Detroit Lions roster and practice squad projection: Position battles sifting out with two weeks to go
The Detroit Lions have 13 days, five practices and two preseason games remaining before needing to set the team’s inaugural 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
Or, general manager Brad Holmes could easily surprise us again and keep fewer than 53 after leaving cutdown day with 50 players a year ago.
This deep into the offseason, we have a pretty good idea on the top 45 or so spots. That leaves a handful of ongoing position battles. Here’s my latest effort to distill what I’ve seen on the practice field and been hearing from coaches and teammates.
Quarterback (2)
In: Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs
Work to do: Luke Altmyer
What’s changed: Dobbs in, Teddy Bridgewater retired
Quick thoughts: Bridgewater’s retirement came as a surprise. He seemed to sleepwalk through OTAs, but had turned it on during the early stages of camp. In terms of the pivot to Dobbs, it was the logical choice at this stage of the offseason.
Altmyer has had a solid camp for an undrafted rookie, but Dobbs’ first throw in full-team work after re-signing with the Lions was better than any the rookie has made.
Altmyer has above-average athleticism and is reasonably accurate on short to intermediate routes, he just needs continued growth as a processor. Holding on to the ball a second too long in the NFL spells doom for quarterbacks.
It’s highly unlikely he gets claimed off waivers, allowing him to slide back onto the practice squad for continued development.
Running back (4)
In: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors