Cincinnati — Following the Detroit Lions' 16-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, the Detroit Lions have two more preseason games to go.
But most of their training camp is already over, and we are starting to see the team's initial 53-man roster take shape. The Lions have completed 11 practices and have eight remaining.
Some pleasant surprises have emerged, such as cornerback Nick Whiteside, linebacker Damone Clark and edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein. Others who carried expectations into this year's camp have disappointed, like cornerback Roger McCreary and second-year receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
But whether or not those camps have been notable enough to change the roster composition is a different story entirely. TeSlaa, for example, was a huge investment by the Lions in the 2025 NFL Draft and was good enough as a rookie that his standing on the roster is not in jeopardy at all. McCreary, however, could find himself on the wrong side of the roster bubble after appearing to be one of the front-runners to win Detroit's starting nickel corner job entering the summer.
For those currently on the outside looking in, there's still plenty of time to make an impression on Lions coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. But here's how we have things shaking out following the Lions' preseason opener in Cincinnati:
Quarterback (3)
▶ In: Jared Goff, Luke Altmyer, Josh Dobbs
▶ Out: None
Our first decision was actually kind of a tough one. I like what I’ve seen from Altmyer, and if you’re not going to keep around a potential post-draft steal after he outperforms expectations, what’s the point of picking him up in the first place? We don’t know for sure that Altmyer would be scooped up by another team if the Lions cut him, but based on the encouraging growth we’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t want to take the risk of losing a potential lottery ticket at the game’s most important position. This isn’t as simple as, say, last year’s decision to waive receiver Jackson Meeks.
As for Dobbs, who was added to the roster following Teddy Bridgewater’s departure: I think he’d get the nod to start if Goff had to miss time, and when you add in the cerebral qualities he brings to Detroit’s quarterback room, I think you have to keep him around, too.
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Running back (4)
▶ In: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isaiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors
▶ Out: Jabari Small, Kye Robichaux, Raheem Blackshear
This one is pretty straightforward. The only real spot up for grabs is the No. 4, and Lions coach Dan Campbell called Saylors their “most potent” offensive player on Thursday night after the former UFL running back entered the game as the clear front-runner for the job. Saylors had eight carries for 55 yards with a long of 27 against the Bengals.For those not sold on Vaki, the reality is he’s not going anywhere, no matter how much growth he shows as a runner after returning from his nose and eye injury: Campbell called him “one of the best special teams players in this league.”
Campbell also seems to really like Small, so perhaps he can make a push for a spot as camp rolls on, but having to miss Thursday’s game with an injury was a devastating blow to his chances of making the roster.
More: Lions RB Jacob Saylors aims to seize opportunity with Gibbs, Vaki out
Wide receiver (5)
▶ In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Dominic Lovett
▶ Out: Cedrick Wilson Jr., Lucky Jackson, Malik Cunningham, Tarik Black, Tay Martin, Tom Kennedy
▶ Season-ending IR: Kendrick Law
Black had a nice preseason game, scoring a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and coming down with a terrific catch that was ultimately nullified by offensive pass interference. But the team already released and brought him back earlier this training camp, which should tell you how they really feel about him relative to the rest of the group.
I initially had Wilson on the roster; he’s had a nice camp and made a 23-yard catch on Detroit’s opening drive. But in the quest to keep both Altmyer and Dobbs, I removed a receiver from the projection and ultimately kept Lovett on because of what he can provide on special teams. This decision was made easier by the fact the Lions know they have nice little safety blanket at receiver in Kennedy, who’s been with the team since 2019 and has spent most of his career on Detroit’s practice squad.
More: Dan Campbell backs Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa after shaky performance
Tight end (3)
▶ In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin
▶ Out: Jackson Meeks, Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton
I was hoping to find a way to keep Meeks on the roster because of the growth he’s shown at tight end. Campbell clearly likes him, saying they’re all right with letting him develop as a blocker because of what he brings as a pass-catcher. But in a room that has three solid veterans ahead of him, I couldn’t find a way to keep him right now.
Offensive tackle (3)
▶ In: Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Larry Borom
▶ Out: Colby Sorsdal, Devin Cochran
▶ Non-Football Injury (NFI) list: Giovanni Manu
With Manu on the NFI list, there aren’t any tough decisions here. Sorsdal hasn’t shown much growth since being thrown into the fire as a rookie, and Cochran missed Thursday night’s game with injury. Plus, if Miles Frazier sticks on the roster as we expect, that gives Detroit a Swiss Army Knife to deploy at tackle in a pinch. Borom, meanwhile, is not really fighting for a roster spot at all, considering the Lions gave him $4.9 million guaranteed in free agency. He’s going to be on the roster after cutdown day.
