DETROIT, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions have to cut down the roster to 53 players by August 31. With a revamped front office and coaching staff, here's how the squad could look in Motown ahead of their Week 1 home game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 12.
Here is a projection for the 53-man roster:
QUARTERBACK (3): Jared Goff, Tim Boyle, David Blough
In a tailor-made offense suited for the former
RUNNING BACK (3): D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Jermar Jefferson
In Year 2, Swift has a serious chance to be "the guy." He has a solid No. 2 complementary piece in Williams, but he's preparing to take a major leap with his offseason preparation, which has included full body strength and conditioning. Detroit hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Reggie Bush in 2013, the longest active drought in the NFL without one.
FULLBACK (1): Jason Cabinda
The Penn State product appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2020, mostly contributing on offense as a fullback. He joined the Lions as a free agent in 2019 after spending 2018 and the 2019 offseason with the Oakland Raiders.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus, Kalif Raymond, Victor Bolden
This group is still the biggest question mark within the team. Williams, Perriman, Cephus, and rookie St. Brown have all drawn praise from the coaching staff, but the fact remains that Cephus, a 2020 fifth-round rookie, is the only returning Lions wide receiver who had a catch for the team last season. There is a big opportunity for players to step up here.
TIGHT END (3): T.J. Hockenson, Darren Fells, Alize Mack
This offseason has been a big one for Hockenson, as he prepares for a bigger role. After being named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2020, he spent the offseason training alongside his close friend and college teammate George Kittle in Nashville, Tennessee. They appeared in a commercial together, he attended "Tight End University," and he's being touted as one of the most exciting players on the Lions' roster. He could be very well be the focal point of the team's offense.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Penei Sewell, Tyrell Crosby, Matt Nelson, Logan Stenberg, Drake Jackson
You don't just throw around "generational talent" when describing a rookie entering the league, but the Lions have high expectations for seventh-overall pick Sewell. More so than just football, he also signifies a culture shift under the new regime. The offensive line is one of the strong points of this roster, with solid pros around Sewell, such as Decker, Jackson, Ragnow and Vaitai, as he adjusts from left to right tackle.
DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Michael Brockers, John Penisini, Levi Onwuzurike, Trey Flowers, Alim McNeill, Charles Harris, Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara, Da'Shawn Hand, Nick Williams
The Lions had the worst defense in the league under former head coach Matt Patricia. In comes new head coach Dan Campbell, who hired former NFL veteran Aaron Glenn as the defensive coordinator. The Lions pressured (sack or duress) opposing quarterbacks on a league-low 21 percent of dropbacks last season, per ESPN Stats & Information, but they're looking to change that with some new faces, such as Brockers, who left the Rams, ranked eighth in tackles for loss (48) and 12th in sacks (28.0) in franchise history. He also ranked fourth in quarterback hits in team history, which was a stat first recorded in 2006, according to Pro Football Reference.
LINEBACKER (4): Jahlani Tavai, Jamie Collins Sr., Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin
The Lions allowed a league-worst 27 rushing touchdowns last season. Tackling was their biggest problem with rush defense, yielding the fourth-most yards after contact per rush (1.83), per ESPN Stats & Information. Collins Sr. led the team with 101 tackles, 45 more than any other linebacker while Tavai and Christian Jones performed like replacement-level players, so Detroit desperately needs someone to step up in this role. Jarrad Davis was their best cover LB, but the team declined his option, and he signed with the New York Jets.
CORNERBACK (6): Jeff Okudah, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Corn Elder, Amani Oruwariye, Quinton Dunbar, Mike Ford
The Lions have played man coverage at the second-highest rate over the last three seasons, per ESPN coverage metrics using NFL Next Gen Stats (61%). In that time, the Lions allowed the second-highest Total QBR with man coverage (74), giving up 84 pass touchdowns to 11 interceptions. New defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant will try to change that narrative while also working to boost the confidence and production of 2020 No. 3 overall pick Okudah after a rough first season.
SAFETY (5): Will Harris, Tracy Walker, C.J. Moore, Dean Marlowe, Bobby Price
Walker and Harris could benefit from the new coaching staff, notably defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Prior to Detroit, Glenn worked on the New Orleans Saints staff, which ranked among the best in the league in 2020. The Saints tied for first in interceptions (18) and the defense tied for the third-most total takeaways (26).
SPECIALIST (3): Randy Bullock, Jack Fox, Don Muhlbach
In just his first season, Fox was fantastic, earning a Pro Bowl nod after tallying 59 punts for 2,897 yards (49.1 avg., 44.8 net) and placing 26 inside the 20. Long snapper Don Muhlbach is entering his 18th season, and has continued to perform among the best at his specialty. His career is seemingly winding down at 39, but he remains a folk hero. He has missed only one game since the 2006 season.