Roster cuts are a week away, and the Detroit Lions have some big questions on the DL. We try to answer them in our latest Bubble Watch.
We’re now officially just a week away from NFL roster cuts, and that means there are some huge decisions on the horizon for the Detroit Lions . Their defensive roster has changed dramatically in a single offseason, but as they fine-tune that side of the ball, there are tough choices ahead. With the revamped secondary, will the Lions prioritize defensive talent or special teams on the back of the roster? Is DJ Reader healthy enough to start on the roster? What direction will the Lions take with their edge defender depth?
We try to answer those questions on the latest edition of our Bubble Watch, where our entire staff makes predictions on the fate of Lions players on the bubble.
Edge defenders
- Presumed in: Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal, Marcus Davenport
- James Houston: 11 votes (no change)
- Isaac Ukwu: 1 (down 6)
- Mathieu Betts: 0 votes (down 2)
- Mitchell Agude: 0 votes (down 1)
While James Houston remains a unanimous in and there’s only one vote amongst the depth, the actual battle feels a bit closer than that. Houston has missed a couple of practices with a knee injury, while Ukwu, Betts, and specifically Agude continue to make plays in the preseason. And with the Lions ending his SAM linebacker experiment , Houston is suddenly locked into a very limited role. The Lions only keep limited players if they’re elite at what they do, so Houston has only a week to prove he can recapture his pass rushing magic from 2022.
Defensive tackle
- Presumed in: Alim McNeill, Brodric Martin, Levi Onwuzurike (NEW!)
- Kyle Peko: 11 (up 1)
- Mekhi Wingo: 10 votes (down 1)
- DJ Reader: 8 votes (up 2)
- Chris Smith: 0 votes (no change)
I’ve moved Levi Onwuzurike off the bubble, as he’s getting the veteran starter treatment in the preseason and has been a star in camp.
The big question here is what to do with DJ Reader. Speaking to media at a community event on Monday, Reader didn’t offer much insight as to whether he’ll come off the Physically Unable to Perform list before roster cuts. He did reveal, however, a bit of a setback he had in the offseason, requiring a scope back in June . We voted before that news broke, and I suspect that may change a few answers.
Regardless of Reader’s outcome, Kyle Peko has clearly earned the trust of this coaching staff to start at nose tackle, hence the unanimous in.
Linebackers
- Presumed in: Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Ben Niemann: 2 votes (up 1)
- Malik Jefferson: 0 votes (down 1)
- OFF THE BUBBLE: DaRon Gilbert (on IR)
The Lions continue to add linebackers to just have playable bodies in the preseason. That said, Ty Summers and Abraham Beauplan made enough plays on Saturday to at least consider them on the roster bubble—although I’m not quite there yet.
Niemann has been the one, steady reserve linebacker who has consistently repped the highest and flashed decent play at the MIKE position. It will be interesting to see if the Lions consider keeping an LB6, particularly with Malcolm Rodriguez still sidelined with an injury.
Cornerbacks
- Presumed in: Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw
- Khalil Dorsey: 11 votes (no change)
- Kindle Vildor: 10 votes (up 9)
- Steven Gilmore: 0 votes (no change)
Vildor is the biggest jump on the defensive side this week after a strong week of practice that carried over into the game. It was a scary week for the cornerback group, with arguably the top three guys all sitting with injuries, but the strong play of Vildor and Dorsey put to ease some of the depth concerns. Keeping six cornerbacks may seem like a lot, but there’s a lot of talent there.
Safety
- Presumed in: Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brian Branch
- Brandon Joseph: 11 votes (no change)
- C.J. Moore: 9 votes (down 1)
- OFF THE BUBBLE: Morice Norris (on IR)
Not much change here, as the only real debate seems to be whether Detroit is going to keep a fifth safety or not. That said, Loren Strickland is quietly working his way onto the bubble, and will likely be featured in the final version of Bubble Watch. He’s not only making plays, but he has shown his versatility to be an option at nickel cornerback, as well.
Kicker
- Jake Bates: 11 votes (up 1)
Despite missing an extra point on Saturday, Bates clearly made a strong case for himself against the Chiefs. Not only did he make a 55-yard field goal outdoors, but in a high-pressure situation, he nailed a 43-yard game-winning kick with ease. The inconsistency is a bit worrisome, but coach Dan Campbell seemed awfully pleased with that last kick.
“I was fired up. It was good to see that,” Campbell said. “Quite frankly, I felt like he would drill that.”
That level of confidence is telling, and with no competitor in sight, it certainly seems like Bates may have closed the discussion here.
Long snapper
- Hogan Hatten: 7 votes (up 2)
- Scott Daly: 4 votes (down 2)
Hatten got long snapping duties in the first half against the Chiefs, while Daly took the second half. It’s hard to get a tell on where this battle is trending, but our staff clearly believes Hatten is pulling ahead. His athleticism is clearly being used as an asset on the punt coverage team, which could make the difference in an extremely narrow battle.