Tyler Conklin · DET

Jared Goff

QB · DET

Teddy Bridgewater

QB · DET

+24 players

general

2026 Detroit Lions 53-man roster prediction: Pre-training camp

Yahoo Sports NFLJul 20, 2026, 4:01 PM+4 stories · 30dSource ↗

Jared Goff Teddy Bridgewater Luke Altmyer

We’re just over a week away from the Detroit Lions opening training camp for the 2026 season. With that in mind, I figured now was a good time to give my own perspective on the team’s 90-man roster and what it may look like after the dust of camp and the preseason has settled. Obviously, the outlook of this projection will change over the next month as the players jockey for spots. But here’s how I believe the roster stands before the players take the field. QB Jared Goff QB Teddy Bridgewater QB Luke Altmyer I am not counting out rookie UDFA Luke Altmyer winning a roster spot by the end of training camp, but the much more likely scenario is that he sticks around on the practice squad to continue his development. But if he balls out in the preseason, it could produce an interesting conversation. RB Jahmyr Gibbs RB Isiah Pacheco RB Sione Vaki RB Jacob Saylors RB Kye Robichaux RB Jabari Small Gibbs through Vaki are essentially locks to me. The question is whether Detroit should carry a fourth running back. Generally, they do , and when the Lions chose Saylors over Craig Reynolds last season, I think it was a revelation of how much they value his special teams. TE Sam LaPorta TE Brock Wright TE Tyler Conklin TE Zach Horton TE Thomas Gordon TE Miles Kitselman The Lions have recently only kept three tight ends on their roster, but I do wonder if last year’s depleted depth will make them reconsider in 2026. It’s hard for me to pick between Horton, Gordon, and Kitselman with little observations on each. If Drew Petzing plans on running more 13 personnel in Detroit, the Lions would almost certainly keep a fourth. However, they also invested highly in their wide receiver group, so I’m not convinced 13 personnel is coming to Detroit. Therefore, I’m keeping three tight ends for now. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown WR Jameson Williams WR Isaac TeSlaa WR Greg Dortch WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR Dominic Lovett WR Jackson Meeks WR Tom Kennedy WR Tay Martin WR Lawrence Keys WR Lucky Jackson WR Tarik Black WR Malik Cunningham When I made my initial picks for the 53-man roster, I was only at 52 players with Dominic Lovett out. He’s thus far underwhelmed as both a receiver (too many drops) and special teams (just 50 snaps his rookie season). However, Detroit invested in him, and he could see a Year 2 jump. I very much considered Jackson Meeks here, especially considering I went light at tight end, but I still think he is a work in progress at both WR and TE. OT Blake Miller OT Penei Sewell OT Larry Borom OT Giovanni Manu OT Devin Cochran Giovanni Manu was also one of my last players in. Admittedly, he may spend most weeks as an inactive in this role, but I do think Detroit would be willing to give him one more year to develop. After all, Larry Borom is only on a one-year deal. I’m still giving Manu a shot to become the OT3 of the future, even if if the door to a starting offensive tackle job is closed for him. iOL Christian Mahogany iOL Cade Mays iOL Tate Ratledge iOL Ben Bartch iOL Miles Frazier iOL Juice Scruggs i OL Seth McLaughlin iOL Melvin Priestly iOL Michael Niese iOL Mason Miller OL Colby Sorsdal I do like the depth here, and I think the Lions would be wise to keep as many of these players as they can. Barch and Scruggs are two experienced players who provide solide depth. Frazier will not only compete for the starting left guard spot, but he brings tackle versatility and has plenty of potential entering his first training camp (after missing all of last year’s practices). I’m not sure anyone else on the depth chart can realistically challenge for a starting position, but I am admittedly intrigued by Seth McLaughlin . It’s just hard to see him winning the backup center job after Detroit traded for Scruggs. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson EDGE DJ Wonnum EDGE Derrick Moore EDGE Ahmed Hassanein EDGE Payton Turner EDGE Anthony Lucas EDGE Eric O’Neill Three edge defenders sounds like a small amount, and I would have loved to find a place for Ahmed Has [... truncated ...]

