The Detroit Lions are entering the 2023 season in an unfamiliar place — as the betting favorites in the NFC North. General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have spent the past two years crafting and refining Detroit’s roster. As the Lions’ depth chart improves, the club’s decision-makers will face more difficult questions on cutdown day.
Let’s run through Detroit’s current 90-man roster and determine how they’ll get down to 53 players.
Projecting the Detroit Lions’ 2023 Roster and Depth Chart
Quarterback
- In: Jared Goff, Nate Sudfeld
- Non-Football Injury (NFI) List: Hendon Hooker
- Out: Adrian Martinez
The Lions carried just two quarterbacks for the majority of the 2022 campaign, and they could take the same approach this season — at least to begin the year. Goff returns as Detroit’s starter coming off a Pro Bowl campaign, while Sudfeld should benefit from spending the entire offseason with the Lions after joining the team last August.
Hooker remains a question mark as he recovers from the torn ACL he sustained in November. Head coach Dan Campbell has referred to 2023 as a “redshirt year” for Hooker, so we’re projecting the Tennessee product to begin the year on the NFI list, which will cost him at least four games.
Running Back
- In: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson, Jason Cabinda (FB)
- Out: Greg Bell, Mohamed Ibrahim
Four running backs saw at least 100 carries for the Lions last season, but only one — Reynolds — remains on the club’s roster. With Jamaal Williams, D’Andre Swift, and Justin Jackson gone, there are plenty of attempts to go around in Detroit’s backfield.
With Montgomery and Gibbs positioned to eat up most of those vacated touches as the Lions’ thunder-and-lightning duo, and Reynolds likely to make the roster due to his special teams ability, there’s probably an RB spot available on Detroit’s depth chart.
Jefferson should have the early leg up after spending all of last season on the Lions’ practice squad, but UDFA Ibrahim should push him in training camp after rushing for more than 1,600 yards during his final collegiate season.
Wide Receiver
- In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones Jr., Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Antoine Green
- Suspended: Jameson Williams (six games)
- Out: Maurice Alexander, Trinity Benson, Chase Cota, Dylan Drummond, Tom Kennedy
Williams’ gambling suspension means the Lions will have an open roster spot for the first six games of the season, but they don’t have the depth to retain an additional wide receiver. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Detroit adds a veteran pass catcher — either via free agency, a trade, or a waiver claim — before the season gets underway.
But if this is how the Lions’ depth chart lines up by Week 1, they’ll have their clear three starters in Brown, Jones, and Reynolds, while Raymond will serve as a speed threat. Kennedy (227 offensive snaps in 2022) could compete with Green for the final space on the roster, but his lack of special teams versatility gives the edge to the seventh-round rookie.
Tight End
- In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra
- Out: Derrick Deese Jr.
LaPorta may have a clearer path to a starting role than any other 2023 rookie tight end. Wright became the Lions’ starter following the T.J. Hockenson trade, but he still managed just 18 receptions for 216 yards.
Detroit may end up keeping just three tight ends in order to bolster another position group, but we have both Mitchell and Zylstra making the team for now. If the Lions end up retaining only five receivers with Williams suspended, they should have the room to hold onto both tight ends, at least for the early portion of the season.
Offensive Line
- In: Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Penei Sewell, Graham Glasgow, Matt Nelson, Colby Sorsdal, Logan Stenberg
- Out: Kayode Awosika, Brad Cecil, Obinna Eze, Connor Galvin, Germain Ifedi, Darrin Paulo, Ross Pierschbacher, Ryan Swoboda
The Lions’ starting offensive line should be nearly set in stone, although Vaitai could be pushed by Glasgow during training camp. Glasgow should be the club’s top reserve on the interior, while Nelson will be Detroit’s swing tackle.
Sorsdal doesn’t have a path to start during his rookie season, but the fifth-round pick could be the Lions’ right guard of the future (or left guard if they aren’t able to extend Jackson). Assuming Detroit keeps nine offensive linemen, the final spot will likely come down to Stenberg, Ifedi, or Pierschbacher. We’re giving the edge to Stenberg, who flashed in four starts a year ago.
