Allen Park — At some point in the past year, the Detroit Lions fell out of love with guard Christian Mahogany. However, the door remains ajar for the third-year lineman to regain the franchise’s affection.

Had you been ready to pencil Mahogany into Detroit’s starting lineup for the next decade after two spot starts as a rookie, no one could have reasonably faulted your over-enthusiasm. Sure, you would have been jumping the gun on the smallest of sample sizes, but he was so dominant in both appearances. Even after missing his inaugural offseason program while battling mononucleosis, he played with an impressive mix of confidence and physicality.

Months earlier, the Lions were elated Mahogany had slid to them in the sixth round of the draft. General manager Brad Holmes proudly proclaimed Mahogany had “a little dirtbag in him,” a somewhat crude description to praise the lineman’s gritty nastiness that fit what the team wanted to be about in the trenches.

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Allen Park — Detroit Lions coordinators Kelvin Sheppard, Drew Petzing and Dave Fipp met with the media on Thursday. Here are the noteworthy highlights from those sessions.

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Second-year jump

When Sheppard stepped to the podium, I asked him what he learned about his defense since the last time we talked to him, five weeks earlier.

The coordinator said the staff came into training camp with ideas about how things would look, but the schematic vision crystalizes as you see things play out on the practice field. That said, what stood out to Sheppard was how much better his unit was grasping the big-picture concepts of plays, which he refers to as the “why” behind the calls.

Sheppard said that should be the natural progression of any scheme, year one to year two.

“It's the carryover in scheme,” Sheppard said. “Now, it's not so much time on task, trying to get guys to know their assignments, it's now the nuances within it, understanding how teams are going to attack us, understanding the weak points, understanding why we're asking you on this play to leverage it vs. spill it, and so on and so forth. It's just the depths that you're able to get to that takes time. That's with anything really.”

The commentary parallels something coach Dan Campbell has talked about in previous years, comparing player comprehension to college courses, where they’ve moved from 101 introductory levels of understanding to 201, 301 and 401 conceptual thinking.

Later during the news conference, I asked Sheppard how the improved understanding and communication applies to blitzing, which the defense appeared to be doing at a far higher rate during camp than last season.

“Everything that you guys saw on the practice field we had in (the playbook) last year,” Sheppard said. “It's just a matter of what can the players handle again. All this stuff can sound good, look good, it looks exotic, but if three out of 11 have no idea what they're doing when somebody moves, it's all for nothing.

“So, what can the players handle?” Sheppard said. “What is their capacity? And again, these players now are in year two. Even if it may be a new guy, he's standing next to a guy that was here last year, so he was able to get him right like, 'Hey, this is this, go there, go here.'“

Faith in the unknown

Lions fans are understandably skeptical about running back Sione Vaki’s ability to contribute on offense. Entering his third season, he’s logged just 10 touches and didn’t make an appearance in this year’s preseason.

I asked Petzing what Vaki accomplished on the practice field that sparks confidence.

“I think he's done a really nice job from the mental side of things,” Petzing said. “…The run game is there, but for the most part, mentally, that's not taxing. It's either right or left. (He) should be able to handle that for the most part. There's some nuance, in terms of anticipation and reads and ball placement and things like that.

“The protection piece is probably the biggest thing, from a mental standpoint,” Petzing continued. “Defenses, especially in known passing downs, third downs, are going to give you multiple looks and pressure looks and try to put guys' eyes in the wrong spot. I think he's done a really nice job of that mentally. And then there's the physical aspect of being able to step up in the A gap or in the B gap and keep the pocket clean is a big part of being successful on third down in this league.”

Because of a back injury to Isiah Pacheco, Vaki is expected to split reps with Jacob Saylors behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs.

Return men revealed

From the moment the Lions released Greg Dortch, fans wondered who would return punts, even if the answer felt somewhat obvious after the team established its practice squad a day later.

Fipp confirmed suspicions on Thursday, acknowledging veteran Tom Kennedy would not only be fielding punts, but would also be the team’s second kickoff returner, paired with Saylors.

“We’re excited about that,” Fipp said. “It should be great to see. I mean, obviously he’s done it for us a little bit, but we’re excited to see him out there.”

Kennedy, the team’s longest-tenured player between his stints on the practice squad and active roster, has returned only four punts during his career, but flashed potency filling in for Kalif Raymond last season, averaging 16.7 yards on three attempts.

“Every time we put him out there, he’s done something with the ball in his hands, made a little play here or there, kind of created a spark of energy,” Fipp said. “He did that in the preseason again.”

Fipp said the decision of Kennedy over Dortch belonged to general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell. The coordinator said he thought both players did a good job throughout the offseason program.

Heart of greatness

Campbell has said in the past that he never wants to take All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for granted. Still, when watching from the outside, it's easy to become conditioned to his consistently high level of play.

Petzing was asked what he’s learned about the player his first offseason working closely with the player. Sometimes, it’s good to hear a new perspective to drive home the uniqueness of St. Brown’s talent.

“He's probably one of the better players I've ever been around,” Petzing said. “I think from a distance, outside the building, maybe it doesn't always jump out, in terms of all the other things that he does at a high level. You see the route running, you see the hands, you see the finish. (It’s) the leadership, the intensity, the physicality to me has blown me away.

“He plays this game at a level that I think so few people are capable or willing to play it from just an attitude and effort standpoint,” Petzing continued. “I think that's one of the reasons he's had the success he had. There's a lot of guys that want to be good in this league, and a lot of guys that have tools to be good in this league, but there's a sacrifice at times that has to get made to actually reach that level. And he's one of the few players that I think does it at such a high level and puts so much into it and truly loves it that has really impressed me.”

Backing Bates

After missing a field goal and two extra points during the preseason, following a 2025 campaign where he converted fewer than 80% of his field-goal tries, some have questioned why Jake Bates remains unchallenged as Detroit’s kicker.

Fipp was adamant in his defense of Bates, referencing flaws in evaluating the position strictly by percentages.

“Jake Bates, kicking in the 40 yard range, he’s exceptionally high,” Fipp said. “He’s above-average. He’s done a nice job. He’s missed three kicks underneath 50 yards, which is good. We want his numbers to continue to improve. We want his short kicks to get better, also, and his long kicks. He's hit, I think, four game-winners, or what turned out to be game-winners, and then two kicks to get us overtime. We won those two games, too. And that's really the big number.”

Fipp isn’t wrong. Bates has converted 94.5% of his kicks inside 50 yards and has not missed inside 40 yards since earning the job ahead of the 2024 season.

In regard to some of the inconsistencies that have shown up in practice and during the preseason, coinciding with Bates’ tweaking his approach, Fipp acknowledged most kickers take around six years before they really reach peak consistency.

“I think historically, if you look at kickers, it doesn’t matter really who, but if you look at those guys, it takes some time to really develop and get into a really good stride,” Fipp said. “These guys always get evaluated by the kicks they don’t make and everybody, whatever, goes crazy. They have a miss and it gives them a reason to freak out. But the truth is, at that position, if you look at all the guys who have really been in the league for a while, all of them probably hit within 5% of each other in a given year. …I see them right in the mix with those guys there and then with a lot of talent upside. Hopefully it continues to improve and get better.”

Comfort with rotation

Rotating offensive linemen during games isn’t new territory for Petzing. He did it multiple times while in Arizona while hunting for the right combination of talent up front. So he’s comfortable going into Week 1 with Christian Mahogany and Ben Bartch splitting reps at left guard as Detroit seeks more clarity regarding its best starting five.

But Petzing is also ready to pull the plug on the rotation if there are unexpected communication breakdowns.

“It’s an opportunity for those guys to continue to compete and earn their reps and to help this team win games,” Petzing said. “So, looking forward to seeing whatever that ends up looking like, one way or the other, playing out on Sunday.”

Bartch has 24 career starts under his belt, but didn’t get a lot of time to show the Lions what he can do because of a lengthy rehab from a 2025 foot injury and a mid-camp concussion.

Still, he showed enough to keep the team intrigued.

“I think we talk about the physicality and the communication, probably the two most important things for an offensive lineman as a starting point outside of just winning your one-on-ones,” Petzing said. “I think he’s done a really nice job of that. He’s a really smart player. He’s played in a couple different offenses and communicates well. The physicality is there, the finish is there, the attitude is there. So, excited to see him compete and he’s done a great job of that throughout camp.”

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Setting a baseline

Unlike offense or defense, where the offseason plan is shaped around personnel that’s largely sorted out before cuts at the end of training camp, special teams contributors are clarified much closer to the finish line of the roster’s construction.

Despite the moving pieces, that doesn’t change the standard going into Week 1, but Fipp said the primary objective at the start of the season is to establish a bar for what the unit can be and to work toward that goal as the season progresses.

“Obviously, the goal is to go out there and execute and play at a high level and help your team win,” Fipp said. “But, really the ultimate goal is, OK, set a baseline and a foundation and then let’s get something we can improve on and start getting better. The team that really gets better and better throughout the course of the year, those are the teams that end up being great. The goal is to be great down the stretch. Not that we don’t want to be great early, obviously. We want to start fast and finish faster.”

Fipp noted his groups went through high turnover this year. He’s expecting as many as 11 new players to contribute on special teams who didn’t play in those roles for the team last season.

That includes a guy like rookie edge defender Eric O’Neill, who not only didn’t play special teams for the Lions, but did next to nothing with those groups throughout his college career.

Fipp said his focus during camp is figuring out what players like O’Neill can do, not schematically, but through one-on-one work that typically translates to games.

“For him, it was his ability to play a blocker in coverage, play a blocker and get to the ball carrier was very, very high,” Fipp said. “Usually, the guys who do that in those drills, those are also the same guys that show up in games and make plays in coverage the same way, which he has done also in the (preseason). So, (he) showed up in the drills, showed up in the game, and so you have a pretty good feel for it going in.

“Him, just like all these guys, they're going to have ups and downs,” Fipp said. “They're going to learn, they're going to make mistakes. I always tell these guys, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you going out there, you're executing a technique and building a foundation that we can build on. And then, after that first game, we got a chance to get better. You're not going to be perfect in every play. Now, I do expect you to go full speed, do it in a fanatical way. A lot of times that covers up a lot of issues and then we'll work on getting better throughout the course of the year.”

Call me Missouri

Sheppard was impressed by what rookies Skyler Gill-Howard and O’Neill showcased in the preseason.

“I thought it was awesome,” Sheppard said. “I think anybody with a set of eyes could see that these guys were getting after it. And the guys that you just named, that's why they're on the roster. It's a sixth-round pick and an undrafted free agent you just named, by the way.”

But the preseason is the preseason. It doesn’t mean anything now that the regular season has arrived. Sheppard made sure to drive that point home.

“The preseason's over,” Sheppard said. “They haven't played one snap in the National Football League. So all that's potential, all that's hype, all that's rah-rah. We will see September 13th at 1 p.m. what's real and what's not. It’s as simple as that. I'm not going to jump up here and say, "'Oh yeah, we're about to be a dominant front.' I'm not saying that.

