Detroit Lions Practice Squad projection before the start of training camp: Familiar names headline a surprisingly talented group
Detroit Lions have enough depth that several roster-worthy players won’t make the 53-man roster. Here’s my full 16-man practice squad projection before training camp, including a few names that might surprise you.
The Detroit Lions are heading into training camp with a loaded roster, but the 53-man cutdown is only half the battle. Building a strong practice squad matters just as much for a team with championship aspirations. Detroit has depth at nearly every position group, and that means some talented players are going to end up on the outside looking in. Here’s a projection of the 16 players who could make up the Lions’ practice squad to start the 2026 season.
16-man Detroit Lions practice squad projection
- RB Jacob Saylors: He has a legitimate shot to beat out Sione Vaki for the RB3 role. That doesn’t necessarily mean Vaki is off the roster if it happens, because Vaki brings unbelievable special-teams ability. But Saylors is a quality running back with return man skills as well. He’s the kind of player you want to keep around.
- WR Tom Kennedy: The Lions are basically required to keep Kennedy around at this point. They love him, they love bringing him in to do certain things, and they’ll love doing it again.
- WR Dominic Lovett: Detroit’s seventh-round pick from last year, has maybe an outside shot at the 53, but he’s better served on the practice squad where he can elevate as a gunner. With Kendrick Law out for the season, the Lions still want to put more work into Lovett.
- WR Tay Martin: The UFL product rounds out the skill position group. He has some special-teams ability, and the Lions might be intrigued by his size. He’s still young, and Detroit will want a longer look at him than training camp provides.
- TE Miles Kitzelman: The Lions see something in him as a blocking tight end. He should have a fun preseason, but Detroit will likely go with a more veteran look on the 53. Kitzelman is a 2027 play.
- OT Giovanni Manu: This will make Lions fans scratch their heads. Look, I get it. But it just feels like the Lions aren’t ready to give up on him. They’re not ready to put him on the 53 or start him, but maybe they want a few last looks, get him elevated during the regular season, and see what happens.
- C Seth McLaughlin: He was voted the best center in college football at Ohio State in 2024, is just good to have around as an extra interior option behind Juice Scruggs.
- OL Michael Niese: He has been here for five years now. He can play center, left guard, and right guard. We just haven’t seen him do it in a regular-season game. He’s one of those quiet projects who doesn’t cost much and doesn’t get in anyone’s way.
- DT Chris Smith: He’s a guy the Lions just love. He does whatever they ask. You trust he’s always going to be around, even if you never see him on the field.
- Edge Tyre West: He doesn’t have a clear path to the 53 right now, but the Lions are not letting him walk. They see him as a potential big edge who can also kick inside, and they’ll take their time developing him.
- DT Mehki Wingo: It’s hard to see him get cut. You really believed he was going to have a big role at some point after the Lions drafted him in 2024. It didn’t turn out that way, but Detroit isn’t giving up on him.
- DT Myles Adams: A interior defensive lineman the Lions have teased. Dan Campbell seems to bring him up all the time as somebody who does well in practice, but we’ve never seen it translate to the field. I wonder if 2026 is the year that changes.
- LB Eric Hunter: An undrafted free agent who got significant guaranteed money, is someone I think could be big in 2027. The Lions want to see what they can teach him, sign him to a futures deal, and get him on the field more next year.
- LB Joe Bachie: The former Michigan State Spartan gives Detroit a veteran linebacker in the building. We saw not too long ago what that depth can mean when multiple guys go down, like when the Lions lost Alex Anzalone a couple of years ago.
- CB Nick Whiteside: A player the Lions like, but not enough to trust on the 53 right now. He’s good to have around for the injuries that will inevitably come.
- S Dan Jackson: He might be the unluckiest player on this list. Any other year, he probably makes the 53. But this safety room is the deepest position group on the entire team, chock-full of players who could start for other NFL teams right now. Jackson will be the odd man out, but he’s not going anywhere.
You also have to consider that some of the players who end up on this squad aren’t even on the team yet. Veteran additions and post-cut pickups will shape the final group. We’ll see how it all shakes out.
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