Cochran, Michael Niese, Mason Miller, Colby Sorsdal, Melvin Priestly

NFI: Giovanni Manu

Detroit’s offensive line suddenly became much more complicated when Mays fractured a bone in his wrist.

Mays is expected to miss roughly eight to 10 weeks, meaning the Lions need a short-term solution at center while still accounting for Mays when constructing their roster.

McLaughlin has received first-team work since the injury and earned positive reviews from Goff. Scruggs remains part of the competition once his soft-tissue injury clears.

The Lions already entered camp with three projected new starters on the offensive line, including rookie Blake Miller at right tackle.

Detroit could absolutely keep 10 here.

For now, I am squeezing it to nine because Borom and Frazier provide valuable positional flexibility.

Bubble player: Ben Bartch.

Interior Defensive Line: 5

Alim McNeill
Tyleik Williams
Levi Onwuzurike
Mekhi Wingo
Skyler Gill-Howard

Cuts: Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Ben Stille, Tyre West

Injured reserve: Aidan Keanaaina

The final spot here is another preseason battle.

McNeill, Williams and Onwuzurike are safe. Wingo has enough developmental value to stick if healthy.

I’m giving Gill-Howard the fifth position because of the upside Detroit saw when bringing him into the organization.

The Lions intentionally assembled different body types and skill sets across their defensive front this offseason after losing DJ Reader, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Roy Lopez.

This is a position where somebody could force his way onto the roster over the next three games.

EDGE: 5

Aidan Hutchinson
DJ Wonnum
Tyler Lacy
Derrick Moore
Ahmed Hassanein

Cuts: Anthony Lucas, Eric O’Neill, Payton Turner

Ahmed Hassanein has played his way onto my roster.

Campbell has raved about his nonstop motor and his progress after Detroit moved him into the big-end role. Training camp evaluations have also identified Hassanein as one of the roster’s most obvious risers.

Tyler Lacy provides the size Campbell wants from a traditional big end, while Hutchinson and Wonnum sit comfortably atop the edge rotation.

Derrick Moore is too intriguing to expose.

That leaves Anthony Lucas as a painful cut.

Dark horse: Lucas. He can change this prediction with a strong preseason.

Linebacker: 6

Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Malcolm Rodriguez
Devin White
Jimmy Rolder
Trevor Nowaske

Cuts: Damone Clark, Joe Bachie, Erick Hunter, Troy Reeder, Amen Ogbongbeniga

This room looks considerably deeper than it did entering camp.

Jack Campbell has become the centerpiece of Detroit’s defense, while Barnes is secure at SAM. The WILL competition has become fascinating because Devin White has impressed Dan Campbell with his speed and physicality since joining the Lions.

Rodriguez remains valuable when healthy.

Rolder is a developmental player I do not believe Detroit wants to lose, assuming his hamstring issue does not become something more significant.

Nowaske gets the final spot because of his versatility and special-teams value.

Keeping six means some recognizable NFL linebackers are getting cut.

That is a good problem.

Cornerback: 6

D.J. Reed
Rock Ya-Sin
Roger McCreary
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Nick Whiteside
Keith Abney II

Cuts: Khalil Dorsey, Ryan Cooper

This is where training camp has changed my opinion the most.

Nick Whiteside is making this team.

Campbell basically challenged everyone to ignore him if they could, and they cannot. Whiteside has climbed from the back end of the depth chart into first-team opportunities and has consistently made plays on special teams. He has been one of Detroit’s clearest camp winners.

Reed and Ya-Sin are my outside starters.

McCreary gives Kelvin Sheppard flexibility inside.

Abney is a rookie Detroit valued highly enough to draft and has long-term potential in the secondary.

Then there is Rakestraw.

His camp has not gone as smoothly, and Whiteside’s rise has created legitimate pressure.

I still believe Detroit gives the former second-round pick another chance.

The preseason matters a lot for him.

Safety: 4

Avonte Maddox
Chuck Clark
Christian Izien
Thomas Harper

Reserve/PUP: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph

Cuts: Dan Jackson, Loren Strickland, Aamaris Brown

This group looks strange because Detroit’s two best safeties are missing.

That is exactly why Clark and Maddox have become so important.

The Lions entered camp with Clark and Izien already having absorbed extensive first-team offseason work while Branch and Joseph rehabbed. Maddox has also continued his transition into a larger safety role.

Harper gets my final spot because of his previous starting experience and familiarity with the defense.

If both Joseph and Branch begin the season on Reserve/PUP, Detroit needs enough bodies to survive at least the opening stretch.

Specialists: 3

K Jake Bates
P Jack Fox
LS Hogan Hatten

No drama here.

Unless something completely unexpected happens, this trio is locked in.

My Projected Detroit Lions 53-Man Roster

Offense: 24

QB (3): Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs, Luke Altmyer
RB (4): Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors
WR (5): Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Dominic Lovett
TE (3): Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin
OL (9): Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Cade Mays, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin

Defense: 26

IDL (5): Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Skyler Gill-Howard
EDGE (5): Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Tyler Lacy, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein
LB (6): Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Devin White, Jimmy Rolder, Trevor Nowaske
CB (6): D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Nick Whiteside, Keith Abney II
S (4): Avonte Maddox, Chuck Clark, Christian Izien, Thomas Harper

Specialists: 3

K: Jake Bates
P: Jack Fox
LS: Hogan Hatten

TOTAL: 53

Five Players Who Just Missed

1. Jackson Meeks, TE
Probably my toughest cut. Special teams could push him onto the roster.

2. Cedrick Wilson, WR
Veteran experience gives him a legitimate path, especially if Detroit keeps six receivers.

3. Ben Bartch, G
The Mays injury could convince Detroit to carry 10 offensive linemen.

4. Anthony Lucas, EDGE
Interesting young pass-rushing upside. A big preseason could make him impossible to cut.

5. Khalil Dorsey, CB
Special teams gives him a path, but Whiteside’s emergence has squeezed the cornerback room.

Bottom Line

This roster is deeper than the one Detroit carried into camp, which means Brad Holmes is going to release some NFL-caliber players.

That is already obvious at linebacker, wide receiver, defensive line and cornerback.

The biggest questions entering the preseason are beginning to take shape:

Can Luke Altmyer force Detroit to keep three quarterbacks?

Is Seth McLaughlin capable of holding down center until Cade Mays returns?

Has Nick Whiteside really climbed far enough to secure a roster spot?

Can Ahmed Hassanein turn a terrific camp into a job?

And which receiver, running back or defensive lineman is about to make this prediction look stupid?

That is what preseason football is for.

The stars can watch Thursday night.

For the guys fighting over those final eight or 10 roster spots, this game matters plenty.