“A lot of people say they think I'm from Missouri because you've got to show me,” Sheppard quipped. “Don't sit up here and tell me what you're going to do. We have the ability to play a game where you can show me what you're going to do.”

Evaluation come to fruition

Sheppard is still trying to hammer home the pronunciation of Tyler Shough’s last name, but he doesn’t need any reminders that the second-year quarterback for the Saints will be a tough assignment for his defense.

A second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in 2025, Shough stepped into the starting role midseason and led the Saints to a 5-4 record down the stretch by completing 67.6% of his passes with 10 touchdowns to six interceptions, while also flashing some dual-threat ability.

Shough’s success wasn’t a surprise to Sheppard who remembered reviewing the quarterback’s film ahead of the draft.

“He was a phenomenal prospect coming out (of Louisville)” Sheppard said. “I remember sitting in meetings. We do a lot of crossover examination and I remember (quarterbacks coach) Mark Brunell raving about this kid. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, he had him number one (among quarterback prospects), and there were some pretty good quarterbacks that came out of that group.

“I'm like, ‘Who's that kid?’” Sheppard said. “Then I turn on the tape and I'm like, ‘Oh, that's the kid y'all were talking about, Bru, Dan (Campbell). That’s the kid. Oh, I see it.’ He has all the attributes, man. He’s a big guy. He’s not a small guy, so he can see it, he can feel it, and then he can threaten you with his run ability. I believe two of those five wins, he won with his legs. So that’s something that stands out to me on tape. …He did a tremendous job and I’m hoping he picks up where he left off Week 2, not Week 1.”

Allen Park — Blake Miller is calm before the storm. Only 22 years old, there’s an uncharacteristic maturity to the Detroit Lions rookie offensive tackle.

Miller, who logged nearly 4,000 snaps across four seasons at Clemson, has approached football like a professional long before he became a professional. That attitude, paired with a prototypical frame for his position, elite athletic traits and admirable durability — he didn’t miss a game at Clemson — made Miller an easy choice for Detroit in the first round of April’s draft.

Miller was the pièce de résistance of the Lions’ offensive line makeover this offseason. That retooling also included the signing of free agent center Cade Mays and the addition of veteran depth to challenge for Christian Mahogany’s left guard job.

The overhaul’s unveiling is temporarily delayed with Mays shelved by a wrist injury and the left guard job still in flux heading into Week 1, but Miller is ready to make his NFL debut on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

A few days ahead of the matchup, Miller is simultaneously relaxed and all business. That’s not to say there won’t be some inevitable nerves that will bubble to the surface ahead of kickoff, but he’s counting on his daily approach — mentally and physically — to counter the emotions of the moment.

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Allen Park — When edge defender Eric O’Neill arrived in Detroit as an undrafted free agent in mid-May, he had no illusions about his chances of making the Lions’ roster.

Undersized, having played out of position his senior season at Rutgers — which subsequently cratered his production — O’Neill would have been more than satisfied showing he had enough potential to merit a spot on the practice squad.

His own perception of his roster odds hadn’t changed when he returned for the start of training camp in late July. They were zero when he left and zero when he returned. Two months later, O’Neill quips that coach Dan Campbell “probably didn't even know my name.”

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Allen Park — On Tuesday, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, associate head coach and receivers coach Scottie Montgomery and assistant head coach and safeties coach Jim O’Neil met with the media. Here are the noteworthy highlights from those sessions.

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Guard rotation

Last week, assistant general manager Ray Agnew noted there would be competitions that continue into the regular season, so when Campbell mentioned both Ben Bartch and Christian Mahogany while answering a question about the confidence in his offensive line on Monday, it was eyebrow raising.

On Tuesday, Campbell was asked for clarity regarding the team’s left guard situation and whether the Lions planned to play both Bartch and Mahogany against the Saints.

“Yeah, we could,” Campbell said. “Today they're going to split (first-team reps). I see them splitting on Thursday. I see them splitting on Friday. And then, if nothing's been decided by then, maybe they both play (against the Saints).

It’s been clear since the spring that Mahogany wasn’t going to be guaranteed a starting job. Not only did the team sign Bartch, but also traded for Juice Scruggs to add competition for that job.

After splitting first-team reps with Mahogany through the first couple weeks of camp, Scruggs was shifted to center to cover for starter Cade Mays’ injury. Mahogany briefly went unchallenged because Bartch was still recovering from a foot injury he suffered last season.

Bartch also missed time during camp with a concussion, but performed well during the closing stretch of the offseason program, including the preseason finale, to keep the competition ongoing.

Tom Kennedy

The Lions still have one open roster spot. Whether that’s ultimately filled by wide receiver Tom Kennedy, or he’ll simply serve as a game-day elevation off the practice squad, Campbell confirmed the team’s longest-tenured player will suit up in Week 1 against the Saints.

Campbell mentioned Kennedy as part of a list of glue guys that held the roster together before interjecting, “Yeah, Tom Kennedy is playing in this game.”

Following the release of Greg Dortch on cutdown day, it’s been assumed that Kennedy would handle punt return duties to open the season. In limited playing time last year, filling in for an injured Kalif Raymond, Kennedy thrived in the return role.

Tay Martin

Ahead of Kennedy’s pending promotion, the Lions continue to have just four receivers on the active roster. There’s the starting three — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa — who were roster locks entering the offseason. Then there’s Tay Martin, an addition from the UFL in June, who surged into a job with a strong training camp.

Montgomery was asked how Martin separated himself from the pack after Campbell called the receiving room the deepest he’s had during a camp since joining the Lions in 2021.

“I had the ability to work him out (before he signed), of course,” Montgomery said. “His movement skills were fantastic. That's what gets the eye of a lot of people, your movement skills, but you still don't see any kind of physical demeanor outside of the tape, until you put the pads on.

“What made him stand out (after he signed) is his physical demeanor in the run game,” Montgomery continued. “There is a stamp that we want, that we're known by here, it’s our grit, our physicality in what we do. We saw him in one-on-one situations, in the hole, in the C-gap, on the perimeter, and he just continued to win those battles. Then when we transitioned into special teams, those battles showed up again. Now, if I see the physicality in the run game, I see you doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing on special teams, mentally, as a coach, I'm going to start working to try to find out, is there a way that we can see what you can do with the football.”

Getting Martin more involved in the passing game as camp progressed, he continued to impress. Behind the scenes, the receiver told Montgomery that he could play multiple positions, encouraging the coach to test his versatility.

“That caught my eye once again, so then I tested him in multiple positions,” Montgomery said. “He did a really good job of it. Then when we put him in games, he made plays when he had the opportunity to make plays.”

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Juwan Johnson/Jackson Meeks

During Campbell’s final season in New Orleans, he led a tight end room that was headed by veteran Jared Cook and do-everything grinder Josh Hill, who the coach tried to bring with him to Detroit before the player opted for retirement.

Also in that room was an undrafted rookie, Juwan Johnson, who was making the difficult conversion from wide receiver.

Johnson worked his way into seven games as a rookie in 2020, but only made a small dent on the stat sheet, with four receptions on 10 targets for 39 yards.

Six years later, he’s become one of the game’s better pass-catchers at the position. He’s coming off a season where he hauled in a career-best 77 balls for 889 yards.

Campbell said he can take no credit for Johnson’s development, which was still in its infancy when the coach departed for Detroit.

“The move was made, and it was obviously really good for him, for his career,” Campbell said. “He's a big skill player, a mismatch player, and the things where he stays on the move, keeping vertical — he's got range, he's got length, he can track the ball. He’s come a long way, but I think that was always the vision for him, so, I'm not surprised where he's gone. I know when I was there, it was like, ‘Man, this kid might be able to develop into a receiving threat as a tight end, slot,’ and he’s been able to do that.”

Several years later, the Lions are attempting to chart a similar path with Jackson Meeks, who permanently shifted from receiver to tight end this offseason. And it’s easy for Campbell to draw parallels.

“I think that's the vision (for Meeks),” Campbell said. “When you see what the guy is, just kind of the skill set, the makeup — because not everybody can make that move. Everybody's dying to find those, and every year it's, ‘Hey, man, this guy, he's played basketball, or he's been a receiver here, we're just going to move him.’ There's a lot more that goes into it than just that.

“We felt like Meeks has those qualities, man,” Campbell continued. “He's got the wiring for it. He's tough, he's competitive, he's smart. And obviously, his skill set, to be able to work the middle of the field, it's intriguing, and that's why we wanted to move him.”

Kerby

Kerby Joseph has rejoined the team after taking some time away to address a personal matter.

The former All-Pro safety remains on the physically unable to perform list to open the season due to a nagging knee issue, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games. However, due to a rule tweak, he’ll be able to practice as soon as Week 3.

Both Campbell and O’Neil were light on details with the plan for Joseph going forward.

“Yeah, he’s here,” Campbell said. “We’re good. Ramp(ing) it up.”

O’Neil deferred to Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to set the plan of action for both Joseph and Brian Branch, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles. The position coach is more focused on the players he’s working with to backfill the absences — Avonte Maddox, Chuck Clark and Thomas Harper.

O’Neil was highly complimentary to the development of both Maddox and Harper. With Maddox, O’Neil reminded everyone he was signed to be a slot corner, but has proven to be a natural at safety, demonstrating instincts and an ability to process from the different sight line several yards further back from the line of scrimmage.

The coach also praised what the veteran defender brings to the huddle.

“He kind of brings this calming presence to the huddle, that veteran presence,” O’Neil said. “If stuff goes bad or you lose momentum, I think that some of the younger guys can look to those guys and it’s just, ‘Hey, guys, we're good, calm down, mext play. Because those guys have been through some wars, and they've been through it.”

Northville high school

O’Neill and Montgomery’s sons play football for Northville High School and both scored touchdowns in a dramatic, season-opening win over Lake Orion last week.

I was asked in the mailbag last week what Campbell does to allow for his assistants to support their sons playing high school sports, so I took the question directly to Montgomery.

“Outside of those times and situations (where my sons play on Sunday), he's created an environment where as long as we get our work done, he'll let us get to where we need to get to, which that's unusual,” Montgomery said. “It is very, very unusual. But from a support standpoint, it makes you feel good. He understands. He's been through it, he saw it, he's witnessed it. He knows what it's like, also, to turn around and look up and see your parents in the stands as a support piece.

“…He gives us all the opportunity, as long as it works for the best of the team, to be able to sneak out, see a game, come back, finish your work,” Montgomery continued. “If you've got to sneak out 6-8, come back at 8-11, 8-12. You've got to do (what you’ve got to do) to get your job done and be supportive of your family and your kids.”

Practice participation

Every member of Detroit’s active roster was in uniform during the portion of practice open to the media. Only practice squad offensive tackle Devin Cochran was working off to the side with a member of the training staff.

The participants included edge defender Derrick Moore, linebacker Jimmy Rolder and defensive back Christian Izien, who were all dealing with injury concerns when the team concluded the preseason.

