The Detroit Lions have finalized their 53-man - er, 50-man - roster as of Tuesday afternoon. After shaving it down to 49 with the trading of Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, they brought it back up to 50 with the signing of safety and special teams ace Daniel Thomas.
The Lions still have three slots to use up, and it's unclear whether they plan on trying to sign any additional help on defense to the roster with those spots, or if they plan on getting back some players they've waived to add them to the active roster.
Dan Skipper, Ahmed Hassanein, Nate Lynn, and Ian Kennelly are amongst the names that will become available at noon EST on Wednesday after landing on the waiver wire on Tuesday. Some players the Lions waived are likely to land back with the team on the practice squad, though, as it's very rare that players that get waived actually don't end up back with the same team.
The Lions did make one addition ahead of the noon EST deadline for waiver claims with the signing of Daniel Thomas. However, he'll be with the active roster, and not the practice squad.
Teams have until 12pm EST on Wednesday to place claims for any players on the waiver wire, and through there, teams can establish a 17-man practice roster for the season.
The order for claiming players on the waiver wire is established based on the previous year's regular season record or the NFL Draft order from this past spring. The Lions are 28th in order. And, if they put a claim in for a Lions player that a team with higher priority also put in for, that other team gets the player - not Detroit.
This page will be a tracker for every player the Lions pick up off the waiver wire this afternoon, and which players Detroit will see leave for another team after being claimed. You can bookmark this page to keep up with all of those moves, set to hit by noon EST.
As a refresher, these are the players the Lions decided to waive on Tuesday at 4pm EST:
EDGE Ahmed Hassanein (injury settlement)
EDGE Mitchell Agude
CB Luq Barcoo
WR Ronnie Bell
OL Gunner Britton
DL Keith Cooper Jr.
CB Allan George
LB DaRon Gilbert
S Erick Hallett II
QB Hendon Hooker
TE Zach Horton
RB Deon Jackson
OL Zack Johnson
WR Jakobie Keeney-James
S Ian Kennelly
EDGE Nate Lynn
DL Brodric Martin
WR Jackson Meeks
CB D.J. Miller
OL Mason Miller
OL Michael Niese
S Morice Norris
TE Gunnar Oakes
CB Tyson Russell
RB Jacob Saylors
TE Steven Stilianos
S Loren Strickland
EDGE Isaac Ukwu
CB Nick Whiteside
Detroit Lions practice squad signings
*Last updated: Aug. 27, 2025 at 4:31 EST*
Name | Position |
|---|---|
Jackson Meeks | WR |
Trystan Colon | OL |
Tom Kennedy | WR |
Mason Miller | OL |
Jacob Saylors | RB |
Myles Adams | DE |
Isaac Ukwu | DE |
Ronnie Bell | WR |
Keith Cooper Jr. | DL |
Erick Hallett II | DB |
Zach Horton | TE |
Michael Niese | OL |
Anthony Pittman | LB |
Loren Strickland | DB |
Dan Skipper | OL |
Andre Carter | DE |
- WR Jackson Meeks
According to A to Z Sports Lions reporter Mike Payton, the team is expected to sign Jackson Meeks to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Meeks had a really good preseason, with the most receiving yards of any WR for the Lions throughout four games. He also looked like a great special teams option for STC Dave Fipp.
The undrafted rookie out of Syracuse is also, interestingly, the nephew of former Lions pass rusher Za'Darius Smith. If he's kept around, perhaps that sweetens the deal a bit for Smith as he's courted by multiple contenders ahead of the season.
- C Trystan Colon
Colon is re-joining the Lions on their practice squad, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Colon is likely to backup Graham Glasgow and Kingsley Eguakun at center. He had a solid training camp and preseason, and the veteran was well worth bringing back on as a solid emergency plan for a position that often sees some wear and tear throughout the season.
- WR Tom Kennedy
Also joining the practice squad is Kennedy, per Birkett. Kennedy was seen a lot in the preseason as a WR3 for Kyle Allen, and he was a great blocker during those contests. He adds some backup depth to a room now only featuring Kalif Raymond, Isaac TeSlaa, and possibly Dominic Lovett. Lovett feels destined to be a part of the special teams unit, though, so Kennedy will just be the third string backup in case of emergency to TeSlaa and Raymond.
- OL Mason Miller
Miller has re-signed with the Lions' practice squad, per Detroit Sports Podcast. Miller was with the team throughout training camp and the preseason, and the rookie now lands with the practice squad as a potential backup plan to the Lions' guard and tackle room. Miller was last with North Dakota State, and he adds a third player to the teams' practice squad Wednesday morning.
