Final 53-man roster projection after Detroit Lions' preseason finale

Allen Park — With the offseason now in the books, it’s time for the Lions to make difficult roster decisions. By 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the team must trim its 90-man offseason allotment to 53 players.

After watching 16 training camp practices and the three preseason contests, here’s our educated estimation of how that 53 shakes out.

Quarterbacks (3)

In: Jared Goff, Nate Sudfeld, Hendon Hooker

Out: Fromm

Changes: None

Thoughts: From the Lions’ perspective, the setup entering training camp will remain the setup heading into the regular season.

After having his mechanics retooled to better fit the three-, five- and seven-step drops required in the NFL, Hooker has made noticeable developmental advancements throughout the offseason program. Additionally, during his preseason playing time, he’s had an opportunity to showcase his dual-threat ability, running for 138 yards on 19 scrambles and a handful of designed runs.

But, in the end, the Lions still trust Sudfeld’s nine years of experience more in an emergency. That means he’s expected to open the season as Goff’s backup, while Hooker continues to work on ironing out some of the inconsistencies with his accuracy, and more importantly, internal clock.