The team isn’t required to release an official injury report until Wednesday.

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions filled one of two roster vacancies on Monday, signing veteran linebacker Joe Bachie off the team’s practice squad.

Bachie, a former Michigan State standout, signed with the Lions as a free agent in late April. In the preseason, he logged 67 defensive snaps, including a start in the finale, finishing with three tackles. He also added a pair of special teams stops to his stat line.

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As an undrafted rookie in 2020, Bachie briefly overlapped with Lions coach Dan Campbell in New Orleans. Late last month, Campbell was asked about Bachie.

“(He’s) exactly what he was when he was coming out,” Campbell said. “Just a smart, crafty, all-out linebacker. (He) can play all the spots as needed and special teams. And he just has picked up where he left off from when I remember him. I mean, that's what he's been in this league. He's walked in the door and he's got a great grasp of this defense right now. …And he can play on special teams and do anything that (Lions Special Teams coordinator Dave) Fipp's asked him to do. So, he's pretty dependable. He's reliable and he's made plays in camp.”

Bachie gives the Lions an extra body in the linebacking room, particularly with his special teams contributions, while rookie Jimmy Rolder finishes rehabbing a hamstring injury he suffered early in training camp.

In addition to signing Batchie to the active roster, the team also re-added center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small to the team’s practice squad. Both made the team’s initial 53-man roster, but were waived a few days later, after recovering from minor injuries that would have otherwise required an injury settlement and prevented them from immediately re-signing to the practice squad.

To clear the additional spot on the practice squad, the Lions placed offensive lineman Mason Miller on injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment.

The second-year man out of North Dakota State fully transitioned from offensive tackle to guard this offseason and even showcased an ability to handle center when injuries forced him into the snapping role for the preseason finale.

Allen Park — Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell met with the media on Monday morning for the first time since his team wrapped up the preseason. Here are the noteworthy highlights from the conversation as the Lions prepare to open the regular season this Sunday, at home, against the New Orleans Saints.

Earmarked roster spots

The Lions currently have two open roster spots after waiving center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small last week. After Campbell’s introductory commentary on the Saints, I asked if there was a specific plan in place for those vacancies or if the coaching staff would be making decisions based on competitions in practice during the week.

“I would say we've got a pretty good idea, right now,” Campbell said. “Our eyes are always open. We're always going to be about competition, but I think we've got a pretty good idea of what we want to do going into this game. You never know things can fluctuate, but, yeah, we know what we want to do.”

The obvious follow-up was seeking specifics, but Campbell politely declined to offer them up.

“No. Thanks for asking,” Campbell said with a laugh.

Detroit is exceedingly light on offensive players, with just 21 currently on the active roster. That includes four wide receivers and three running backs. The team also doesn’t have a clear punt return man. For those two reasons, veteran receiver Tom Kennedy seems like a strong contender to fill one of the two openings.

The Lions could approach the decisions multiple ways. They have until Saturday afternoon to announce additions to the game-day roster, which includes up to two practice squad elevations.

If a vested veteran, like Kennedy, is on the active roster Week 1, their salary becomes guaranteed for the season. So the team could choose to elevate him for the contest and sign him to the 53-man a day later, giving them more roster flexibility down the road, if it’s needed.

Time to prove it

Asked specifically about the confidence with Jacob Saylors filling the backup running back job after a strong showing throughout the preseason, Campbell’s answer focused far more on Sione Vaki.

“Well, I’ve kind of mentioned this, to me, it's a committee,” Campbell said. “I see Vaki getting some reps, too, now. I don't see like, OK, well, Saylors is running back two. Saylor brings special teams value, and there's things that he's been able to do — we've seen more of him, right, than Vaki in games, preseason games. But Vaki has banked some pretty good reps in practice, and we know Vaki’s a very valuable special teams player, too.

“We feel like Vaki is ready to take some of this on, too, as a runner and a pass protector, and a receiver,” Campbell said. “So we feel good with either one of those guys in there when Jah (Jahmyr Gibbs) needs a breather.”

For fans who haven’t watched training camp practices, Vaki has been a conundrum. Despite splitting first-team reps with Isiah Pacheco to start camp, and with Gibbs while Pacheco has been sidelined by a back injury, the third-year back didn’t see any preseason action.

First, he missed a short stretch with a broken nose, after a defender’s hand went through his face mask during the team’s first padded practice. Then he sat out a preseason game with back spasms, even as Campbell noted Vaki wanted to play.

Paired with missing long stretches with hamstring and groin injuries last season, outsiders have little idea what Vaki is capable of as a runner. However, it looks like we’re heading toward some answers early in the season.

Pride in grit

The initial 53-man setup is a culmination of months of work for some of the back-of the-roster players. Asked if there was anyone who displayed an extra dose of grittiness this offseason, Campbell highlighted undrafted rookie Eric O’Neill.

“You talk about a guy who was kind of on the outside looking in from the time he got here in spring, that had to kind of defy all odds,” Campbell said. “He had to find his way, he had to make plays every day. He had to catch our eye every day, and he did that. Whether it was special teams or defense, he did something every day.

“There's not a coach, on any given day, that's not saying something good about O’Neill,” Campbell said. “You can't ignore it. So, he's the most obvious. Rookie free agent, he comes in and earned his right. It's awesome. That's what we're about.”

O’Neill got plenty of attention for his pass-rush ability throughout camp and the preseason, but Campbell highlighted the work the rookie did on special teams, as well. The coach suggested that it could help O’Neill see the field early.

“He's going to be able to give us some valuable reps on a couple of teams,” Campbell said.

Defensively, Campbell praised O’Neill’s motor and football IQ, which has been higher than expected for a rookie.

A lesson on refocusing

Campbell hasn’t seen the controversial ending to Saturday’s game between Michigan and Western Michigan, where one second was put back on the clock after an official review. That allowed the Wolverines to attempt a second Hail Mary, which was successfully completed, helping them avoid a colossal upset at home.

Campbell’s been on the wrong side of a controversial ending before, when the New Orleans Saints were eliminated from the playoffs after a blatant pass interference call wasn’t flagged against the Los Angeles Rams.

Tough losses happen in football all the time. Maybe not to the degree of those two examples, but Campbell offered a critical piece of advice to the Broncos.

“If I’m Western Michigan, (it’s) onto the next one,” Campbell said. “Get locked in on the next one, because you’ve got no control over what just happened, regardless, doesn’t matter. The best way to prove your own worth is to knock off the next one, man, and make sure you’re ready.

“…You just make it happen,” Campbell said. “You have got to make it happen. You have no other choice. Or you can sit there and sulk in it and worry about it and try to change the rules and then you go into the next game and get your face kicked in.”

Better equipped

Speaking of disappointments, the Lions experienced one in their season opener a year ago. They went to Green Bay and were mauled by the division rivals in Week 1.

Detroit’s struggles in that contest were most readily apparent along the offensive line, with quarterback Jared Goff getting sacked four times and the ground game averaging a paltry 2.1 yards per carry in defeat.

Campbell said he’s more confident in the blocking to open this season, for two reasons.

“Well, we are playing at home,” Campbell said. “That’s always going to help with the young (guys). Like last year we were playing with basically two rookies up front, and a new center in a regard, even though Graham (Glasgow) had played quite a bit. So, playing at home helps a little bit.

“…And then we’re a little more experienced,” Campbell said. “I mean, Tate’s (Ratledge) got another year under his belt. Blake Miller has taken some pretty good reps up to this point. It’s not like he’s going to be perfect. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about being consistent and getting a little bit better every rep, every time you play. That’s the nature of being a young player. That’s always going to happen. And then you have (Christian) Mahogany, you have got (Ben) Bartch over there and Juice (Scruggs) at center. So, I feel like we’ve seen a lot in training camp. We’ve faced a lot of pressure. We’ve done a lot of, I feel like very stressful, strenuous situations. We always do a lot, but I felt like I threw a lot at our coordinators and the team. And I felt like we got what we were looking for out of it.”

Campbell said Sunday against the Saints will be a barometer, like it was against the Packers in last year’s opener, but he’ll need at least a month to have a better understanding of his roster.

“I say it every year, you don't really know what you are until you get to Week 5,” Campbell said. “Then you'll really figure out what you are, what you can hang your hat on, what your strengths are, what your true weaknesses are, what you need to cover up. And some of that comes with injury, but some of it is just the flow of where you're at and where your guys are at.”

Safety depth

Detroit has been going through it at safety in recent weeks.

Obviously, starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will be unavailable to begin the season, but a lot of the depth pieces were banged up at the end of camp, including Christian Izien, Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox.

Asked about all three, Campbell didn’t offer updates on Izien and Maddox, but noted that Harper is trending in a good direction.

“Harper's going to be running around out there today, and then hopefully everything goes well today, we see him taking more reps tomorrow,” Campbell said. “We're anticipating he'll be ready to go. We feel good about that room right now.”

Izien suffered a lower-body injury in the second preseason game and Campbell previously noted he might not be ready for Week 1. As for Maddox, he suffered an upper-body injury in the closing stages of the final training camp practice. No update has been provided with him.

The team’s first official injury report will be released Wednesday afternoon.

Allen Park — There will be a handful of familiar faces on the visitor’s roster and coaching staff, but the 2026 New Orleans Saints will largely be unrecognizable to Dan Campbell, who spent five years with the franchise before accepting the Detroit Lions’ head coaching job in 2021.

The Lions will welcome the Saints to Ford Field next Sunday for the regular-season opener. It will be the first time the conference foes have met in nearly three years.

What’s new with the Saints? Well, nearly everything and it starts with the coaching staff. After almost two decades, the Sean Payton tree was fully uprooted a year earlier. The ship is now helmed by former Lions backup quarterback Kellen Moore, who at 37 years old is the NFL’s second-youngest in the role.

Moore spent three seasons with the Lions (2012-14) after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State. He went on to play another three years with the Dallas Cowboys before transitioning into coaching with the franchise in 2018.

After one year as the Cowboys quarterbacks coach, he was promoted to offensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy. Moore held that position for four seasons, followed by one year stints in the same capacity for the Chargers and Eagles before the Saints came calling in 2025.

Moore largely installed his coaching staff, headed by former Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier filling the same role in New Orleans and former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley running the team’s defense.

Some other members of Moore’s staff who Detroit fans should recognize are defensive line coach Bo Davis, who did the same job with the Lions under Matt Patricia. Also, former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is a senior offensive assistant.

In terms of the roster, quarterback Drew Brees has been gone so long he was part of the most recent Hall of Fame class. However, after starting eight different options following his retirement, the team seems to have found its next franchise quarterback, 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough.

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Allen Park — Welcome to what is simultaneously an old and new feature.

While still working at the Detroit News, I wanted to develop a series that would keep tabs on NFL draft prospects through the duration of the college football season. Two years later, I’m bringing a version of it here.

Far too often, I’d reach the finish line of the Detroit Lions season and feel wildly behind in my draft preparation with the scouting combine fast approaching. And that time crunch is worsened when the team makes the playoffs or if there’s coaching or coordinator changes to chase through January.

