Welcome to the worst day on the entire NFL calendar.
On Sunday, by 6 p.m. ET, all 32 NFL teams must shave their roster down to 53 players. For teams that carried 90 men for months, that means ending the dreams of 37 players per team—or 1,184 people losing their jobs. Sure, nearly half of them (512) will find haven on a practice squad and another handful may find a spot on another team’s 53-man roster, but it will still be a tough pill for those players to swallow. It’s never easy to hear that you didn’t do enough or you’re not good enough. I don’t care what size your paycheck is.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has constantly said he abhors this day, and I can’t imagine it’s much easier for general manager Brad Holmes.
“It’s something that has to be done, and you want to do it as respectfully as you can,” Campbell said last year. “You don’t want to lie to the player, you just tell them straight up, and it’s hard. But it’s the right way to do it.”
As the years go on and the roster gets deeper, cut down decisions get harder. So today’s Question of the Day is:
What is the Lions’ toughest decision for the 53-man roster?My answer: I’ll give you three.
TE Jackson Meeks
I don’t quite think Meeks is ready to get significant time as a tight end. He’s obviously a decent receiving option with his wide receiver background, but his blocking remains a work in progress. That said, I’ve personally witnessed growth there, and given his tenacity on special teams, I found a way to put him on my final 53-man roster projections. Still, a developmental TE4 feels like a bit of a luxury, and I don’t think he would have any issue clearing waivers and continuing his development on the practice squad.
Eric O’Neill vs. Chris Smith vs. Levi Onwuzurike vs. Ben Stille
Campbell could not stop talking about how deep the Lions’ defensive tackle room is all training camp.
“The d-line room is, I mean, that can go any way right now, it really can,” Campbell said this week. “I mean, there’s a number of guys in there, the hard thing is you can’t keep all those guys. You just can’t, not without it hurting the rest of your roster. And there are some good players in there and there’s some veterans, there’s some young guys, there’s raw talent, but there’s things in there that you really like.”
Personally, I was only able to find room for two of the above four: Smith and Stille. For me, Stille and Onwuzurike are fighting for one spot, as each have the versatility to play anywhere from the nose to the big end spot. Stille, in my opinion, was just better and more consistent all camp. As someone who came in with a lot of hope for Onwuzurike, this is not a decision I take lightly, and I truly do hope his career rebounds after everything he’s been through.
O’Neill vs. Smith was just a debate of where the Lions want their depth. Do you invest in a young, promising pass rusher or keep a reliable, veteran run stuffer? They’re two very different roles, but I stuck with the veteran because of how much this team still values stopping the run. Flashy pass rushers in the summer come and go (see: Isaac Ukwu, Nate Lynn, etc.), and I think O’Neill needs to expand his game to land on the 53-man roster. That said, he certainly made plays on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t bat an eye if he made it.
OL depth
Offensive line was another position Campbell pointed to that could make for tough decisions, but for opposite reasons than the defensive line.
“Backend of the O-line is always going to be up (for grabs),” Campbell said. “I say that, there’s a chance that player’s not even here yet either.”
In my opinion, the top eight players are likely somewhat set: Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Juice Scruggs, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Ben Bartch, and Miles Frazier. A healthy debate could be made for Frazier, but I like his versatility and willingness to do anything the Lions asked of him this training camp.
The question is whether anyone else on the roster warranted a spot on the 53-man roster. Many are likely to slot Seth McLaughlin in because Detroit has an obvious need for a backup center while Cade Mays is out, but I’m not entirely sure he’s earned his way onto the roster. Mason Miller made an incredible last push to make it by switching positions to center this week and playing well in the preseason finale despite no experience at the position. But I believe both of those players could clear waivers, make it to the practice squad, and be elevated early in the year for depth on game day.
By only keeping eight, it allows Detroit the flexibility to keep a TE4 or WR6 or OL10 or DB11. And that’s why I chose that route.
What positions or which players do you believe are the hardest decisions for the Lions’ 2026 53-man roster? Share your thoughts in the comment section below:
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