Our staff made predictions for every Detroit Lions player on the roster bubble ahead of training camp, starting with the offense.
Bubble Watch is back!
If you’re unfamiliar, Bubble Watch is a weekly feature during Detroit Lions training camp in which we track the progress of players on the team’s roster bubble by predicting which players are in or out. We’ll be adjusting our picks every week based on the results of training camp, preseason games, and any hints the coaching staff may offer about roster construction.
This year, 11 members of Pride of Detroit will be making these predictions on a weekly basis: Myself, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, Alex Reno, Morgan Cannon, John Whiticar, Max Gerber, Brandon Knapp, Hamza Baccouche, Zac Snyder, and Al Karsten. I’ll provide additional commentary on each position below.
We’ll kick off our series with the offense, which is a lot less complicated than the defense.
Quarterback:
- Assumed in: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
- Nate Sudfeld: 0 “IN” votes
With Detroit’s roster as good as it is, it’s going to be hard to justify keeping three quarterbacks, and it’s highly unlikely Hooker fails to make the team. That said, the second-year quarterback will also have to prove he’s ready for the backup job, otherwise the Lions may be forced to keep Sudfeld—someone they can trust—to keep the boat afloat should something happen to Goff.
Running back:
- Assumed in: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Sione Vaki
- Craig Reynolds: 11 votes
- Zonovan Knight: 1 vote
- Jermar Jefferson: 0 votes
It seems likely the Lions keep at least four running backs, and it’s clear who our staff views as the top four. But given the new kickoff rules, would the Lions consider keeping a fifth? One staffer believes that’s possible, and Knight seems like the most logical choice for that role. His physicality fits right in on special teams.
Wide receiver:
- Assumed in: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond
- Antoine Green: 11 votes
- Donovan Peoples-Jones: 11 votes
- Maurice Alexander: 1 vote
- Kaden Davis: 1 vote
- Daurice Fountain, Tom Kennedy, Isaiah Williams: 0 votes
Again, our staff is pretty much in agreement with Detroit’s top five receivers. The bigger question is how many they’ll keep, and if there’s a sixth, who will win that battle? Alexander brings a ton of special teams versatility—including a perfect skillset for returning on the new kickoff. Meanwhile, Davis had an outstanding spring. Not only did he win a job thanks to a rookie minicamp tryout, but he also made daily plays during OTAs.
Tight end:
- Assumed in: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright
- James Mitchell: 10 votes
- Shane Zylstra: 9 votes
- Parker Hesse: 1 vote
- Sean McKeon: 0 votes
This is the only offensive position where there isn’t a unanimous choice. Part of the debate here will be how many tight ends the Lions keep. Two staffers opted to keep just three, while everyone else had them with four. Again, the new kickoff rule could come into play here, as bigger players may have less of a role than guys with short-area quickness.
That said, most have both Mitchell and Zylstra in. Mitchell is entering Year 3 after a slow start to his NFL career, while Zylstra has been in Detroit since 2021 and is a trusted player. But Parker Hesse and Sean McKeon have also been in this league for some time, and it wouldn’t be surprising if either made it onto the roster.
Offensive tackle:
- Assumed in: Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Giovanni Manu
- Colby Sorsdal: 11
- Dan Skipper: 5
Sorsdal appears to be moving back to tackle, and that could have a ripple effect on the roster. If he can show enough comfortability back at his college position, he could certainly take over the OT3 spot, and that would put Skipper’s roster spot in jeopardy. If Sorsdal was simply getting cross trained in the spring to ensure his versatility, Skipper would likely be safe, but it could cost a veteran along the interior. In short, Sorsdal seems like a critical piece to how Detroit will build their offensive line roster.
Interior offensive line:
- Assumed in: Kevin Zeitler, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow
- Christian Mahogany: 11
- Netane Muti: 4
- Kayode Awosika: 3
Again, this is a numbers game. Eight of our staffers have the Lions keeping nine offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, two have them keeping 10, and one has them keeping just eight. Everyone believes Christian Mahogany will make the team as a rookie draft pick. But does that leave a necessary spot for a veteran guard with experience? Both Muti and Awosika bring that, but have struggled when actually on the field. Would the Lions be willing to risk cutting those players for a less-experienced but potential upgrade?