By maintaining a running list of prospects through the fall, and highlighting a handful each week in posts like these, we can jointly have a leg up on the draft once the offseason arrives.

Admittedly, these posts won’t be for everyone. Some of you don’t want to think about the draft until the spring. That’s OK, but that’s not how NFL front offices operate. This is the time of year when the scouts are on the road, building the reports that will fuel general manager Brad Holmes’ April’s selections.

So welcome to Week 1 of the 2027 NFL Draft watch, where we’ll feature three prospects with televised matchups who overlap with the Lions’ projected needs.

Let’s open this series by listing what I believe are shaping up to be the team’s top-five needs next offseason.

Cornerback

The Lions lack long-term stability at a position they’ve heavily invested in multiple times in recent years. Of the six corners on the current roster, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary and Khalil Dorsey are playing on expiring deals.

Two others, DJ Reed and Ennis Rakestraw are under contract through 2027. However, Reed carries a hefty option bonus of $13.65 million next year, while Rakestraw is undeniably entering a prove-it year after missing most of his first two seasons due to injuries. Maybe they both make the team’s decisions easy with their play this season, but I don’t think anyone can comfortably guarantee either is on the roster to start next year.

That leaves Keith Abney II, the rookie nickel, as the closest thing to a lock to be here in 2027.

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Allen Park — Welcome back for Round 2 of this week’s Detroit Lions mailbag. If you missed the first batch of questions, you can double back here.

We went a little deeper with the second wave. Hope you don’t mind.

Q: Brad Holmes and Ray Agnew said that there are still ongoing competitions. I imagine one spot is left guard. Are there any more positions up for grabs? And when do we foresee those battles ending? — Chris Knight

Justin: Competition for playing time should never end. Obviously, no one is unseating Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, etc… but that’s only because you can trust their talent and work ethic to fend off any hint of a challenge.

Regarding ongoing battles, I’m not sure how many other starting jobs are up for grabs. But if there’s another obvious one beyond left guard, it’s the nickel corner.

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However there are backup spots with meaningful reps that could continue to evolve as the season progresses. That includes the LB3, RB2, TE2 and WR4, where Tay Martin won the job but certainly doesn’t have it locked down for the next three months.

I’m also not sure we can definitively say how the depth chart stacks up in the secondary or along the defensive line, including CB3. I thought that was tracking toward being Nick Whiteside’s role, but he got cut on Sunday. Podcast partner Will Burchfield still thinks it might be Whiteside, who is back on the practice squad, but I don’t think a team risks their top backup to waivers.

Q: Do you ever see Brad Holmes deciding to add a Pro Bowl-level or better player via free agency or trade, or will it never happen based on the amount of core players we re-sign? — PengShei

Justin: The proven path to long-term, sustainable success in the NFL is draft, develop and retain. Free agency and trades are best when they aren’t the heart of your roster-building strategy, but supplementing it.

And it’s not like Holmes hasn’t taken some swings in free agency and the trade market to get meaningful help. David Montgomery, DJ Reader, Carlton Davis, Za’Darius Smith and Cade Mays might not have been Pro Bowl talent, per se, but those were high-end starters.

Ultimately, under Holmes, the Lions are going to focus on drafting well and retaining their own. And with the caliber of players the Lions have had to re-sign in recent years, with multiple Pro Bowlers and a few All-Pros, it has limited their budget to spend on the open market.

That setup result in some boring offseasons, but you’d rather have five more seasons of Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown than overpaying for the best free-agency typically has to offer.

That said, if Holmes remains in his role for several more years, and that group of stars I mention inch closer to exiting their prime, there might be increased urgency to capitalize on a shrinking championship window, leading to a bigger trade splash that we’ve seen from teams like the Eagles and Rams.

It’s difficult to project that far ahead in the NFL, but that’s how I could see Holmes’ philosophy shifting down the road.

Q: I remember when the Lions first hired Dan Campbell, many folks claimed his coaching style would grow stale quickly. My impression is the exact opposite has happened. What makes Campbell one of the few head coaches with staying power and an enduring ability to reach players? — Josh

Justin: Well, first and foremost, his staying power is judged by on-field results. If the team was winning five games per season, he’d be gone.

Campbell’s ability to maintain a strong connection with the roster comes from his genuine enthusiasm and love for his players. He wears his heart on his sleeve, is honest, patient and compassionate.

I don’t care what line of work you’re in, if you’re boss treats you the way Campbell treats his job and his employees, you want to work hard for that person.

Q: If the team goes another year with an unusually high number of long-term injury concerns would the team be better served reviewing their strength and conditioning staff, reviewing standards with teams that are consistently low on the injury front, or would they be better served reviewing their personnel decisions on oft-injured players at discounted rates? — Zakk Schaaf

Justin: I assure you, the Lions annually dive deep into all of these topics because it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry and injuries impact success and revenue.

The Lions have invested a lot into their medical and training staff, including on-site amenities available to players, since the arrival of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. I’ve talked to players who have come in from other franchises, and players with chronic issues that experienced different medical staffs in Detroit, and they uniformly rave about director of player health Brett Fisher and head athletic trainer Mike Sundeen.

At some level injury rates are going to be about luck. People love to point out linebacker Fred Warner’s comments to Amon-Ra St. Brown about how wild it is that the Lions occasionally live tackle in practice, but the irony is Warner’s 49ers have had more injury issues than the Lions in recent years.

I combed through the tape of Detroit’s 2024 and 2025 injuries and struggled to identify any patterns with the type of injuries, nor were there an excessive number of the more devastating season-enders like ACLs or Achilles tears.

There is definitely value in weighing a player’s injury history prior to signing or drafting them, but it’s naive to think every player at a contact position doesn’t have an injury history. I can only imagine what the medical imaging prospects go through at the combine reveals that is never made publicly available.

It’s a violent sport. It’s finely-tuned, 250-300 pounders colliding at full speed over and over and over again after pushing their bodies to the max to be the fastest and strongest possible every offseason. Sometimes, none of it matters if you take one bad step or awkward hit, like Hutchinson snapping his leg or Brian Branch landing on an opponent’s foot, stretching his Achilles too far.

It doesn’t mean you ever stop evaluating your processes, but there is no magic cure. Remove all contact from practice and your body isn’t conditioned for it on game day, resulting in not only the increase risk of injury, but a breakdown of your fundamentals, particularly tackling.

Q: Should media ask tough questions regardless of how they may impact relationships the person may have with the team or personnel? — @nikesignedme

Justin: This is a very simple answer and there should be no ambiguity: Yes, credentialed media should ask tough questions with no restrictions, regardless of how that might impact professional relationships. Doing anything other than that is a disservice to the public, or in the case of sports media, the fan base, which is who journalists serve.

Within that, it’s important to be thoughtful with how you ask the questions to best generate a response. Be concise and direct, but never get personal or accusatory. The goal of any line of questioning should be about garnering information that satisfactorily answers the query. If a question feels like an attack, the subject is going to get defensive or shut down.

Additionally, you have to make sure you’re listening to and processing responses for potential follow-up questions, designed to gain clarity or additional information.

Q: Does Christian Mahogany or Ben Bartch end the year with more starting snaps at left guard? — Jack Krumm

Justin: The safe answer is Mahogany because he’s presumably opening the season as the starter. That said, there was a specific aim to bring in competition for his job after a disappointing season, made worse by some concerns about his conditioning this offseason.

Bartch is a more than capable starting solution if the Lions want to make the switch, but, at this point, Mahogany will have to give them a reason.

I still like Mahogany’s upside. I appreciate his violent playing style, but he does have a handful of rough reps each game that are concerning, particularly in pass protection. Consistency is key in the NFL and he’s going to need to prove he’s made a leap in that department entering Year 3.

Q: I know improving the o-line was of major importance this offseason. As we go into Week 1, is it really any better? — Dean Pippio

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Justin: Week 1 doesn’t matter. Well, it does, but not for the purpose of this question. What you should be asking is will this offensive line be better down the stretch run into the playoffs and in 2027 and beyond? That answer should decidedly be yes.

Penei Sewell is going to be a stud, regardless of what side he plays on. Cade Mays, when recovered from his wrist injury, should be a clear upgrade to Graham Glasgow, who has limped across finish line the past couple of season. Tate Ratledge will undoubtedly be better than he was a year ago. So should Mahogany, especially after having time to recover from his broken leg. And if he’s not, Bartch will be better than a hobbled 2025 Mahogany.

The spot that will need the most polish is going from Taylor Decker to Blake Miller. Decker, even at 80-85% at the end of his time in Detroit, was solid. The run blocking had dipped to average, but he could still keep the heat off Jared Goff.

I think there’s a good chance Miller struggles out the gate, but by the end of the year? He proved throughout his college career that he’s capable of adapting, adjusting and improving. I anticipate we’ll see steady growth that mirrors Ratledge from a year ago.

So, yes, by Week 10 and beyond, I expect this offensive line will be better than last year’s version with so much more room for continued growth, based on age and experience of the collective. Plus, there’s better depth to weather storms.

Q: Do you remember Jackson Meeks repping with Jared Goff at all during camp? Feels like he could’ve survived on the practice squad. — @Kara313rd

Justin: Yeah, there were times when Meeks took first-team reps during camp. And while I don’t disagree with you that there’s a chance Meeks could have made it through waivers to the practice squad, the Lions are still an organization that values rewarding grit, effort and hard work.

Meeks was the poster child for that this offseason. He transitioned from a diva position to a grittier one without complaint. He put on a lot of good weight and embraced the coaching points at a new position. And, on top of it all, he produced, both on the practice field and during the preseason.

That preseason production was arguably the biggest reason not to waive him. If it mostly happened on the practice field, other teams wouldn’t have film to study. Catching balls and showing growth as a blocker and special teams contributor in games? Everyone can see that.

He was rewarded for the work he put into the change. His upside is a bonus.

Also, it’s probably worth noting, three tight ends were traded on cutdown day. There was clearly a demand for talent at the position, especially with an uptick in usage of heavu packages across the league in 2025.

Q: We know that coaches put in very long hours. With some of the members of the coaching staff having children who play high school football, does Campbell do anything to make sure the coach is able to attend those games? — Drew Augustine

Justin: A few years ago, when writing a feature on Lions scout Patrick Mularkey, I talked to his dad, former NFL coach Mike Mularkey. He said in all his years of coaching, he emphasized being home for dinner on Thursday night, to spend that valuable time with his family.

The elder Mularkey explained that there was only so much you could do to prepare for an opponent and if you were still burning the midnight oil late in the week, especially as a position coach, you needed to question your process and efficiency.

The Lions and Campbell value hard work, but also family. I don’t know if the coach does anything to ensure his assistants are out the door at a specific time to be with family on a given night, but I’m certain he would do everything he could to make it possible if it was brought to his attention. At some level, it’s also up to the individual coaches to prioritize their work/life balance.