- RB Jacob Saylors
Saylors was signed to the Lions' practice squad after a very promising preseason, per A to Z Sports' Mike Payton. Saylors finished up the preseason with 112 rushing yards on 33 carries after coming over to the team from the UFL. He was a top running back in that league, and you could kind of see why with some of his more explosive runs.
He's a nice addition to the practice squad where he'll be a good emergency option for a talented Lions running back room in need.
- DE Myles Adams
Adams, who was also with the team for training camp and the preseason this year, has also signed with the practice squad per Richard Silva of The Detroit News. Adams, a four year vet who was signed by the Seattle Seahawks back in 2021, adds good practice squad depth to a Lions defensive line that may not be done with additions.
Adams also got some consistently positive reviews from head coach Dan Campbell this past season, a good sign for the young defender looking to stick on a roster.
- DE Isaac Ukwu
Ukwu was brought back for the practice squad, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Ukwu was one of the more surprising cuts after a solid preseason showing against the Miami Dolphins, and after the Lions hadn't made any moves to add additional pass rush help in free agency prior to final roster cuts. Ukwu and Nate Lynn were two EDGE players with major promise for the Lions. Now, Ukwu returns on the practice squad.
- WR Ronnie Bell
Bell gets added back to the Lions' building after getting signed to the practice squad, per the Detroit Lions' site. Bell, a receiver with some special teams capabilities, last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 and 2024. He finds himself with Detroit for his third year, and is looking to have a healthy season after only playing seven games in 2024.
- DL Keith Cooper Jr.
Cooper was a surprising member of the waive list from the Lions on Tuesday after he had been a shining spot on the defensive line throughout the preseason. That signing was shared on the Lions team site. Cooper outplayed Brodric Martin, who was also waived and eventually picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs and their practice squad on Wednesday.
But, like with Martin, it was going to be an uphill battle to crack a roster featuring DJ Reader, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Aidan Hutchinson, and Marcus Davenport.
- DB Erick Hallett II
Hallett will be joining the practice squad per the team, having gone through a battle that never was between himself, UDFA Ian Kennelly, and Loren Strickland for a spot on the 53-man roster. None of those defensive backs made the final roster, but Hallett is certainly a strong call up candidate if someone is injured.
- TE Zach Horton
Horton returns to the Lions as a TE on their practice squad, per the team. Horton didn't get a ton of playing time, only seeing four targets the entire preseason. He finished up with 15 total receiving yards. The UDFA lands back with Detroit as a nice emergency option for Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Shane Zylstra.
- OL Michael Niese
Niese is another callback for the Lions that lands with the practice squad for this season, per the team. The offensive linemen adds depth to a positional group that often sees some significant turnover due to wear and tear. Niese is a super versatile lineman who can play tackle, guard, or center in a pinch.
- LB Anthony Pittman
Pittman is returning to the Lions' practice squad as another surprising waive that gets another opportunity to crack the 53-man roster, per the team. Pittman, a four year veteran, provides versatility like Niese in that he can play both special teams and in the secondary.
- S Loren Strickland
Strickland, as mentioned, was in a tight competition with Hallett and Kennelly throughout the preseason for reps and the chance to showcase that he'd be a great fit for the Lions' 53-man roster behind their safeties. While he didn't make the cut there, Strickland is back on the practice squad per the team.
- OL Dan Skipper
Skipper was probably the least thought of name for Lions fans when imagining where the team would be looking to trim down. Yet, on Tuesday, Skipper was waived by the Lions after some memorable moments over the last few seasons. But, he's back with the squad on the practice unit, acting as the perfect backup tackle for Penei Sewell or Taylor Decker.
- DE Andre Carter
Carter was a late add to the practice squad on Thursday, per the Lions. Carter was last with the Cincinnati Bengals, and now lands as the 16th member of the Lions' practice squad. They still have one slot left they can fill, which is an international player spot. That doesn't seem destined to be filled by Ahmed Hassanein, who will remain off the squad until he's healthy enough to rejoin the Lions in earnest.
Players picked up by Lions off waivers
- DE Tyrus Wheat
Wheat, who was waived by the Dallas Cowboys, was claimed by the Lions per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Wheat adds depth to a positional group that saw some major depletion on Tuesday with Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu, Keith Cooper Jr., Brodric Martin, Myles Adams, and Ahmed Hassanein all being waived.
- DT Tyler Lacy
Lacy was also claimed by the Lions per Schefter. Lacy adds even more depth to the defensive line for Detroit, as the team only has eight players on its defensive line and depth chart on their 53-man roster as of now. It's unlikely he's a starter by any means, but it's good that Detroit sees their weakest room is their defensive line.
Lions players picked up off waivers
No waived Lions players were claimed off waivers.