On Monday we went through the Detroit Lions roster piece by piece to try to make a way too early prediction on what the team’s 53-man roster might look like after roster cuts in August. Today we’ll do a companion piece to that where we talk about who might be on the Lions 17 man practice squad this year. Here goes nothing.
- QB Nate Sudfeld: The Lions brought him back for a reason and it’s likely the same reason that David Blough kept being brough back. He has a great football mind and is something of a player/coach.
- C Kingsley Eguakun: We wrote earlier in the week that we believe there’s a shot that he can be the guy that takes over for Frank Ragnow when that day comes. It all starts with a spot on the practice squad.
- LB Mitchell Agude: Right now it’s a battle between him and rookie Steele Chambers for what could be a sixth linebacker spot on the roster. I went with Chambers, but the Lions seem to like what they see in Agude. So they’ll keep him around here.
- OL Connor Galvin: He was pretty good during the preseason last year. The Lions would be wise to keep him around again for depth if needed.
- WR Tom Kennedy: The guy is just a part of the team and it’s hard to see him going anywhere unless he’s injured again. Kennedy is as reliable as they come.
- WR Tre’Quan Smith: There’s a lot of history there with Dan Campbell. They go back to when both were at the Saints. Smith is good veteran to have around in case you need a guy to step up. He might even make the 53-man roster when it’s all said and done.
- OT Dan Skipper: Skip was one of the odd men out on the 53-man roster, but that doesn’t mean the Lions are just done with him. They’ll put him on the practice squad and he can be elevated a lot from there. It’s just hard to see him staying on the main roster with so many young guys they aren’t going to want to risk getting poached.
- DL Levi Onwuzurike: Another guy that was the odd man out. Onwuzruke has struggled with a back injury throughout his career and last year when he was able to come back, he was taken out of the rotation and was a healthy scratch a couple times. I don’t see the Lions fully moving off of him though.
- CB Kindle Vildor: He was pretty good for the Lions in 2023 when he was playing smaller stints. He’s good depth that should be kept around.
- CB Khalil Dorsey: He has solid special teams ability and can be a return man too. Definitely worth keeping in Detroit.
- DL Chris Smith: The Lions were really on and off with Smith in 2023. There’s good reason to believe they may be that way again in 2024.
- DB Loren Strickland: After you watch the film on this undrafted rookie and see that most of the tackles he makes look incredibly violent, you’ll start to understand why it’s hard for us to think that Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn would part ways with him.
- ED Nate Lynn: The Lions brought him in for a top-30 visit ahead of the draft. There must have been some real interest in him ahead of the draft. Now he’s here as a UDFA. Feels like the kind of guy the Lions would want to see more of this season.
- K Jake Turner: The Lions kept a kicker on the practice squad all year last year and they’ll probably do it again this year. Right now the prediction is that it’s Turner.
- LS Hogan Hatten: Same thing as the kicker. The Lions held onto a long snapper most of the year and it paid off when Scott Daly got hurt and Jake McQuaide stepped in.
- WR Isaiah Williams: The kid is too good to just let walk away at cut down time. The Lions should look to keep him on the practice squad and maybe he can be more down the road.
- International Pathways Player, WR Florian Bierbaumer: The Austrian giant comes to Detroit. He’s a 6-foot-6 and 240 pound receiver in the European leagues. Take a chance on that size.
This article was originally published by Yardbarker.com. Read the original article here.