Lions roster analysis: With only 50 players, work remains at edge rusher

DETROIT — So, uh, who needs 53 players anyway?

The Detroit Lions roster, as things stand after the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline, sits at just 50 active players. That will, of course, change. But how the Lions work to fill in the gaps will be fascinating. The initial roster features 24 players on offense and 23 players on defense. The team is particularly light at edge, with three rushers.

What does GM Brad Holmes have up his sleeve? We’ll find out soon enough. Until then, here’s a look at the Lions’ initial 50-man roster.

Quarterbacks (2)

Jared Goff
Kyle Allen

Didn’t make the cut: Hendon Hooker

Analysis: Goff enters his fifth season in Detroit, and his first without Ben Johnson on staff. Much will be made of that pairing if Goff’s play drastically declines, but there’s reason to believe this version of Goff is simply who he is. He’s surrounded by talented skill players and has full control of this offense. Goff’s ability to get the Lions into the right plays pre-snap and quickly process the defense post-snap has been a staple of his success in Detroit and a reason to believe in him moving forward. Allen is a veteran with 19 career starts and was among the best QBs this preseason. He won the No. 2 job outright.

It was reported Monday that the Lions had waived Hooker, and the move was finalized Tuesday. A 2023 third-round pick, Hooker never found a rhythm in Detroit. A Tennessee offense in college that doesn’t translate to the NFL, coupled with a torn ACL, set back his development. After a poor preseason, the Lions determined they didn’t have time or space to use a roster spot on a 27-year-old QB who failed to make strides entering his third season. We’ll see if he’s back on the practice squad or gets a fresh start elsewhere.

Running backs (4)

Jahmyr Gibbs
David Montgomery
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki

Didn’t make the cut: Jacob Saylors, Deon Jackson

Analysis: The four running backs expected to make the roster ultimately made it. Gibbs has had an excellent training camp, expanding his workload to include more snaps in the slot and as a receiver out of the backfield. He’s ready for the season. Montgomery came into camp in great shape and will continue to be the power back in this offense. The Lions have experimented with more 21 personnel, incorporating Gibbs and Montgomery on the field together in various looks. Seems to be a wrinkle OC John Morton likes.

Reynolds is back as RB3 and a key contributor on special teams, while Vaki has looked more comfortable entering his second season as a full-time running back. Only concern is that Vaki missed a lot of practice time with a lingering hamstring injury. We’ll see if he’s available Week 1.

Wide receiver (6)

Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Kalif Raymond
Isaac TeSlaa
Tim Patrick
Dominic Lovett

Didn’t make the cut: Jackson Meeks, Tom Kennedy, Ronnie Bell, Jakobie Keeney-James, Malik Taylor

Analysis: The Lions will enter the season with one of the best WR duos in the league in St. Brown and Williams. St. Brown looked dominant in training camp, beating pretty much every corner and safety he was matched up against. Williams’ route-running has taken a step forward, and he’s finally starting to feel like a veteran entering his fourth season. And while it wasn’t the best training camp for Patrick, learning to deal with the Lions’ physical tendencies in practice, he makes the roster and should compete for touches with Raymond and TeSlaa, who’s really flashed in camp.

It felt like the final decision would come down to Meeks and Lovett, and the Lions went with their seventh-round pick. Meeks was more productive in the preseason and comes in a bigger frame, but Lovett has short-area quickness and is playable on special teams.

Tight end (3)

Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra

Didn’t make the cut: Zach Horton, Steven Stilianos, Gunnar Oakes

Analysis: This group went as expected. These were the three best tight ends in camp, and the roster now reflects that. LaPorta missed a few practices with an undisclosed injury but returned in short order. He appears to be healthier than he was around this time a year ago. It led to a slow start before he picked things up in the second half of the season. Wright is a trusted No. 2 who does much of the dirty work in the run game, and Zylstra has been a mainstay on the practice squad. He earned a roster spot with a strong practice showing. We’ll see if Horton — a UDFA out of Indiana who’s been playing a lot of fullback — can stick on the practice squad.

Offensive line (9)

RT Penei Sewell
RG Tate Ratledge
C Graham Glasgow
LG Christian Mahogany
LT Taylor Decker
G Kayode Awosika
T Giovanni Manu
C/G Kingsley Eguakun
T Jarmarco Jones

Didn’t make the cut: T Dan Skipper, G Trystan Colon, Netane Muti, Michael Niese, Gunner Britton, Mason Miller, Zack Johnson

Reserve/PUP: Miles Frazier

Analysis: Detroit’s starting five is solidified. Sewell will start at right tackle, and Decker — back from offseason shoulder surgery — will man the left. Mahogany has settled in at left guard, while Ratledge, the Lions’ 2025 second-round pick, will start at right guard. Glasgow will replace the retired Frank Ragnow at center, offering Goff a veteran to work with. His football IQ and experience will help Mahogany and Ratledge — a pair of 24-year-old, first-year starters — as they navigate life in the trenches.