Isaac TeSlaa

WR · DET

Amon-Ra St. Brown

WR · DET

+3 players

general

9 winners from Detroit Lions OTAs, minicamp

Yahoo Sports NFLJun 22, 2026, 4:34 PM+4 stories · 30dSource ↗

Isaac TeSlaa Amon-Ra St. Brown Jameson Williams

Before we get into my list of the nine biggest winners from Detroit Lions OTAs and minicamp, let’s make one thing clear: jobs are not won in the spring. Practices are very low-key, and coaches are using most of the time to start installing the playbook and getting their players up to speed mentally. At the same time, our first look at the 2026 Detroit Lions also allows us to see where the depth chart initially stands heading into training camp. And having talked with just about every coach on staff over the past month, we also have some initial impressions to work with. So with that in mind, here are my nine biggest winners from the spring program. With Sam LaPorta limited to walkthroughs and veteran Tyler Conklin missing the last couple weeks of practice, it was very interesting to see that it was undrafted rookie Miles Kitselman getting some time with the first and second-team offense. Kitselman received a modest $115,000 guaranteed in his UDFA contract , so he’s by no means a lock to make the roster. But amongst very young depth, Kitselman appeared to be the early standout. All the early indications of a Year 2 jump for Isaac TeSlaa are there. He’s been uncontested third receiver alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams , and coaches have really praised just how comfortable he looks. “He is just steady, he’s steady, he is consistent for a young guy, he doesn’t get frazzled,” coach Dan Campbell said. “I mean this as a compliment, what he’s done out here is in the spring, Phase II, OTAs and all of that, it has just been very—there’s been nothing like flashy about it, and that is a good thing.” And he’s apparently improved on several things, from his breaks to his overall strength. “He’s done a good job of going and getting the football since he’s been here and then now at the top of his breaks, they’re so much cleaner,” receivers coach Scottie Montgomery said. “He’s so much stronger. Last year, what I like to do is I like to watch where we were, especially from an athleticism standpoint to where he is now. It’s not even close.” When the David Montgomery trade down, I admittedly looked at Scruggs as a throw-in piece. While he had 20 games of starting experience, I figured he’d be a bubble player who would have to really prove himself to land a spot on the 53. Now, I have him just outside of a “lock.” Why? Well, because he’s consistently been the backup center during all of the spring, and because he’s also been repping at the other two interior offensive line spots, including some brief time with the starters at left guard. On top of that, apparently the Lions front office made it clear that they really wanted him as part of the Montgomery trade. “He really wants me here,” Scruggs told Detroit Football Network regarding Lions GM Brad Holmes. “He likes my game. So, it’s just like a relief, like a fresh start.” When the Lions went into a five-man front this spring and were in need of a 4i or 5-tech, it was almost always Tyler Lacy who was the first man up. Maybe that’s because Levi Onwuzurike is still working his way back from his torn ACL from last year, but I think it’s more than that. Let’s not forget that Lacy played 237 defensive snaps for this team last year and is still just 26 years old. “He kind of jumped on and picked up the scheme and just took off and kind of ran with it,” Lions defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said. “So far, I thought he’s had a really good spring. He’s another piece that adds another piece that’s gonna make probably some hard decisions for Dan and Brad down the road.” It’s worth noting that Lacy will not only have to hold off Onwuzurike, but Ahmed Hassanein added some weight and strength and will also be competing for that big end position. Turner came to Detroit with a ton of questions about him. A former first-round pick, he’s seen his career fizzle out largely due to injury. He’s got a tough road to the roster with D.J. Wonnum and Derrick Moore added this offseason, but to [... truncated ...]

Kendrick Law

WR · DET