I should note there are plenty of times when I’m leaving the facility on a Friday, typically between 4-6 p.m., and there are assistant coaches leaving the parking lot at the same time.

Q: I’m really interested on your thoughts on offensive scheme, changes and expectations for the year based on what you’ve seen from Drew Petzing’s scheme in training camp. — CD

Justin: First of all, schemes are intentionally vanilla during camp, when the roster is at 90 and fans and media have access to full practices. The work is far more about the fundamentals.

However, even when it’s fully unveiled, I don’t expect it to look much different to untrained eyes week to week. The biggest differences will be more nuanced things happening behind the scenes, starting with communication between the coordinator and his assistants, as well as the players.

A good coordinator is a strong communicator, has a good feel for game flow and situational play-calling, can make meaningful adjustments on the fly, and puts players into position to maximize their best traits, with bonus points for taking player input into account.

Petzing is smart. There’s no question about that. And, by all accounts, communication across the board has improved significantly since he’s taken over the offense.

In terms of play-calling, I liked what I saw when I did a deep dive study on the Cardinals this offseason. I think he put personnel in good spots to win, despite massive talent constraints in Arizona. And I particularly liked the versatility of the run game to match personnel and the variety of different looks he presented defenses with star tight end Trey McBride, which prevented opponents from locking him down.

Q: When a player like Greg Dortch gets signed by the Bills, who the Lions play in their second game, how much information can he provide that they will strategically use? — Dylan P.

Justin: If a player is only with a team for a single offseason, particularly with a first-year coordinator, there’s very little they’ll be able to share that will have an impact on game planning.

It’s different if a team plucks a practice squad player in Week 14, especially at a premium spot like quarterback or middle linebacker. At that point, you’re going to need to change some things up, including verbiage.

Q: Erick Hunter made the Patriots’ 53. Do you think he stays there or is there a realistic shot he gets pushed back to their practice squad and potentially ends back with Detroit? Any historical examples of a team getting a waived rookie back after another team places them on their 53? — Xavier

Justin: Anything is possible at the back of rosters. The Lions thought highly of Hunter, but Jimmy Rolder being able to avoid injured reserve was likely the key factor that pushed the undrafted rookie off the roster, where he quickly found a new home in New England.

Still, there’s nothing that guarantee he sticks all season, and if he’s ever let go, there’s always a chance he lands back on Detroit, depending on the team’s roster needs at the time.

There are probably dozens, if not hundreds of examples across the league of things playing out like this over the decades. One quick example with Detroit would be Trevor Nowaske, who was waived early during his rookie season, claimed by Arizona, but returned to Detroit — as a waiver claim — the following offseason.

Q: What’s your take on Seth McLaughlin getting waived? Current depth at Center is a concern. — Andy

Justin: I wasn’t shocked because I left McLaughlin off the roster in my final projection. A backup center is a short-term need and I think his up-and-down preseason made it so he could be brought back on the practice squad to continue his development and serve as a game-day elevation.

Obviously, there’s an unknown risk whenever you waive a player, but when only 29 of several hundred waived talents get claimed after cutdown day, it’s an acceptable risk.

McLaughlin cleared waivers on Thursday. I would think he gets offered a spot on the practice squad, but we’ll see.

Q: Which linebacker has looked the best in coverage and how big of a vulnerability might this be if the Lions start the year playing in base defense more often given Izien’s injury? — Zach Meyers

Justin: Malcom Rodriguez, Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell have all had moments in camp, but I wouldn’t classify any of them as above-average options in this facet of the game.

However, something I’ve come to recognize is good coverage linebackers in the NFL are unicorns. If your team has one, they’re blessed. It’s probably a contributing reason so many teams are more reliant on nickel defensive packages, especially if you can shoehorn a hybrid defender like Seattle’s Nick Emmanwori into the role, reducing what you’re sacrificing in run support.

Covering tight ends and slot receivers could be problematic for the Lions when Izien is out of the lineup, and maybe even if he’s healthy. His coverage numbers across his career aren’t that great.

It’s all the more reason to hope Abney develops quickly. We already know he’s a good tackler and has strong downhill anticipation. He just has to stop being so grabby at the top of routes.

Q: How much was the decision to get smaller/quicker on the d-line, emphasizing the pass rush, influenced by our secondary situation? — Matt Poleske

Justin: I would suggest the emphasis was entirely independent of the back end. Last year, the Lions were near the top of the league in average separation allowed. How much better do the numbers look if the opposing quarterback is pressured more quickly and more often, potentially affecting his accuracy.

Ultimately, the Lions didn’t necessarily get smaller with their starting group up front. In fact, they’re arguably bigger when Tyler Lacy is out there as the closed end.

It’s the sub-package rush, with Derrick Moore and Skyler Gill-Howard, where there’s a little more juice. This team isn’t sacrificing stopping the run. That’s still a focus to create favorable down-and-distances to unleash the rush. After being awful on third-and-long situations last year, the new pieces should help.

Allen Park — With a little bit of a lull between the end of training camp and the start of the regular season, let’s knock out some of your questions via a mailbag. We’re going to break these up in a couple of parts, just to give you multiple things to read.

Q: Is there any way Greg Dortch comes back onto the 53? —@cooldownrat

Justin: Is there any better indicator of where the Lions currently stand as an organization than the fact that most discussed player a few days after roster cuts was a guy who lost the battle to be the No. 4 receiver?

I get it, Dortch was the most surprising cut among media members, who universally viewed him as a low-level lock, which shaped the fan base’s perspective.

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However, the continued conversation has extended far beyond the player’s potential value to the roster. Remember, Dortch is a guy who in three seasons working under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing averaged 30 receptions for 276 yards.

Yes, Dortch added value as a return man, but he only had one season where he was top-10 handling punts. His career averages? On punts, 8.9 yards. How about kickoffs? 23.6 yards, or 26.5 yards in the current structure of the play.

I like Dortch. I think he’s a good player, a good return man, and a good schematic fit for a team that leans into pass catchers that rack up yards after catch. But the Lions have a lot of players who thrive in the slot and there’s not some massive drop off on punt return if Tom Kennedy ends up being the guy, like I suspect.

Could Dortch come back to the 53? Sure. But I think the fact that he was released and bounced over to Buffalo so quickly tells me the Lions didn’t indicate to him and his representation that he was a post-cut priority.

Q: With Isiah Pacheco down, who is RB2, and bonus, who will have the most fantasy production this season? Sione Vaki or Jacob Saylors? — Adam Gladwish

Justin: Frankly, we don’t know. But let’s set the table with what we do know.

On the practice field, it was consistently Vaki repping with the first-team offense when he was available and either Jahmyr Gibbs or Pacheco weren’t. And I’m not going to tell you Vaki was tearing it up, day in and day out, but there was plenty of positive development with his consistency.

However, in terms of the preseason games, Saylors was the guy and he flourished with his opportunities.

When I weigh all the factors, one reason I’m willing to give Saylors the leg up is his experience. He played running back in college and he was the UFL’s leading rusher in 2025. Yes, Vaki has been racking up the reps on the practice field, but there’s something added about live game snaps, regardless of the competition level.

It’s why I posited a similar question to the other hosts on the podcast a couple weeks back, asking them if they thought Saylors was positioning himself as the backup complement to Gibbs.

Ultimately, unless the Lions add an alternative, you probably see some mixing and matching of the two. In terms of fantasy points, neither is likely to be relevant, even in the deepest leagues.

Q: Are the kind of roster shenanigans we’ve seen the Lions pull the past couple years common? I’m mostly thinking of keeping less than 53 players on the roster and the way they have handled guys like Conklin, Small, and McLaughlin. —Steve Bullo

Justin: Keeping less than 53 players is a little more unusual, but if the Lions didn’t think 53 were worthy coming out of camp, they were just pulling the band-aid early, instead of letting those guys think they made it, only to cut them for a different option a day or three later.

As for this year’s moves, shenanigans has negative connotations, and this wasn’t that. These definitely fall into the bucket of common, and in the cases of Jabari Small and Seth McLaughlin, potentially even favorable to giving them the best chance to contribute in 2026.

First, let’s talk about the snip-snap move with Tyler Conklin. I would comfortably suggest he was informed of the team’s plan to bring him back on Sunday, when he was released. The team likely knew they were placing Pacheco on injured reserve, but didn’t want to waste one of eight IR to return designations prior to cuts, on the off chance his back injury proves to be season-ending. Even if those odds are 5-10%, it was an unnecessary risk for a team that butted up against that limit last season.

Regarding Small and McLaughlin, they were hurt on cutdown day. Instead of cutting them and having to issue both injury settlements, they let them heal, lose the stigma of being waived/injured and pave a path for them to potentially immediately re-sign with Detroit’s practice squad, where they can continue their development in the place where they’ve spent all offseason.

Q: The slot corner role seems incomplete. What are your expectations for Week 1 against the Saints and do you anticipate any other moves? — Kevin Green

Justin: If Christian Izien can get cleared, he’s the likeliest option. Otherwise, it’ll likely be the rookie Keith Abney, who would have a chance to lock down the position if he’s assignment sound in the matchup.

However, I’d like to note that my expectation is that the Lions are going to be heavy with base defense again for the time being because they trust their linebackers more than they will be willing to lean too hard on Abney.

Q: What’s your biggest criticism for Brad Holmes from the last calendar year, from a team-building perspective? — Jamelle Cooper

Justin: Let me start with this, I think Holmes has done far more good than bad with his handling of the roster, and he’s made clear adjustments from some of his past missteps. Constructing a football roster with the constraints of the salary cap is difficult and he’s done a better job than most of the league’s GMs.

What I’ve liked this offseason was his focus on the offensive line and the moves he made there. Regarding some of the free agents with durability concerns, the expectations of contributions and guaranteed money was lower. And I really like the way he attacked the safety depth with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch expected to miss at least the start of the season, and potentially more in Joseph’s case.

In terms of missteps, I’ve been pretty forthcoming with my criticism of how the team planned for the loss the Terrion Arnold. And it’s not hindsight. I raised the concern to Holmes directly in March, when the GM appeared on the podcast.

Re-signing Rock Ya-Sin was smart, but also an easy decision. But only adding Roger McCreary and Keith Abney, while letting Amik Robertson walk, weakened a position group that’s often impacted by injuries.

I don’t want to invest the time into laying out players Holmes could have targeted in the draft and free agency. Those kind of details would be too revisionist. I just believe he should have done more.

That’s not saying he should have signed a $15 million per year obvious starter or spent the team’s first-round pick on the position, but more than a veteran minimum, slot-first guy and a fifth-round draft pick that you announced would probably be a nickel, as well.

Q: Who is your pick to go to the Super Bowl this year and whose extension is done first, Sam LaPorta or Brian Branch? — David Postma

Justin: Predicting football is difficult because of the injuries, but I wouldn’t bet against the Rams this season. They have an MVP quarterback and supercharged an already-good defense with trades for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett before luring Aaron Donald out of retirement.

My feelings aren’t as strong about which AFC contender will emerge. I could see Kansas City rebounding, but sentimentality has me wanting Buffalo to finally get over the hump.

