Detroit Lions 53-man roster projection after the first preseason game

Wide Receivers (6): Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Quintez Cephus, Trinity Benson

Assuming Jameson Williams (ACL) stays on the NFI list into the season, as is expected barring something unforeseen, the Lions have one more wide receiver spot to decide on and fill.

Tom Kennedy did all he could to make his case for a roster spot against the Falcons, with eight catches for 104 yards, but he has an uphill climb with little contribution on special teams to this point. Cephus returned to practice on Monday, almost two weeks after suffering a leg injury, so he and Benson get the final two spots here. When Williams is ready to go, someone may have to go.

Tight Ends (3): T.J. Hockenson, Brock Wright, James Mitchell

Hockenson is a lock, and Wright made a strong enough case for the No. 2 spot against Atlanta to lead to Garrett Griffin being released on Monday. The question starts at the third spot. As the rookie Mitchell gets close to returning from a torn ACL, he is getting valuable mental reps to lock it in.

Offensive Line (9): Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Evan Brown, Tommy Kraemer, Matt Nelson, Kendall Lamm

The Lions’ starting five is as locked in as locked in can be. Brown did well at center in Ragnow’s place last season. Kraemer’s interior versatility gets him the nod, while Nelson and Lamm get the backup tackle spots.

Running roster count: 26