Developmental tackle Manu makes the roster again, given another year to grow behind the scenes. Awosika has been a spot starter for this line in the past and offers that ability in a depth role. In a bit of a surprise move, the Lions parted ways with Skipper. Jones won the OT3 job over him. Skipper did not have a particularly strong camp and often looked out of place when filling in for Decker with the starters. We’ll see if he returns to the practice squad or signs elsewhere. Eguakun makes the roster for the first time as the No. 2 center.

Edge (3)

Aidan Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Al-Quadin Muhammad

Reserve/NFI: Josh Paschal

Didn’t make the cut: Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude

Waived with an injury settlement: Ahmed Hassanein

Analysis: The Lions’ initial roster features just three edge rushers. If all goes right, Hutchinson should be a Defensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year candidate. He’s looked so good in practice that the offense sometimes continues to run plays as intended after Hutchinson records a sack. He’ll be joined by Davenport, a player whose game perfectly complements Hutchinson’s. Availability is the problem here, though. Davenport has played in just six games over the past two seasons.

Behind those starters, the Lions have Muhammad, added midseason a year ago. That’s it at the moment — unless you include Pat O’Connor here. Paschal will begin the year on the reserve/NFI list. Lynn, Ukwu and Agude didn’t make the team. Is a Za’Darius Smith reunion in the works? Will the Lions put in a claim for a waived edge rusher? Will they sign or trade for one? Simply put, they won’t enter the season with three edge rushers.

Of note: Hassanein, the Lions’ 2025 sixth-round pick, was waived with an injury settlement in a bit of a surprise move. He was expected to miss extended time with a pectoral injury, but the Lions could’ve designated him as an IR to return candidate. Instead, he’s now subject to waivers — but could return if he goes unclaimed after the allotted settlement period has passed.

Defensive tackle (6)

DJ Reader
Tyleik Williams
Mekhi Wingo
Roy Lopez
Pat O’Connor
Chris Smith

Reserve/PUP: Alim McNeill

Didn’t make the cut: Keith Cooper Jr., Myles Adams, Brodric Martin

Analysis: The Lions are missing key players in the interior. Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL. McNeill is still recovering from a torn ACL and isn’t expected back until later in the season. Wingo is working his way back from a meniscus injury and might not be ready in Week 1. Paschal was expected to play more interior snaps but needs more time. The team will trot out Williams and Reader as starters, but both players are viewed more as run stuffers than pass rushers. Williams has the potential to develop into more, but it could take time. Lopez, O’Connor and Smith round out the room. Smith, a former UDFA out of Notre Dame and a Detroit native, makes the initial roster for the first time.

Linebackers (6)

Alex Anzalone
Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Zach Cunningham
Grant Stuard
Trevor Nowaske

Reserve/PUP: Malcolm Rodriguez

Didn’t make the cut: Anthony Pittman, Ezekiel Turner, DaRon Gilbert

Analysis: One of the easier positions to project. Anzalone enters the final year of his contract, and perhaps his final season in Detroit. He’s one of the league’s better man coverage linebackers and is a four-time captain in Detroit. Campbell enters his third NFL season and could be on the brink of establishing himself as one of the best at his position. Barnes is back after signing a three-year, $24 million contract extension this offseason. Nobody was quite able to fill the sam linebacker role after Barnes was ruled out for the season with a knee injury in Week 3. Cunningham, Stuard and Nowaske round out the depth, with Rodriguez working his way back from a torn ACL.

Cornerbacks (5)

Terrion Arnold
D.J. Reed
Amik Robertson (nickel)
Avonte Maddox (nickel)
Khalil Dorsey

Didn’t make the cut: Nick Whiteside, D.J. Miller, Allan George, Tyson Russell, Luq Barcoo

Analysis: The Lions are confident in their cornerback trio of Arnold, Reed and Robertson. They each fit in the man-heavy defense Aaron Glenn built, which DC Kelvin Sheppard is expected to keep in place. Maddox offers depth at nickel and can play safety. Dorsey makes the roster again as Detroit’s top gunner.

Safety (3)

Kerby Joseph
Brian Branch
Rock Ya-Sin

Didn’t make the cut: Ian Kennelly, Loren Strickland, Morice Norris, Erick Hallett

Analysis: The Lions boast what’s largely considered to be the NFL’s best safety tandem in Branch and Joseph. Branch is a multipositional DB who’s sticky in coverage and hits like a linebacker. He was arguably the best player in training camp. Joseph, a first-team All-Pro in 2024, tied for the league lead in interceptions with nine. He’s dealt with a knee injury in camp — something to monitor as the season begins. Ya-Sin doesn’t have much safety experience, but the Lions gave him a look there this preseason and liked what they saw. For now, he’s the No. 3 safety who could also play corner in a pinch. No spot for Kennelly, Strickland, Norris or Hallett.

Specialists (3)

K Jake Bates
P Jack Fox
LS Hogan Hatten

Didn’t make the cut: N/A

Analysis: The Lions have a Pro Bowl punter in Fox, a kicker with one of the strongest legs in the league in Bates and a young, athletic long snapper in Hatten who doubled as a linebacker in college. Good room assembled by special teams coordinator Dave Fipp and company.

(Top photo of Dominic Lovett: Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)