As for the extensions, LaPorta seems more likely, only because he’s been medically cleared since the start of training camp. If you told me he will get the Jamo treatment, signing a day or two before the regular season opener, I’d buy it.

If Branch gets done, I think it’s more likely mid-season, after he’s returned and proven the leg is good to go.

Q: When you said, they owe the fans an explanation about their decision process on Terrion Arnold, where did that come from? I wasn’t aware they owed us anything — Justin Douglas Wolfenberg

Justin: I believe companies should explain their business decisions to their paying customers who invest time, money and emotional energy into the brand.

If you personally don’t care, that’s fine. Apathy is always a choice.

Q: Schematically or philosophically, what is the number one change fans can expect to see in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense for the upcoming season? —PengShei

Justin: More blitzing. They went from 34.9% in 2024 to 21.9% in 2025. They’re going to get after the quarterback this year and I believe blitzing is going to play a big role in it.

Devin White, Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Abney, Ennis Rakestraw (if and when he sees time), Derrick Barnes, DJ Reed, Jack Campbell, you’re going to see pressure coming from every which direction.

Q: The backup center situation is a mystery right now. If Juice Scruggs is injured mid-game, are they really moving Tate Ratledge over? — Chad H

Justin: If they played a game today, with no additional roster moves or practice squad elevations, yeah, I’d assume that would be the plan. But that’s not how it works.

We’ll have a much better idea Saturday afternoon, before the game, when practice squad elevations are announced. It could be McLaughlin, Mason Miller, Elijah Klein, or someone not currently on the roster/practice squad.

Remember, this is presumably a short-term issue. I imagine the team hopes to have Cade Mays back in the fold after the team’s Week 6 bye.

Q: From your interactions, what current player would make the best coach in the future? Whose personality or intellect has surprised you? — Alex

Justin: I believe the best coaches are the fringe guys who have to grind for every opportunity. There’s something about that marriage of work ethic and the attention to detail it requires to stick in the league. It also helps to be smart and have people skills.

Some guys I’ve talked to who give off coach vibes are Josh Dobbs, Jacob Saylors, Avonte Maddox and Ben Stille.

Coincidentally, Stille already works a defensive lineman school during the offseason, where he uniquely focuses on teaching run-stopping technique, first and foremost.

When we talked, he didn’t sound particularly interested in working for a team when his playing career is done, but we’ve seen that path charted before with a guy like Chuck Smith. He did great work with dozens of pass rushers around the league before the Ravens added him to their staff as an outside linebackers coach.

Allen Park — Three days after establishing the team’s initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season, the Detroit Lions tweaked things for a second time, waiving center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small on Wednesday.

The moves open up two roster spots, which weren’t immediately filled by the team.

The logic behind the releases are tied to injuries for both players. McLaughlin had been in concussion protocol since last week, while Small exited Saturday’s preseason finale with an unidentified injury.

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Had the Lions waived the players during roster cutdowns on Sunday, they would have been required to do so with an injury designation. That means both players would have reverted to injured reserve had they cleared waivers.

In that scenario, the Lions likely would have reached an injury settlement with both. When a player and team reach that type of agreement — prorated salary for the agreed length of the recovery period — the player is free to sign with another team immediately. However, they’re unable to re-sign with the original team until the expiration of the injury settlement plus three additional weeks.

In the case of Small and McLaughlin, the injury settlements likely would have been for one or two weeks, but would have prevented them from re-signing with the Lions until October. By allowing them to recover prior to waiving them, they can technically join the team’s practice squad immediately after clearing waivers.

It’s unclear what the Lions intend to do with the active roster vacancies, but an obvious option would be adding another receiver, potentially someone like veteran Tom Kennedy, who can serve as a kickoff and punt returner.

However, the releases left the Lions light at both running back and offensive line. The team had curiously retained five running backs over the weekend, but are now down to three after placing Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve a day earlier.

That leaves only Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors on the active roster. Notably, Vaki and Saylors have combined for just 12 career touches.

Recently, the Lions had veteran Kareem Hunt in for a tryout. A nine-year veteran who was with the Chiefs last season, he ran for 611 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games.

Along the offensive line, Detroit is now down to eight bodies, without an obvious backup center behind Juice Scruggs, who is already filling in for injured starter Cade Mays. Without an addition or practice squad elevation for Week 1, right guard Tate Ratledge would likely be the emergency snapper if something happened to Scruggs.

On the practice squad, the team has two additional linemen who have played center in a preseason, Elijah Klein and Mason Miller. In terms of the regular season, Klein, who spent his first three seasons with Tampa Bay, has logged just one start at left guard. Miller, an undrafted signing out of North Dakota State a year ago, has yet to appear in a regular season game.

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Allen Park — Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and assistant general manager Ray Agnew met with the media on Wednesday following the recent establishment of the team’s 53-man roster.

Here’s a recap of the key points from the conversation:

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Surprise cut and going light at receiver

Last month, Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team’s receiver room was the best he’s had during training camp across his tenure with the franchise, calling the competition for roster spots behind the starters “an all-out battle.”

At the time, the working assumption was Campbell was talking about a fifth, potentially even sixth spot on the roster. Instead, the Lions kept just four receivers, surprising every outside observer by cutting veteran Greg Dortch, the offseason free-agent signing who had spent the past three seasons with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing in Arizona.

Dortch ultimately signed with Buffalo’s practice squad following the release. Asked specifically about that decision, Holmes kept it simple, essentially saying Dortch didn’t win a job.

“Look, the whole time, we wanted to add as much competition as possible this whole offseason,” Holmes said. “When you add as much competition as possible — I thought it was fierce competition — it adds more discomfort. It also entails harder decisions. That’s really all it was. He was just part of that competition and unfortunately it didn’t work out. That’s why we made the move.”

On keeping just four receivers, Holmes admitted it’s a little light, but the roster’s makeup today isn’t necessarily what it will be next week or next month.

The GM highlighted Tom Kennedy’s inclusion on the practice squad after proving more special teams ability last season.

The release of Dortch left the Lions without a clear front-runner for the punt return job, but Kennedy is a strong contender for that role to open the season. The team can elevate him off the practice squad three times before they’d need to add him to the 53-man roster.

Pacheco prognosis

Detroit did some creative but curious roster maneuvering the past few days involving running back Isiah Pacheco and tight end Tyler Conklin.

On Sunday, the team cut Conklin, but re-signed him on Tuesday after placing Pacheco on injured reserve. It raised the question, why not place Pacheco on injured reserve on Sunday, when the team still had one designation to use?

I asked Holmes if they were waiting on additional (medical) information on Pacheco, causing the delay. The GM’s response was vague.

“Yeah, with the information that we had, that's why we decided to do it when we did.”

One potential hypothesis is the Lions aren’t sure if Pacheco will return to action this season. Back injuries can be tricky, so the team opted not place him on IR at cutdowns because they would have needed to designate him to return and they’re limited to bringing back eight players off injured reserve during the season, a threshold they bumped up against last season.

For what it’s worth, Holmes didn’t imply that Pacheco will be lost for the year.

“Pacheco, look, he's doing everything that he can to get back,” Holmes said. “We're still excited about him to get back. …I don't want to put a timetable on it right now. I'll just say that he's steadily feeling better.”

Another reporter asked directly if they expected to get Pacheco back this season.

“That's the hope,” Holmes said.

Point of emphasis up front

One of the biggest surprises of training camp was the emergence of undrafted edge defender Eric O’Neill, who played well enough during the preseason to snatch a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

Holmes shared a post-draft story about how he and college scouting director Brian Hudspeth emphasized landing O’Neill, which might surprise some people given the defender had struggled as a senior during his lone season at Rutgers, tallying just 2.5 sacks.

“He's just a very high-motor player,” Holmes said. “He's very instinctive. He's a better athlete than his numbers may indicate. He gets the most out of himself and he's just one of those guys that we knew he was going to fit right in here, in terms of what we're about from a culture standpoint. He took advantage of his opportunities and it worked out well for him.”

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Within the answer on O’Neill, Holmes said the team put an emphasis on adding more pass-rush ability this offseason. That’s been reflected in the team’s decisions at defensive tackle, namely adding a smaller, quicker interior option in Skyler Gill-Howard via the draft, and keeping both him and Mekhi Wingo, who is similarly undersized.

“We wanted to have more juice, regardless,” Holmes said. “Guys like Gill-Howard, that was one of the first things that you see when you watch his tape. My first thought was he's going to be an impact, what do you call it, like a DPR, kind of sub-(package) rusher.

“But, because of his innate violence that he's wired with, he's actually been a little bit better in the run game than probably what we even anticipated,” Holmes said about the rookie. “Not that he was bad in college, but NFL's a different story. You know, when you have 650 pounds coming on you, it's hard. But because of how he's built, because he can bend, and he has this innate violence and hand usage, he gives himself a chance.”

Holmes shouted out the team’s analytics department for highlighting Gill-Howard during the draft process.

Garden watered

Holmes put a clear emphasis on refreshing the team’s offensive line this offseason and he’s pleased with the early results, particularly first-round pick Blake Miller.

“With Blake, he's gotten better and better and better and that's what we expected,” Holmes said. “We like where he's at.”

The team had also looked to have a fierce competition at left guard, but injuries derailed that battle, leaving Christian Mahogany unchallenged through most of training camp.

One contender, Juice Scruggs, had to shift to center after starter Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury. Meanwhile, veteran Ben Bartch took a little longer to get going than expected after suffering a Lisfranc break in his foot last season, and was further slowed by a camp concussion.

“Obviously, we all know that Christian Mahogany has starter-level ability,” Holmes said. “He's shown that. We wanted to increase the competition there. I know Bartch hasn't been out there as much, but when he was out there, he was good. He performed well. He just wasn't able to get out there as much. I would say the last week, with the practices, the scrimmage, and that preseason game, he earned his spot.”

Agnew did mention that some of the offseason competitions are going to carry into the regular season. Although not directly mentioned, the left guard spot figures to be one.

Content with CB depth post-Arnold

There was a mildly contentious exchange between a reporter and Holmes regarding former cornerback Terrion Arnold and whether the team felt it had done enough to investigate the situation that led to his release, or if Holmes had done enough to prepare the roster for the potential departure.

“The more information that we got throughout the process, that was the result of us doing the best and right thing for the club, which was to move on and move forward,” Holmes said. “We appreciate everything that he did, but I think with respect of the present right now, to focus on the guys that we have here, and we like the guys that we have right now in that room.”

Cornerback depth is undeniably one of the biggest questions the Lions face entering the season. The starting tandem of DJ Reed and Rock Ya-Sin has a high floor. The bigger concerns surround backups Ennis Rakestraw, Roger McCreary and Khalil Dorsey.

Rakestraw has missed most of his first two seasons and had multiple injury scares during camp. As for McCreary, he was initially set to play the slot for Detroit, and despite experience playing outside, he didn’t really start working there for the Lions until mid-camp.

