Training camp is in full swing for the Detroit Lions, and the first week is in the books. With that in mind, it’s time for part two of our Lions Bubble Pressure Meter.

For those seeing it for the first time, this is going to be a weekly look at the bottom half of the Lions roster, giving you an idea of which players you should really be watching, which guys are in a lot of danger of losing their spot, and who’s trending in the right direction.

🟢 Safe (Is sitting in a roster spot for now)

🟡 Watching (Has a real chance to push for a roster spot)

🟠 In Danger

🔴 Must Have Big Week

Before we jump in, let’s explain the meter. There are four tiers. Green means you’re safe, meaning you’re on the 53-man roster if it ended today. Yellow means “watching,” meaning things are going well for you, but you still have work to do. “In danger” means you’re trending downward and I’m concerned. And “must have a big week” means you are in as much danger as you could possibly be. You need to come out, have a huge week, right the ship, and show the Lions you aren’t completely expendable.

The offensive side of the ball

QB Luke Altmyer	🟡 Watching
RB Jacob Saylors	🟡 Watching
RB Jabari Small	🟠 In Danger
RB Kye Robichuax	🟠 In Danger
WR Cedrick Wilson	🟡 Watching
WR Dominic Lovett	🟡 Watching
WR Malik Cunninham	🟡 Watching	Change
WR Tarik Black	🟠 In Danger
WR Tay Martin	🟠 In Danger
WR Lawrence Keys	🟡 Watching	Change
WR Tom Kennedy	🟢 Safe
TE Jackson Meeks	🟢 Safe
TE Miles Kitselman	🟡 Watching
TE Anthony Firkser	🟡 Watching
TE Thomas Gordon	🟠 In Danger
OT Giovani Manu	🔴 Must Have Big Week	Change
Michael Niese	🟠 In Danger
OL Ben Bartch	🟡 Watching
OL Juice Scruggs	🟢 Safe	Change
OT Devin Cochran	🟡 Watching
OT Colby Sorsdal	🟠 In Danger
OT Melvin Priestly	🟠 In Danger
OL Mason Miller	🟡 Watching

For starters, let’s talk about some of the big changes from the written version we published before camp started.

Wide receiver Malik Cunningham was in danger last week. Now I’m watching him. I thought he had a strong start to camp. No pads are on right now, and next week when the pads come on, that’s when things get serious. That’s when guys are going to be scrutinized more heavily than ever. But Cunningham showed some stuff. I don’t know if it’s necessarily a situation where I think he can make the 53-man roster, but I’m looking at him for a practice squad spot at this point.

Lawrence Keys, another receiver, got some work in the return man category, and I thought he looked pretty at home. Greg Dortch has that job right now. I think it’s clear as day that Dortch has that job. Even though I have Tom Kennedy safe, I still think that’s Dortch’s job to lose. But Keys looked comfortable there, and I think he’s going to get some shots in the preseason based off this first week. He had a couple of receiving targets in the second and third team reps that didn’t look half bad. I’m definitely watching him.

Giovanni Manu is in the must-have-a-big-week tier, and the problem is I don’t know when that week is going to come. He came out the first day of practice playing left tackle with second and third team reps, and then all of a sudden, on Day 2, he’s on the NFI, and Lions coach Dan Campbell is talking about an undisclosed injury. Right now, it just looks so bad for him. I’m struggling to find a way to get Manu onto this roster, and honestly, I’m struggling to find a way to get him onto the practice squad as well. When he comes off the NFI, which we don’t know when that will be, he’s got to have an unbelievable week that turns everything around. He was already behind the eight ball coming into camp, and now he’s even further behind because he has an injury to contend with.

One guy who is safe is Juice Scruggs, because Scruggs has been getting all the first-team left guard reps this week with Christian Mahogany out. Mahogany was back on Friday and did take first-team reps in 11-on-11s, but the fact that Detroit saw fit to have Scruggs there on the first team says a lot.

Ben Bartch is another guy dealing with something, and the Lions are bringing him back slowly. Campbell said Bartsch is going to start getting some team reps next week. But I thought Scruggs looked fine.

Campbell had some really good things to say about him Friday morning, called him a pro, but also noted they see him more as a center. With Mahogany and Bartch coming back, you have to wonder if Scruggs comes out of those first-team left guard reps or continues to get some going forward, because that job is still wide open. He could move to the center spot on the second team. Michael Niese has been working at center there, and he’s been in danger, not necessarily because he’s bad, but because he’s so far down the depth chart that I don’t know how he climbs back up.

The defensive side of the ball

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

The first change you’ll see right off the bat is that Payton Turner is in danger. I think he could come right back out of this. The constant thing with Turner has been his injury history, and here we are just a couple of days into camp with Campbell saying this latest issue is minor, just a little thing, and Turner should be back soon. It just doesn’t look good that we’re a couple of days into camp and there are already some injury problems. I see the vision for him as a pass rush specialist off the bench. I think the Lions see that vision as well. I don’t think Turner will be in danger for a long time, but I do worry about where it could go because the last thing Detroit wants is another Marcus Davenport situation. I’m not saying this is that. I’m definitely not saying that. But I had to move him there this week.

Nick Whiteside is safe. That dude is blowing it up right now. First day, three pass breakups. Had a great second day. Friday, he starts the day with an interception on Teddy Bridgewater. We’re getting to a point where he’s going to start getting first-team reps at some point. It’s going to happen. Not to say that Rock Ya-Sin or Ennis Rakestraw are bad, because they’re both doing well, but eventually the Lions are going to want to see what they can get out of Whiteside on the first team. I’m not saying at this juncture that he’s going to win the CB2 starting job. I’m saying it’s possible. But I am saying he’s making this 53-man roster. You keep stacking weeks like this, and anything is possible because it has been that kind of week for him.

Because of Whiteside’s rise, I moved De’Shawn Rucker and Aamaris Brown to in danger. Those guys didn’t do anything that stood out to me this week. The only thing that really stood out was them getting yelled at in drills and dropping the ball. It’s not a huge deal. It’s the first week of camp of their NFL careers. They could easily bump back up into the watching tier, and I wouldn’t blink an eye. But Whiteside looking so good and Khalil Dorsey being so important in special teams is canceling those guys out. I don’t see a world where either undrafted corner makes the 53-man roster, but I could see a world where one or both of them make the practice squad if they start finding their stride. With rookies, you don’t necessarily expect that to happen the first week. It’s something that develops down the line.

We’ll come back next week after Week 2 and talk about the changes then. Let’s see how it all shakes out.

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