The Detroit Lions open the 2025 NFL regular season against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 7 at Lambeau Field (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).
After back-to-back seasons with high hopes, Lions running back David Montgomery says he's "tired of being close" to a Super Bowl. That's the mindset in Detroit as coaches and players view the upcoming season as their year to take it all.
This offseason, the Lions bet on familiar faces and better health instead of going all-in on the free agent market. They re-signed most of the same roster from their record-setting 15-win season in 2024 with hopes of learning from their divisional round upset loss to the Washington Commanders during last year's playoffs despite being the NFC's top seed.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Lions:
QUARTERBACKS (2): Jared Goff, Kyle Allen.
It's clear that Detroit's starting quarterback is Goff after coming off a season in which he finished fifth in MVP voting. Allen earned the trust of head coach Dan Campbell over Hendon Hooker as QB2 throughout the preseason; he took command of the offense while Hooker struggled with turnovers.
RUNNING BACKS (4): David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki.
Gibbs and Montgomery have each recorded at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 scrimmage TDs in each of the past two seasons. They are the first running back teammates in NFL history to accomplish that feat in multiple seasons -- consecutive or not -- and are looking to reach the next level under new running backs coach Tashard Choice, who coached Gibbs at Georgia Tech.
WIDE RECEIVERS (7): Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, Tim Patrick, Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett, Jackson Meeks.
Meeks, undrafted out of Syracuse, has likely earned a spot in a talented room after a strong preseason in which he logged 171 receiving yards and two touchdowns over games against Atlanta and Miami. Rookies TeSlaa and Lovett were also productive and could contribute to the squad on special teams.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra.
The tight ends room will continue to be headlined by LaPorta, who was the team's third-leading receiver in 2024 with 726 yards and seven touchdowns. Both Wright and Zylstra have been around and will continue to add value through their depth and proven production when necessary.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Jamarco Jones, Dan Skipper, Giovanni Manu, Kayode Awosika.
The Lions lost a pair of starters in four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow (retired) and veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans. With the departures of Ragnow and Zeitler, the Lions will have to replace 40% of an offensive line that was on the field for the second-most points and touchdowns of any five-man unit last season, per ESPN Research. The Lions will be relying on veterans such as Sewell, Decker and Glasgow as well as offensive line coach Hank Fraley's steady presence in leading the group. Detroit also drafted LSU's Miles Frazier in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but he remains on the Active/PUP list.
DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Reader, Marcus Davenport, Brodric Martin, Roy Lopez, Tyleik Williams, Ahmed Hassanein, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Nate Lynn, Mekhi Wingo.
Hutchinson is back from a season-ending leg injury and has dominated throughout training camp, which gives the Lions' defense confidence entering this season. DT Alim McNeill (knee) will start the season on the PUP list, while defensive end Josh Paschal remains out with a non-football injury.
LINEBACKERS (6): Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Trevor Nowaske, Grant Stuard, Zach Cunningham.
Although Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) was placed on the PUP list, Detroit is returning a strong linebacker group with Anzalone and Barnes. Head coach Dan Campbell is also expecting big things out of Campbell, who has been named a defensive leader entering his third season.
CORNERBACK (5): D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Khalil Dorsey, Rock Ya-Sin.
After a shoulder injury, the Lions placed second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who was set to take on a bigger role in 2025, on season-ending injured reserve. The team still has plenty of firepower with Arnold and Reed both projected to start on the outside, with Robertson in the nickel role.
SAFETIES (4): Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Avonte Maddox, Ian Kennelly.
Joseph and Branch are among the best safety duos in the NFL, and they'll have depth with Maddox and Kennelly in the mix. Detroit placed rookie safety Dan Jackson (leg) on the injured reserve list.
SPECIALISTS (3): K Jake Bates, P Jack Fox, LS Hogan Hatten.
Hatten, Bates and Fox all trained together this offseason and continue to spend time together building chemistry. Bates' 142 points last season were a Lions franchise record. He went 26 of 29 (89.7%) on field goals, tying him with franchise great Jason Hanson (1997, 26-for-29) for the best single-season field goal percentage (min. 25 attempts) in Lions history, per ESPN Research.