Regardless, Holmes expressed confidence in the group he built and retained.

“With Ennis, just glad that his health has been better, and he's had a chance to go out there and compete,” Holmes said. “He's gotten better throughout camp. He has a lot of ability. He's got a lot of stuff in his body where he can play sticky (coverage). I thought his run game stuff improved. He showed that throughout the preseason, as well. And I think with him missing last year, he was able to really get his body in a lot better shape, in terms of his strength development and a little bit of weight added to him.

“…So we like those guys,” Holmes said. “We liked being able to bring Roger McCreary (in). He's played a lot of football, both inside and a little bit outside, I would actually argue that some of the stuff that he did on the outside, what he did last year on the outside may have been a little bit more appealing than what he did inside at his first stop (in Tennessee). We really like him. And then us being able to draft Keith Abney, he's been a quick study in terms of his instincts, his toughness, his ability to do a lot. He's a good football player.”

More contracts coming

Holmes confirmed the team still aims to get long-term deals done with tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch after locking up linebacker Jack Campbell and running back Jahmyr Gibbs in recent months.

“Those other two, we still want to keep those guys around,” Holmes said. “Those plans haven’t changed. There're a couple factors that we still got to sort through, but in terms of us wanting those guys around, absolutely. Hopefully we can get that done.”

With Gibbs, his negotiations carried into camp, resulting in a brief hold-in for the star running back. I asked Holmes how challenging the situation was with another negotiation, Bijan Robinson in Atlanta, directly impacting the conversations with Gibbs.

“All of them (contract negotiations) are unique, especially when it gets up to that magnitude from a financial standpoint,” Holmes said. “It was just unique that both of those guys were kind of happening at the same time. It was more of just being patient. We already knew what we wanted to do. You just had to see who was going to get done first, and you had to adjust off of that.”

Non-update update

Regarding Branch and Kerby Joseph, the team’s other injured starting safety, Holmes didn’t have anything new to offer regarding expectations or timelines.

“Well, we still have confidence that they can come back, we just can't really give an exact timeline,” Holmes said. “But yeah, I mean, they're both here, they're rehabbing, they're working hard, just can't offer a timeline. The hope is to have both of them back soon.”

Branch and Joseph missed all of training camp and will start the season on the physically unable to perform list. They will be eligible to return to practice after Week 2, but can’t appear in a game until Week 5.

Allen Park — Completing the summersault from some roster gymnastics over the weekend, the Detroit Lions have re-signed tight end Tyler Conklin to the 53-man roster.

Conklin had seen extensive work with the first-team offense during the offseason while starter Sam LaPorta completed his rehab from last year’s back surgery. That made Conklin one of the more surprising cuts when the team announced its initial 53-man roster Sunday evening.

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A Michigan native and Central Michigan alum, the eight-year veteran seemed to offer logical insurance for LaPorta and Brock Wright after both tight ends missed time with injuries last season.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2018, Conklin spent his first four seasons in Minnesota, followed by three years with the New York Jets. From 2021-24, he appeared in 67 of 68 regular season games, averaging 58 receptions for 554 yards and 2.5 touchdowns.

Conklin’s production declined sharply with the Chargers last season and he signed with the Lions looking to prove there was still plenty of tread on the tires.

To make room for Conklin, the Lions placed Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve. The running back missed the second half of training camp with an MCL sprain, but is currently battling a back injury. He will be required to miss at least the first four games.

The timing of the move suggests the Lions were waiting on additional information regarding Pacheco’s injury, given they could have placed him on injured reserve on Sunday, without cutting Conklin.

In addition to re-signing the veteran tight end, the Lions rounded out their practice squad by bringing back wide receiver Dominic Lovett and adding former Tampa Bay offensive lineman Elijah Klein.

A sixth-round pick out of UTEP in 2024, the 6-foot-4 Klein has bulked up to 319 pounds during his time in the league. He’s appeared in 26 games, mostly on special teams, recording his first and only start in 2025.

Primarily a right guard in college, Klein has seen preseason snaps at both guard spots, center and right tackle.

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions filled out most of their 16-man practice squad, brining back 14 players who were with the team during training camp.

Here’s a detailed rundown of the returning group:

Quarterback Luke Altmyer

An undrafted rookie free agent, Altmyer stayed home in Mississippi to begin his college career, but transferred to Illinois after two seasons, serving as the Illini’s starter for three years.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder earned honorable mention all-conference honors twice while completing 64.4% of his throws for 7,607 yards, 57 touchdowns to 21 interceptions.

Altmyer benefitted from Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement earlier in the month, gaining a larger percentage of the workload in practice. He demonstrated clear developmental growth throughout his first offseason and completed 63.0% of his passes for 271 yards and a touchdown during the preseason. However, he struggled with turnovers, tossing a trio of interceptions and losing a fumble.

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Linebacker Joe Bachie

Detroit is the sixth stop for the former Michigan State standout. With 66 games of experience, including seven starts, the Lions appreciate his defensive versatility and special teams ability. For his career, he’s logged more than 1,100 snaps with those units.

Bachie operated with Detroit’s second-team defense most of camp, earning a start in the preseason finale.

Safety Aamaris Brown

Brown had a three-stop college career, going from Kansas State to South Florida to UNLV. The 5-foot-10, 197-pounder demonstrated plus athleticism with his pre-draft testing, earning an opportunity with the Lions as a UDFA.

Starting deep on the safety depth chart, his steady improvement allowed him to jump some of the other young defensive backs, earning a start in the preseason finale.

In three preseason games, Brown tallied nine tackles and two pass breakups.

Offensive tackle Devin Cochran

Undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2022, Cochran spent more than three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals to begin his pro career, prior to landing on Detroit’s practice squad last September.

Cochran didn’t appear in a game for the Lions last year, but earned a futures contract after the season. Appearing in the final two preseason games, he logged 65 offensive snaps, all at left tackle, and yielded just one quarterback pressure.

Tight end Thomas Gordon

Gordon spent six seasons at Northwestern before inking with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent last year. He would go on to spend parts of the season on the team’s practice squad, but was added to Detroit’s offseason roster after the Bears let him go in late January.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Gordon saw a hefty workload during the preseason, topping 100 offensive snaps, most of which came in line, attached to the offensive tackle. He drew five targets in the pass game, catching two for 12 yards.

Wide receiver Lucky Jackson

Jackson went undrafted out of Western Kentucky back in 2020. He’s bounced around, from the CFL to the UFL, sandwiched around parts of three seasons on the Vikings’ practice squad. He did find his way into three regular season appearances with Minnesota.

After a successful campaign with the UFL’s Louisville Kings in the spring, Jackson joined the Lions between minicamp and training camp. The inside-out option steadily improved this summer and had a big impact in the season finale, racking up five catches for 94 yards.

Wide receiver Tom Kennedy

The Lions’ longest-tenured player, the former lacrosse standout first signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Bryant in 2019.

Kennedy has spent more time on Detroit’s practice squad than the active roster, but his grit, IQ and reliability has made him popular with teammates and coaches.

He’s appeared in 30 games during his career, logging 18 catches for 231 yards. He’s also shown the ability to capably handle kickoff and punt returns, which could pave the path to early-season playing time as a game-day elevation.

Edge Anthony Lucas

An undrafted rookie out of USC, Lucas posted a nondescript stat line during his three seasons with the Trojans, including just 3.0 sacks. However, the Lions liked his size and disruption on tape, quickly moving to sign him after the draft.

During his debut offseason, Lucas demonstrated toughness on the practice field, the ability to set an edge, as well as disrupt the pocket. In 94 preseason snaps, he generated five pressures, including a couple of hits on opposing quarterbacks.

Offensive lineman Mason Miller

Signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent last offseason, Miller initially struggled with the transition from North Dakota State to the NFL. After not clicking at offensive tackle — his college position — Detroit shifted him to guard and kept him on the practice squad all year.

Miller continued to work primarily at guard this training camp, looking better suited for the interior alignment. However, the team asked him to move to center in late August after injuries impacted the depth chart. He would serve as the starting snapper in the preseason finale and surprised with how well he handled the role, despite his lack of experience.

Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga

A mid-camp addition, Ogbongbemiga quickly caught the eye of coaches by always being around the ball. He tallied seven tackles in just 48 defensive snaps, while offering clear special teams ability.

The Nigerian native went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2021, spending multiple seasons with both the Chargers and Bears. He’s racked up an impressive 1,431 special teams snaps during his career.

Defensive tackle Chris Smith

A Detroit native, Smith went from Harvard to Notre Dame before signing with the Lions as a UDFA in 2023. He’s bounced back and forth between the team’s practice squad and active roster the past three seasons, making the initial 53 out of training camp a year ago.

Smith has appeared in five regular season games for the team and logged 58 defensive reps during the preseason, tallying three tackles and a quarterback pressure.

Defensive lineman Ben Stille

Another mid-camp addition, Stille exudes the toughness you’d expect from a Nebraska native and Cornhusker alum. Able to play across the defensive front, the 6-foot-4, 296-pounder impressed on the practice field with a quick first step and violent striking.

Stille has seen regular season playing time with four franchises, but has just 338 defensive snaps under his belt since coming into the league five years ago.

Defensive lineman Tyre West

A seventh-round pick out of Tennessee, West struggled to have an impact on the practice field and in preseason games during his inaugural NFL camp. A rotational piece on a deep defensive line in college, West is clearly an unfinished product.

It’s noteworthy that most of the 6-foot-2, 283-pounder’s work came on the inside after primarily working as an edge at Tennessee.

Cornerback Nick Whiteside

One of the more surprising cuts on Sunday, Whiteside returns to Detroit’s practice squad, where he will continue to work on being a more consistent option on the outside, while potentially developing versatility to play safety, like he was doing late in camp.

A Michigan native that played at Saginaw Valley State, Whiteside signed with the Commanders as an undrafted rookie in 2023, played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in the spring of 2025, and signed with the Lions during last year’s training camp.

Whiteside wasn’t initially offered a practice squad spot by Detroit last season, but signed to the unit a few weeks into the season, eventually earning a promotion to the active roster following a memorable performance as an injury replacement against Tampa Bay.

Allen Park — A day after establishing the team’s initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season, the Detroit Lions stood pat after sifting through the hundreds of players that hit waivers Sunday night.

Across the league, 29 players found new homes via waivers, with the Miami Dolphins adding seven through the process. Atlanta, Kansas City, Minnesota, New England, New Orleans, Tennessee and the New York Jets were the other teams awarded multiple claims.

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It’s possible the Lions put in a claim on one or more of those 29 players, but were sniped by a team higher in the waiver order, which is based on last year’s final standings. The league doesn’t report non-awarded claims.

Last year, the Lions claimed three players off waivers following final cuts, picking up defensive linemen Tyler Lacy and Tyrus Wheat, as well as defensive back Thomas Harper. Lacy and Harper both made the team’s 53-man roster this weekend.

In addition to Detroit not claiming any talent on Monday, none of the 24 players the team waived the previous night were claimed by another team, including popular undrafted rookies Luke Altmyer and Erick Hunter.

