The Detroit Lions’ first preseason game is in the books, and it’s time to update the bubble pressure meter. Who’s making this team? Who’s in danger? Who got bumped up, and who slid down? Let’s break it down.

Removed from the list

Nick Whiteside

Tyler Lacy

Ahmed Hassnien

Juice Scruggs

Devin White

Last week, Nick Whiteside and Tyler Lacy came off the bubble meter entirely. This week, three more Lions join them: Ahmed Hassanein, Juice Scruggs, and Devin White. These guys are making the team. Hassanine had a killer preseason debut for Detroit. Scruggs is going to win the center job now that Cade Mays is hurt. And Devin White has flat-out won the Will linebacker job. I don’t see Malcolm Rodriguez coming back and taking that from him.

Offense

QB Luke Altmyer	🟡 Watching
RB Jacob Saylors	🟢 Safe	Change
RB Sione Vaki	🟠 In Danger
RB Raheem Blackshear	🟠 In Danger	Change
RB Jabari Small	🟠 In Danger	Change
RB Kye Robichuax	🟡 Watching	Change
WR Cedrick Wilson	🟡 Watching
WR Dominic Lovett	🟠 In Danger	Change
WR Malik Cunninham	🟡 Watching
WR Tarik Black	🟡 Watching	Change
WR Tay Martin	🟡 Watching
WR Tom Kennedy	🟡 Watching
TE Jackson Meeks	🟢 Safe
TE Zach Horton	🟡 Watching
TE Thomas Gordon	🟡 Watching	Change
OT Giovani Manu	🔴 Must Have Big Week
Michael Niese	🟠 In Danger
OL Ben Bartch	🟠 In Danger
OL Seth McLaughlin	🟡 Watching	Change
OT Devin Cochran	🟠 In Danger
OT Colby Sorsdal	🟠 In Danger	Change
OT Melvin Priestly	🟠 In Danger
OL Mason Miller	🟠 In Danger

Jacob Saylors moved from “watching” to “safe.” I’m not ready to take him off the bubble meter entirely, but I think he’s got the running back 3 job in the bag. I don’t see Sione Vaki coming in and taking it from him. Vaki is still listed in the “in danger” zone, and at some point I might consider moving him down to “must-have big week.” I’m not ready to do it just yet, but I’m thinking about it.

Since Saylors had such a big game, I moved both Raheem Blackshear and Jabari Small to the “in danger” section. Kye Robichaux, on the other hand, had a nice game and has looked good in camp, so he moved up from “in danger” to “watching.”

Dominic Lovett slid to “in danger.” His preseason showing was not great. You can’t go out there and have three drops in a game. It’s just not good. Meanwhile, Tay Martin has looked pretty good, and Tarik Black had a solid preseason showing, which is why I moved Black from “in danger” to “watching.” All of that spells bad news for Lovett.

At tight end, Thomas Gordon moved from “in danger” to “watching.” He didn’t have a big preseason game or anything, but watching him at camp, he just seems like a safe, reliable hand for the Lions. I’m not thinking of him as somebody who could make the 53-man roster, but I am looking at him now for a practice squad spot. I did put him on the Lions’ practice squad in our practice squad prediction this week.

Seth McLaughlin moved from “in danger” to “watching” as well. There’s a good thought of maybe keeping McLaughlin on the initial 53-man roster and then, once Cade Mays is back around October, moving McLaughlin down to the practice squad. I think Scruggs is going to win the center job, but you never know. McLaughlin might show up and take it. He had a decent game against the Bengals on Thursday, and I didn’t see anything concerning.

Colby Sorsdal moved from “must-have big week” to “in danger.” I’m not ready to move him any higher than that, but he played decent on Thursday night. I’m starting to look at him as a guy the Lions might just want to keep around. Maybe his ceiling is Dan Skipper, which is not a bad ceiling. That guy played for a lot of years, got a lot of chances, started some games. Maybe Sorsdal can be in that spot.

Defense

Edge Payton Turnner	🟠 In Danger
Edge Tyre West	🟡 Watching
Edge Eric O’Niell	🟡 Watching
Edge Anthony Lucas	🟡 Watching
DT Mekhi Wingo	🟠 In Danger
DT Levi Onwuzurkie	🟡 Watching
DT Chris Smith	🟠 In Danger
DT Myles Adams	🟡 Watching
LB Trevor Nowaske	🟠 In Danger
LB Erick Turner	🟡 Watching
LB Joe Bachie	🟢 Safe	Change
CB De’Shawn Rucker	🟠 In Danger
CB Aamaris Brown	🟠 In Danger
CB Khalil Dorsey	🟢 Safe	Change
CB Ennis Rakestraw	🟠 In Danger	Change
S Dan Jackson	🟡 Watching
S Loren Strickland	🟠 In Danger

Not as many changes on this side, but a few significant ones. I moved Joe Bachie to “safe.” People are going to think I’m crazy for that one, but hear me out. In terms of special teams, he just keeps showing up. Every day at practice I’m seeing him do something different, something more. I think he might earn himself a special teams spot on this roster.

Khalil Dorsey moved from “watching” to “safe” because he keeps flashing. He had a pretty decent game on defense, and he’s been really good on special teams for years. When you get to the bottom of the depth chart, you have to start bringing in guys who can contribute on special teams more than they can play defense. Dorsey fits that mold.

Right below him, I moved Ennis Rakestraw from “watching” to “in danger.” I put out a 53-man roster prediction earlier Friday morning and did not have Rakestraw on the roster. It’s just the injury, all the up-and-down training camp, and Dan Campbell’s comments. It’s not looking good for Rakestraw right now.

Let’s see how the next preseason game shakes things out.

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