We’re basically at the midpoint of Detroit Lions training camp, with three weeks of practice and one exhibition game in the books and two more remaining — and one more set of joint practices this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That means it’s time to polish off the old crystal ball for a roster prediction that seems especially tricky right now and is sure to change. The Lions have their deepest roster in recent memory, which is a part of why they enter the season as the favorites to win the NFC North. And they have a few injury situations that could impact their decision-making process the rest of camp.
I’ll make at least one more roster prediction before camp breaks, but know the Lions have more than 53 players worthy of roster spots, and 10 or so jobs remain up for grabs based on who plays well and who can contribute where on special teams.
Here’s my first roster prediction of the summer:
Quarterbacks (2)
On the roster: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater, Nate Sudfeld, Hendon Hooker, Adrian Martinez.
The Lions have five quarterbacks in camp, which seems extreme, but Hooker is on the nonfootball injury list recovering from a college knee injury and Bridgewater just got to town. Hooker will open the season on NFI, and Bridgewater will be the backup. That leaves Sudfeld, who coach Dan Campbell said did more good things than bad in Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Giants, in limbo. The Lions could keep three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but they may be better off trying to convince Sudfeld to take a practice squad spot and keeping a player who is sure to contribute at another position.
In: Goff, Bridgewater.
NFI: Hooker.
Running backs (4)
On the roster: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jermar Jefferson, Craig Reynolds, Mohamed Ibrahim, Benny Snell, Devine Ozigbo, Jason Cabinda (fullback).
Justin Jackson’s abrupt retirement Thursday opened up a roster spot for a No. 3 running back. Reynolds is best suited due to success in spot duty as a rusher two years ago and his special teams ability, but he has been hurt part of camp. Ozigbo and Snell split carries in the second half against the Giants after Ibrahim went down with an undisclosed injury. It’s possible the Lions’ No. 3 running back is currently in camp somewhere else.
In: Montgomery, Gibbs, Reynolds, Cabinda.
Wide receivers (6)
On the roster: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Jones, Jameson Williams, Denzel Mims, Antoine Green, Maurice Alexander, Trinity Benson, Chase Cota, Dylan Drummond, Trey Quinn.
Plenty of NFL teams carry six receivers now, and that’s what I have the Lions doing after leaving them with five in my post-OTA roster prediction. I don’t think the back of the room is close to being set, though I’ve got Mims on after the Lions traded for him earlier this summer, and Drummond in based on his body of work. Alexander and Cota both made compelling cases for jobs Friday, and Green is a seventh-round pick who has popped a time or two this summer. I can’t see the Lions keeping seven receivers once Williams returns from his suspension, so eventually something at this position will have to give.
In: St. Brown, Raymond, Reynolds, Jones, Mims, Drummond.
Suspended: Williams.
STOCK WATCH: Lions players who boosted roster chances with strong showing vs. Giants
Tight ends (3)
On the roster: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Daniel Helm, Darrell Daniels.
The suspense over how many tight ends the Lions keep went out the window when Shane Zylstra suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. LaPorta, Mitchell and Wright are virtual locks to make the roster; neither Helm nor Daniels has been around long enough to distinguish himself. The Lions will need a tight end for their practice squad, and depending on Daniels’ health, they may need to add one to get through practice next week.
In: LaPorta, Wright, Mitchell.
IR: Zylstra.
Offensive line (9)
On the roster: Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Penei Sewell, Graham Glasgow, Matt Nelson, Brad Cecil, Ross Pierschbacher, Kayode Awosika, Colby Sorsdal, Connor Galvin, Ryan Swoboda, Obinna Eze, Germain Ifedi, Darrin Paulo, Max Pircher, Bobby Hart.
The Lions sat their top six linemen against the Giants, and there’s no reason to play any of that group in either of the final two preseason games. If you count Sorsdal as the seventh lineman, and I do, than the Lions probably have two spots open, with one going to a swing tackle. Nelson had a couple shaky moments Friday, but he gets the edge over Ifedi for now. And I’m playing a hunch with Awosika for the ninth spot, though Paulo (left guard) and Pierschbacher (center) started Friday.
In: Decker, Jackson, Ragnow, Vaitai, Sewell, Glasgow, Sorsdal, Nelson, Awosika.
Defensive line (11)
On the roster: Edge: Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky, Josh Paschal, Charles Harris, James Houston, Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara. DT: Alim McNeill, Isaiah Buggs, Levi Onwuzurike, Brodric Martin, Benito Jones, Christian Covington, Chris Smith, Cory Durden.
The Lions have more potential contributors at the defensive line and edge rush positions — I lumped outside linebackers Harris, Houston and Julian Okwara in this group — than they have open roster spots for. I think Covington has had a nice camp, but he’s fighting to make the team with young players like Onwuzurike and Martin in need of roster spots. Maybe general manager Brad Holmes can trade from his surplus, and performances like Julian Okwara’s three-sack game Friday should help. For now, I’ve got 11 players in, and that feels like too many, but they’re all worthy of jobs.
In: Hutchinson, Cominsky, Paschal, Harris, Houston, R. Okwara, McNeill, Buggs, Martin, Onwuzurike, Jones.
Linebackers (6)
On the roster: Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jack Campbell, Anthony Pittman, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Trevor Nowaske.
After tight end, this seems like the most cut-and-dry of all positions. Anzalone is a starter along with one of Barnes or Campbell, and whoever is not joins Rodriguez in the top backup group. Reeves-Maybin and Pittman excel on special teams, and everyone but Anzalone will contribute somewhere in the kicking game. Nowaske should be practice squad-bound as a developmental prospect. The Lions were able to stash Pittman on practice squad at the cut deadline last year and could try a similar move this summer if they need to create space elsewhere.
In: Anzalone, Barnes, Rodriguez, Campbell, Pittman, Reeves-Maybin.
JEFF SEIDEL: Lions need more from Jameson Williams. They almost got it from their rookies.
Defensive backs (9)
On the roster: CB: Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, Jerry Jacobs, Will Harris, Chase Lucas, Starling Thomas V, Steven Gilmore, Khalil Dorsey, Tae Hayes. S: Tracy Walker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Saivion Smith, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brady Breeze, Brandon Joseph.
I went heavy on defensive line in this projection at the expense of the secondary. That could change based on special teams needs and if Moseley comes off the physically unable to perform list before the start of the regular season. For now, Sutton and Jacobs are locked into the starting cornerback jobs, with Harris and Thomas as their top backups, and Gardner-Johnson, Kerby Joseph, Walker and Branch comprising the safety/nickel group. The best special teams player of the rest of the defensive backs should make the team as well, with everyone’s performance the next two weeks weighing heavily in the equation. Melifonwu gets the nod for now, but Gilmore has had a nice camp at CB, I thought Dorsey played well Friday and Breeze has moved at least temporarily into the open role as Jack Fox’s personal protector on punts.
In: Sutton, Jacobs, Harris, Thomas, Gardner-Johnson, Kerby Joseph, Branch, Walker, Melifonwu.
PUP: Moseley.
Specialists (3)
On the roster: Jack Fox, Riley Patterson, Parker Romo, Scott Daly.
The Lions picked Scott Daly as their long snapper over Jake McQuaide last week, so all that’s left to decide now is the kicking job. Patterson and Romo have gone back and forth with makes and misses all camp, and with neither pulling away I’d guess Patterson gets the job. He’s more experienced and made a game-winner in the postseason for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. But Romo has enough leg talent to stick around on practice squad.
In: Fox, Patterson, Daly.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.