The initial Detroit Lions 53-man roster has been set. GM Brad Holmes and his crew whittled down the roster from 80 players to 53 at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
It’s important to note that the initial 53-man roster might not last even 24 hours. The Lions hold the No. 2 spot in the NFL’s waiver claim order and could be active in making a couple of changes.
Here are some quick reaction snap judgments on Tuesday’s activity and roster decisions.
Biggest surprise: Jermar Jefferson making it
The Lions kept just four running backs. That in and of itself isn’t really a surprise. However, the No. 4 RB on the depth chart sure is.
The Lions elected to keep Jermar Jefferson over Godwin Igwebuike and Justin Jackson. It’s a move that directly conflicts with the practice rep order and the preseason results, where Jefferson was the least-effective rusher with the ball in his hands,
Four Lions RBs had 7 carries in the game.
Justin Jackson – 54 yards
Craig Reynolds – 37
Godwin Igwebuike – 32
Jermar Jefferson – 25— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) August 20, 2022
It wasn’t just the game action where both Jackson and Igwebuike appeared to show more potential. Based on relative performances in the passing game drills in practices, Jefferson was an easy player to project being cut.
But the Lions elected to keep the 2021 seventh-round pick over Igwebuike, who also doubled as the team’s primary kick returner and improved his ball security as a running back this offseason as well. This one is a head-scratcher.
Logan Stenberg's late surge pays off
I had effectively written off Logan Stenberg’s chances of making the final roster after the first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. He whiffed badly on a run block that produced a tackle-for-loss and was also beaten for a QB pressure almost before he got out of his stance.
Those were commonplace issues for Stenberg for nearly all of his first two seasons in Detroit and training camp to that point in this, his third season with the Lions. Then something amazing happened. Stenberg’s light switched on.
Since that loss to Atlanta, Stenberg has been outstanding as the reserve left guard. Legitimately great at both run blocking and pass protection. Suddenly an easy guy to trim from the roster became a guy the Lions felt they couldn’t give up on just yet.
I don’t know if Stenberg’s supernova performance of the last two weeks can continue to shine, but I don’t fault the Lions for choosing to see if does.
'Sawed-off' nails a spot
Only one undrafted rookie made the initial 53-man roster. Defensive tackle Demetrius “Sawed-off” Taylor from Appalachian State earned his spot with a strong summer.
Taylor is undersized but understands how to use his lack of bulk and length as an asset. He was consistently disruptive in the passing game all offseason, getting his hands on passes and forcing hurried throws.
Given the current roster makeup, Taylor figures to play as the top reserve nose tackle.
4 tight ends
The Lions chose to keep four tight ends: T.J. Hockenson, Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra.
It’s not at all surprising given that FB Jason Cabinda is out for at least the first four weeks and the Lions did not have a reserve in the role. Zylstra showed some growth and potential in an H-back/move-TE role that can do some of the things Cabinda does in Ben Johnson’s offense.
5 players waived/injured
Five of the cutdown players will not play for the Lions in 2022 because they were waived with injury designations:
- DL Eric Banks
- WR Trinity Benson
- DT Jashon Cornell
- OL Kevin Jarvis
- S C.J. Moore
The injury designation means two things. First, they can get an injury settlement from the club. More importantly from a fan perspective, they are now ineligible to play for the Lions in 2022.
From the NFL’s communique on roster cutdowns,
If unclaimed, a player who is placed on waivers with the designation “Injured” shall automatically be placed on Reserve/Injured List at the expiration of the claiming period.
Except for players who are subject to the rules for Injury Settlements or
who are placed on Reserve/Injured at any time during the preseason, regular season, or postseason are ineligible to play or practice with that club for the remainder of the season, including postseason. Players placed on Reserve/Injured for whom a club subsequently requests waivers or who are otherwise terminated shall not be reacquired by that club during the 2022 season, including postseason.
David Blough survives, for now
The Lions kept backup QB David Blough on the 53-man roster despite some speculation and hope that the team would dump both him and Tim Boyle from the roster behind starting QB Jared Goff.
Blough might not want to feel safe just yet. Several QBs who appear to offer some better long-term potential were cut by other teams. While Blough does some things well and is very popular with both coaches and teammates, his mistake-riddled preseason performances and uninspiring results when given regular-season chances in the past leave him vulnerable.
5 safeties made it
The Lions are carrying five safeties on the initial roster. The top three–Tracy Walker, DeShon Elliott, Kerby Joseph–were obvious. After that, there were questions.
C.J. Moore being waived/injured opened the door for JuJu Hughes to have a spot. Hughes outperformed expectations this summer and earned his spot.
Then there’s Ifeatu Melifonwu. The 2021 third-round pick is switching from cornerback to safety and is also doing it while injured. “Iffy” hasn’t practiced in weeks and is a strong candidate to be placed on injured reserve in the very near future.
Injured reserve candidates
Melifonwu isn’t the only Lions player who made the initial 53-man roster who is a candidate to immediately flip to injured reserve.
Second-year DT Levi Onwuzurike couldn’t even finish the team’s first padded practice of training camp without aggravating his ongoing hip and back issues. Coach Campbell recently termed Onwuzurike’s recovery “a snail’s pace.”
Based on Campbell’s recent comments, DE Julian Okwara could be ready for Week 1. But he too hasn’t practiced in weeks and remains a candidate to head to IR, where he would be forced to miss the first four weeks of the season.
