As we head towards the Detroit Lions' first preseason game of the year in Cincinnati, and their second week of training camp, it feels like we have a few more questions than answers regarding their impending roster decisions.
Their 53-man roster doesn't have to be finalized until the end of this month, but it's still becoming a bit of a head scratcher to try and figure out where they plan on shedding any players.
These are three specific questions that have been a sticking point amid training camp reports and the Lions' own roster needs headed into this season.
3 burning roster questions for Lions as we head into second week of training camp
1. How many edge rushers will Lions carry into this season?
Recently, I noted that the Lions only carried four pass rushers last season consistently - Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad were the constants, with Marcus Davenport and a mix of options next to him adding to their depth.
This year, they brought in a ton of competition at the position, and so far, it doesn't sound like anyone is really falling to the bottom of the depth chart with a thud in the way you'd expect with this amount of depth.
Ahmed Hassanein is specifically keeping things interesting as Detroit is still not settled on a starter next to Hutchinson, while we've heard nothing bad about Wonnum, Moore (prior to his injury), Tyler Lacy, or Payton Turner. Would Detroit consider bringing on five or six options at the position for 2026? It feels unlikely. Prepare for a shocking cut or two in a few weeks in this room.
2. Will the Lions make a move for a safety before the season begins?
Chuck Clark sounds to be the exact veteran fit that the Lions wanted him to be when they signed him in free agency. He is primed to start for Detroit, but that still leaves another safety hole to be filled. Could that be Christian Izien's job? He's been ramping back up to action after missing some time with the flu, so he might just need some more reps and practice before really standing out the way that Clark has.
Detroit's also got Avonte Maddox, Dan Jackson, Thomas Harper, and Loren Strickland waiting in the wings if Izien can't pop, although that isn't exactly an inspiring list of depth pieces right now. The Lions might be better served making a move to net an additional safety, or they may just be biding their time until Kerby Joseph is fully ready to come back to training camp ahead of this season.
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3. Is this set to be one of the Lions' best defensive fronts in years?
All we've heard throughout training camp is how good Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Tyler Lacy, Mekhi Wingo, and Detroit's pass rush have looked.
McNeill is earning buzz as it looks like he's returning to his pre-ACL tear form, which means he's explosive and overpowering. Williams, after slimming down a bit for this year, has been looking more and more like a viable interior threat to the pocket and as a run stopper. Lacy and Wingo are also earning their flowers.
"Lacy might have three or four sacks to his credit this week if defenders were allowed to contact the quarterbacks. His versatility has really stood out with the ability to play inside and the big end. The pads have shown off his ability to leverage and use his strength to play a bunch in the backfield," wrote team reporter Tim Twentyman of Lacy, specifically.
Detroit's been missing a punch up front for a while. Obviously, Hutchinson is such a force for their D-line, but they've been needing consistent push from everywhere else on their line throughout his career with the team.
If McNeill, Williams, and any one of the Lions' first team pass rushers really piece it together during the regular season as much as they are in camp, this could be one of the teams' best lines in years. That would be critical with so many key injuries in their secondary.
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