Defensive Tackle
- In: Alim McNeill, Isaiah Buggs, Brodric Martin, Christian Covington
- Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List: Levi Onwuzurike
- Out: Cory Durden, Benito Jones, Chris Smith
We’re going light at defensive tackle, but the Lions have plenty of edge rushers capable of sliding inside on passing downs. McNeill looks like a clear starter, and Covington could earn his fair share of snaps after spending the past two seasons with the Chargers.
Onwuzurike remains the biggest question for Detroit’s defensive line. The former second-round pick dealt with a back injury during his rookie season and then missed the entire 2022 campaign after aggravating the issue during training camp. Campbell said in June that there is no timeline on Onwuzurike’s recovery, so our best guess is that he starts the season on the PUP list.
EDGE
- In: Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky, Charles Harris, Josh Paschal, Romeo Okwara, James Houston
- Out: Zach Morton
Hutchinson was in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year, while fellow rookie Houston managed eight sacks in 2022 despite not suiting up until Week 11. The Lions liked what they saw from Cominksy after grabbing him off waivers last May and signed him to an extension in March.
Paschal didn’t do much during his rookie campaign, but his second-round draft pedigree should keep him safe. Meanwhile, both Harris and Okwara accepted pay cuts this offseason, meaning they should remain on the roster barring a drastic change of plans in Detroit.
Linebacker
- In: Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Out: Trevor Nowaske, Julian Okwara, Anthony Pittman
Stop us if you’ve heard this before — the Lions are overflowing with linebacker depth. Anzalone received $6 million annually to re-sign with Detroit, while Campbell was the 18th overall pick in the draft. Those investments mean Anzalone and Campbell will almost assuredly be the Lions’ starting LBs, relegating Rodriguez to a bench role in nickel packages.
Rodriguez and Barnes are both overqualified reserves, but the Lions will probably keep at least one more linebacker. Pittman was one of the most difficult Detroit cuts to make, but Reeves-Maybin offers a similar special teams role and got $500,000 guaranteed this offseason.
Cornerback
- In: Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jerry Jacobs, Will Harris, Starling Thomas V
- Out: Khalil Dorsey, Chase Lucas, Steven Gilmore, Jarren Williams
Sutton is now Detroit’s CB1 after leaving the Steelers this offseason, while Gardner-Johnson will start in the slot but could have been listed either here or with the safeties, thanks to the various roles he’ll likely play in 2023.
Moseley looks like the favorite to bookend Sutton on the outside, but Jacobs will give him a run during training camp. Moseley is still recovering from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 campaign with the 49ers, so Jacobs could have a chance to usurp him over the summer. Harris will back up CJGJ in the slot, while Thomas — an undrafted free agent — barely ekes out Lucas to become Detroit’s CB6.
Safety
- In: Kerby Joseph, Tracy Walker III, Brian Branch, Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Out: Brady Breeze, Brandon Joseph, Saivion Smith
Joseph and Walker will start at safety, but the Lions don’t have a ton of veteran depth behind that duo. Gardner-Johnson can play safety but will be counted on in the slot. Branch boasts the same type of versatility, but Detroit might not want to put too much on the second-round rookie’s plate.
If the Lions keep only four safeties, Melifonwu — a third-rounder pick in 2021 — should be viewed as the favorite over Smith. But Detroit’s staff obviously likes Smith, who’s bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in 2019. He started at safety after being promoted from the practice squad in October, only to suffer a season-ending injury after just two snaps.
Specialists
- In: Michael Badgley (K), Jack Fox (P), Jake McQuaide (LS)
- Out: Riley Patterson (K), Parker Romo (P), Scott Daly (LS)
Fox is a lock to be the Lions’ punter, but Badgley will face competition from Patterson, whom Detroit acquired from Jacksonville in May. The Lions gave up just a conditional 2026 seventh-round choice for Patterson, so we’re keeping Badgley for now. Daly has been Detroit’s long snapper for the past two seasons, but they probably wouldn’t have signed 35-year-old McQuaide unless they planned to keep him.