That gives the team its pick of which of those players will make up their initial 16-man practice squad, which is expected to be largely in place by the end of Monday.

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions were one of the last NFL teams to publicly release their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season Sunday evening, about three hours after the deadline to submit the moves to the league.

However, the wait brought a number of surprises, even if a handful of them were spoiled by player agents earlier in the afternoon.

Let’s dissect Detroit’s decisions, talk about the surprises, where I went wrong with my predictions, and address some of the lingering questions.

Meeting expectations

Let’s open with where I went right with yesterday’s projection, starting with one of the more obvious conclusions; the quarterback position.

Even before the preseason finale, I was strongly leaning toward the veteran backup option. Josh Dobbs ended the debate with a pristine line against the Colts, completing 15-of-19 for 128 yards and two scores, making the choice easy.

You would absolutely love to see Luke Altmyer remain in the fold via the practice squad, but if he were to get claimed overnight, it’s not something to lose sleep over. On the contrary, I feel better about the front office’s ability to identify overlooked, but well-seasoned options coming out of college in the portal era.

Elsewhere on the roster, there were a handful of bubble guys that earned jobs, as I projected.

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The Detroit Lions announced the team’s initial 53-man roster — yes, it’s 53 this year — cutting or waiving more than 30 players on Sunday.

Below is the complete roster and full list of cuts. Check back later this evening for analysis of the roster.

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53-man Roster

Quarterbacks: Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs

Running backs: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small

Wide receivers: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Tay Martin

Tight ends: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Jackson Meeks

Offensive line: Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, Seth McLaughlin

Edge defenders: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Tyler Lacy, Ahmed Hassanein, Eric O’Neill

Defensive tackles: Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Skyler Gill-Howard, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo

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

Cornerbacks: DJ Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey, Keith Abney II, Roger McCreary

Safeties: Chuck Clark, Christian Izien, Thomas Harper, Avonte Maddox

Specialists: Jake Bates, Jack Fox, Hogan Hatten

Injured lists

Physically unable to perform: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph

Injured reserve/designated to return: Cade Mays

Non-Football Injury: Giovanni Manu

Cut

DL Myles Adams, LB Joe Bachie, TE Tyler Conklin, WR Greg Dortch, WR Tom Kennedy, LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, LB Troy Reeder, DL Ben Stille and RB Trayveon Williams

Waived

QB Luke Altmyer, WR Tarik Black, CB Ekow Boye-Doe, DB Aamaris Brown, OL Devin Cochran, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, TE Thomas Gordon, OL Gus Hartwig, TE Zach Horton, LB Erick Hunter, S Dan Jackson, WR Lucky Jackson, WR Dominic Lovett, EDGE Anthony Lucas, G Mason Miller, G Melvin Priestly, CB Eric Scott Jr., DL Chris Smith, OL Colby Sorsdal, S Jason Taylor II, DL Tyre West, CB Nick Whiteside, RB Roydell Williams

Waived/Injured

OL Michael Niese

NFL teams are required to reduce their offseason rosters to 53 players by 6 p.m. on Sunday. By the end of this weekend, more than 1,000 players will be cut/waived across the league.

Released players with fewer than four years experience will be placed on waivers, where they can be claimed by another team. Typically waivers is 24 hours, but it’s slightly shorter following cutdown day, with teams having until 1 p.m. Monday to put in claims.

In cases where multiple teams put a claim on the same player, waiver priority will be based on the 2026 draft order. After claims have been awarded on Monday, teams can begin piecing together their 16-man practice squads.

As news breaks regarding the Detroit Lions’ roster decisions throughout Sunday, this post will be chronologically updated. Newest updates will be just below this intro text.

Finally, there will be a running roster tracker at the bottom of the post as the Lions work their way to a 53-man roster. Check back throughout the day for updates.

In the meantime, you can read our final roster projection following Saturday’s preseason finale.

6:27 p.m.— Wide receiver Tay Martin, who received praise for his special teams contributions on multiple occasions, is making the initial roster, according to the Detroit News.

6:22 p.m. — Brian Branch will also stay on PUP to start the season, according to the Detroit Free Press.

6:09 p.m. — The Lions are cutting running back Trayveon Williams and waiving quarterback Luke Altmyer, according to separate reports.

6:02 p.m. — The Lions are waiving defensive tackle Chris Smith, according to the Detroit News.

6:00 p.m. — Tight end Jackson Meeks has made the initial roster, according to the Detroit Free Press.

5:56 p.m. — In an unsurprising move, the Lions are keeping safety Kerby Joseph on the physically unable to perform list, according to ESPN. He will be required to miss the first four games, but can return to practice after Week 2.

5:47 p.m. — With the full list of cuts likely coming within the hour, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Mason Miller didn’t make the roster. Miller was a longshot, but had turned heads with an impressive showing at center during the preseason finale.

5:38 p.m. — After a strong start to camp, cornerback Nick Whiteside didn’t do enough down the stretch to secure a roster spot. He’s being waived, according to the Detroit News.

Whiteside had been filling in at safety during the final few days of practice, as well as the preseason finale.

5:25 p.m. — The day’s first big surprise comes courtesy the receiver room, where Tom Pelissero reports the Lions are releasing wide receiver Greg Dortch.

The veteran who followed offensive coordinator Drew Petzing from Arizona, had split his camp reps between the first- and second-team offense, as well as handling punts and kickoffs.

Dortch had a quiet preseason, catching two of three targets for 22 yards.

4:01 p.m. — Non-Lions news, but future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement.

3:54 p.m. — USA Today’s Saints Wire is reporting the Lions are waiving seventh-round pick Tyre West. The rookie defensive lineman, who primarily worked inside during training camp, struggled to earn preseason reps after a sluggish first camp. Given the team’s depth up front, it’s possible he might not get a practice squad look in Detroit.

3:41 p.m. — The Detroit News is reporting that the team is parting with defensive tackle Myles Adams. The veteran defensive lineman spent all of last season on the team’s practice squad and played 67 snaps in the preseason. He had four tackles, including a sack in Saturday’s finale.

3:30 p.m. — Tight end Zach Horton is being waived, according to the Detroit News. Signed as a UDFA a year ago, he saw limited action as a rookie, spending most of his debut season on the practice squad.

Horton was briefly released during the early stages of training camp, but brought back when injuries impacted the position’s depth chart. He saw extensive work during the preseason, logging more than 70 snaps on offense. He caught all five of his targets, but gained just 11 yards with those receptions.

3:25 p.m. — The Lions are releasing veteran linebacker Troy Reeder, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Signed shortly before the start of training camp, Reeder struggled to climb the depth chart through the summer. He logged 58 defensive snaps in the preseason, including 30 in the finale, recording five total tackles.

2:30 p.m. — A slow trickle of cuts have been coming in since the morning, but no leaks from Detroit.

However, there has been some news within the division where the Green Bay Packers have made multiple trades. The NFC North rivals shipped out quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a future sixth-round pick and are acquiring running back Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers and tight end Mark Redman from the Rams.

The Johnson trade is notable given Packers starting running back Josh Jacobs is heading to the commissioner’s exempt list after recently being charged with a pair of misdemeanors.

Johnson, a third-round pick out of Iowa a year ago, rushed for just 69 yards on 28 carries in 10 games as a rookie.

Roster count: 79

Quarterback

• Jared Goff

• Josh Dobbs

• Luke Altmyer

Running back

• Jahmyr Gibbs

• Isiah Pacheco

• Sione Vaki

• Jacob Saylors

• Jabari Small

• Trayveon Williams

• Roydell Williams

Wide receiver

• Amon-Ra St. Brown

• Jameson Williams

• Isaac TeSlaa

• Greg Dortch

• Tay Martin

• Tom Kennedy

• Dominic Lovett

• Lucky Jackson

• Malik Cunningham

• Tarik Black

• Kendrick Law (placed on injured reserve, doesn’t count toward 53)

Tight end

• Sam LaPorta

• Brock Wright

• Tyler Conklin

• Jackson Meeks

• Thomas Gordon

• Zach Horton

Offensive line

• Penei Sewell

• Blake Miller

• Christian Mahogany

• Tate Ratledge

• Cade Mays

• Juice Scruggs

• Larry Borom

• Ben Bartch

• Miles Frazier

• Giovanni Manu

• Seth McLaughlin

• Michael Niese

• Mason Miller

• Colby Sorsdal

• Devin Cochran

• Melvin Priestly

• Gus Hartwig

Edge

• Aidan Hutchinson

• DJ Wonnum

• Derrick Moore

• Tyler Lacy

• Ahmed Hassanein

• Eric O’Neill

• Anthony Lucas

• Payton Turner (placed on injured reserve, doesn’t count toward 53)

Defensive tackle

• Alim McNeill

• Tyleik Williams

• Skyler Gill-Howard

• Levi Onwuzurike

• Chris Smith

• Ben Stille

• Mekhi Wingo

• Myles Adams

• Tyre West

Linebacker

• Jack Campbell

• Derrick Barnes

• Devin White

• Malcolm Rodriguez

• Jimmy Rolder

• Trevor Nowaske

• Joe Bachie

• Troy Reeder

• Amen Ogbongbemiga

• Erick Hunter

• Damone Clark (placed on injured reserve, doesn’t count toward 53)

Cornerback

• DJ Reed

• Rock Ya-Sin

• Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

• Keith Abney II

• Khalil Dorsey

• Nick Whiteside

• Roger McCreary

• Bump Cooper Jr.

• Ekow Boye-Doe

• Eric Scott Jr.

Safety

• Kerby Joseph (Will stay on PUP and not count toward the 53-man roster)

• Brian Branch (Will stay on PUP and not count toward the 53-man roster)

• Chuck Clark

• Christian Izien

• Avonte Maddox

• Thomas Harper

• Dan Jackson

• Aamaris Brown

• Jason Taylor II

Specialists

• Jake Bates

• Jack Fox

• Hogan Hatten

The preseason finale shouldn’t override months of evaluation, but the Detroit Lions’ 25-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday did cause some small ripples in our roster projection.

Here’s a final effort at piecing together the team’s initial regular-season roster and practice squad ahead of Sunday’s 6 p.m. deadline to get down to 53 players.

Quarterback (2)

In: Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs

Out: Luke Altmyer

What’s changed: None

Quick thoughts: The Lions should be praised for giving Altmyer a long and serious look to win the backup job, including a lopsided percentage of the practice reps behind Goff.

Altmyer has proven to be a strong, post-draft find with developable traits. In the likely event he goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll make for a natural fit on the practice squad.

However, Dobbs proved why he was the right veteran to target after Teddy Bridgewater opted for retirement early in camp. Dobbs was poised and accurate in his final audition on Saturday, thriving on third and fourth downs, as well as during an end-of-half, two-minute situation.

Obviously, the Lions hope to never need to turn to their backup, but Dobbs is presently more capable of keeping the ship afloat in an emergency situation.

Running back (4)

In: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors

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