More: Why Dan Campbell was encouraged by Blake Miller's preseason debut
Offensive guard (5)
▶ In: Tate Ratledge, Juice Scruggs, Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch
▶ Out: Mason Miller, Michael Niese, Melvin Priestly
Ratledge is firmly entrenched as the starter at right guard and Mahogany is in pole position on the left side, although we’ll see if Bartch has anything to say about Mahogany’s standing once he gets a few practices under his belt. Either way, I get the sense that the Lions believe Bartch poses a serious threat to Mahogany’s starting job, so I feel pretty good about him ending up on the 53-man roster. Scruggs is likely going to be the backup center when Cade Mays is healthy and could potentially win the starting job until Mays returns. Frazier’s versatility should allow him to make the roster pretty comfortably, but he was flagged for three holding penalties against the Bengals and gave up at least one sack while playing left tackle, so that’s a situation to monitor as the preseason rolls on.Niese, Priestly and Mason Miller have consistently been with the third team and shown no signs of climbing up the depth chart.
More: Stock Watch: Trenches offer mixed bag for Lions in preseason opener
Center (1)
▶ In: Seth McLaughlin
▶ Out: N/A
▶ IR to return: Cade Mays
With the belief that Mays will miss at least the first four games of next season, we freed up a roster spot by giving him one of Detroit’s two IR spots with a return designation. McLaughlin has been given the first-team center reps in the absence of the injured Scruggs, who’s dealing with a soft-tissue injury, and has held his own in there thus far. Until Scruggs gets back and proves his value at the center position, we’re going to project McLaughlin as the starter. Even if Scruggs lights the world on fire, McLaughlin likely sticks around as the backup until Mays returns.
Defensive line (10)
▶ In: Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Derrick Moore, Tyler Lacy, DJ Wonnum, Ahmed Hassanein, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Skyler Gill-Howard
▶ Out: Anthony Lucas, Eric O’Neill, Payton Turner, Ben Stille, Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Tyre West
With a two-sack performance against the Bengals on Thursday night, I don’t see a world where Hassanein is not on the initial 53-man roster, considering how well he’s also performed in camp so far. Gill-Howard also capitalized on some good momentum from practice in Cincinnati, recording a hellacious pressure, and was actually the first player Campbell mentioned when going over some of the game’s standouts.
Ultimately, I didn’t find many tough decisions here. O’Neill had a nice hit on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow but hasn’t flashed in camp the same way Hassanein has. West, a seventh-round selection in April, has the benefit of being a Brad Holmes draft pick, but we haven’t seen anything from him that says he needs to be on this roster. Turner, meanwhile, has been hurt for most of camp with a back injury.
Linebacker (6)
▶ In: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin White, Damone Clark, Trevor Nowaske, Malcolm Rodriguez
▶ Out: Joe Bachie, Erick Hunter, Troy Reeder, Amen Ogbongbemiga
▶ IR to return: Jimmy Rolder
The Lions have gotten quality play from most of their linebackers, and I can see a world where Bachie or Hunter make a push for the roster. But the team loves Nowaske, Rodriguez just received $2.7 million in guaranteed money on a one-year deal in free agency, and Clark was having an excellent camp before an injury took him out of the rotation. White, a former All-Pro who joined the Lions after the start of camp, has proven to be much more than a depth piece and is trending toward being a starter for this team.
We gave Rolder, a fourth-round pick who isn’t expected to return until the regular season because of a hamstring injury, the second IR-to-return spot.
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Cornerback (7)
▶ In: D.J. Reed, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside, Khalil Dorsey, Christian Izien, Keith Abney II
▶ Out: Aamaris Brown, Roger McCreary, Ryan Cooper Jr.
After leaving Whiteside off of my 53-man roster projection before the start of training camp, he’s now been elevated all the way to CB3 behind Reed and Ya-Sin. Dorsey is a terrific gunner, so he’s safe; Abney is a promising rookie and arguably the steal of Detroit’s 2026 draft class; and Izien, who appears to be on track to be the team’s starting nickel corner and can fill in at safety, allows Detroit to just keep three other safeties behind Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
McCreary had a poor start to camp but was a pleasant surprise against the Bengals, so he could quickly climb back into the conversation and force Detroit to make some tough decisions if he can build on this momentum.
More: Nick Whiteside is playing 'like he wants a spot' on Lions' roster
Safety (3)
▶ In: Avonte Maddox, Chuck Clark, Thomas Harper
▶ Out: Loren Strickland, Dan Jackson
▶ Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch
Clark and Maddox have firmly been the team’s top safety duo throughout camp, and Harper started nine games for this team last season. If Branch and/or Joseph start the season on the PUP list, I think all three of these players make the roster with relative ease. Even if one or both begin practicing around that time, I’d imagine that they’ll still try to find a way to keep all three of them around.
Specialists (3)
▶ In: Punter Jack Fox, kicker Jake Bates, long snapper Hogan Hatten
▶ Out: None
It’s always nice to close with an easy one. This trio is locked in.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions 53-man roster projection: Who's in, out after preseason opener?