2024 DETROIT LIONS UPDATED DEPTH CHART: PRESEASON GAME 3 VS. STEELERS

The Detroit Lions are wrapping up their 2024 preseason, taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field. Leading up to this game, the Lions have had a few changes on the injury front and signed a couple of new players to the roster. So, if you missed any of those updates or simply want a look at how the roster has adjusted over the past week, we’ve provided all the important details in our latest look at the Lions’ depth chart.

In their first two preseason games, the Lions rested 27 players against the Giants, then another 28 against the Chiefs, plus an additional four injured players who couldn't against the roster limit—including Emmanuel Moseley and John Cominsky, (who are likely headed for injured reserve at cutdowns), as well as DJ Reader (PUP), and Christian Mahogany (NFI). Don’t expect things to change much in Game 3, as the Lions have already turned their starters’ attention to the regular season and are leaving this matchup open for positional and roster battles.

“The trick here is to continue to get, really the core of this team prepared for game one (vs. the Rams),” coach Dan Campbell said a the beginning of the week, “but also continue to develop the back end of the roster, knowing they’re going to take a majority of these reps against Pittsburgh.”

To help out your viewing experience, we have listed the player's number (in parentheses), bolded the projected starters, and added an asterisk* after the rookies' names.

Quarterback

  • QB Jared Goff (16)
  • QB Hendon Hooker (2) — expected to start
  • QB Nate Sudfeld (8)
  • QB Jake Fromm (18)

Hooker was scheduled to be the starter in the second game of the preseason, but his concussion threw a wrench in the works and has led to him likely getting the start in the preseason finale.

“Certainly, we want to get him a real good look,” Campbell said of Hooker. We’d love to get him a lot of reps this week. I think the idea would be, you’d love to start him this week. I’d like to start him, and then it’s just a matter of how much does he play? Is it a couple of series and then Nate [Sudfeld] goes in and then (Hooker)’s back? Or is it a quarter or is it a half? But he’s going to get a really good look. He’s going to get a lot of reps this week because he needs them.”

Running back

Montgomery and Gibbs have routinely sat out preseason games, but with Reynolds exiting practice early on Wednesday, it’s entirely possible he will sit out as well. If that happens, the electric rookie Vaki could get the start. Keep an eye on Jefferson—who is returning from injury—and Knight, who will both be working hard to convince coaches it’s in the team’s best interest to keep one of them in a fifth running back role.

Wide receiver

  • WR-Slot Amon-Ra St. Brown (14)
  • WR-Z Jameson Williams (9)
  • WR Kalif Raymond (11)
  • WR-X Donovan Peoples-Jones (19)
  • WR Kaden Davis (88)
  • WR Tom Kennedy (85)
  • WR Isaiah Williams* (83)
  • WR-X Daurice Fountain (12)
  • WR Maurice Alexander (1)
  • WR Jalon Calhoun* (80)

Injured:

When discussing the wide receiver groups this week, Campbell made two things clear: Kalif Raymond is clearly the third-best option on the team, and the Lions remain dedicated to finding a WR-X who can play starter-level snaps every game.

“[Raymond] is receiver three right now,” Campbell confidently stated. “The idea has always been we love Leaf [Raymond] as a returner and Leaf brings a different skill set to the receiver position. He’s got a little gadgetry, he’s got some quickness underneath, and he’s a returner. To maximize both, boy you’d love 20 plays a game, 25 plays a game. So, we’d rather not play him 65 plays a game, but we will if we have to. So yeah, he’s receiver three right now and that’s fine. But that’s why it would be nice to have somebody step up (in the WR-X role) because that just helps the room and I think it makes everybody a little more potent, that’s all. And yes, we trust Leaf. Very much.”

Campbell identified Peoples-Jones, Fountain, and Davis as the primary contenders for the WR-X role, but wouldn’t rule out looking outside the organization if none of them step up and seize the job.

Williams has been the offensive star of the preseason for the Lions, but as a slot-only player, he has a difficult path to the roster. If the Lions opt to keep five wide receivers on the roster, regardless of who the WR-X is, Williams will have a chance to make his case for the WR5 role.

Tight End

  • TE Sam LaPorta (87) — hamstring, expected to practice next week
  • TE Brock Wright (89)
  • TE Shane Zylstra (84)
  • TE James Mitchell (82)
  • TE/FB Parker Hesse (43)
  • TE Sean McKeon (86)

While the top two spots are locked in, the battle for the remaining jobs is still unsettled. This is considered one of the deepest position rooms on the roster, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see at least two of the four reserves make the 53-man roster.

Projected offensive line

Starters

LT Taylor Decker (68)

LG Graham Glasgow (60)

C Frank Ragnow (77)

RG Kevin Zeitler (71) — shoulder, expected to practice next week

RT Penei Sewell (58) — foot, injured on Wednesday, initial reports are “He’s good”

Don’t expect any of the starting offensive line to play against the Steelers, and while there are two key injuries, both could be back at practice as early as Sunday.

Second team

LT Jamarco Jones (72)

LG Kayode Awosika (74)

C Michael Niese (62)

RG Kingsley Eguakun* (65)

RT Colby Sorsdal (75)

A couple of changes to the Lions' second-team offensive line are expected based on practices this past week. First, Dan Skipper is dealing with an ankle injury, which will likely open the door for Jamarco Jones to step in at left tackle. We are also anticipating a flip of roles on the interior, as Niese returned to center this last week, while UDFA rookie Eguakun has expanded his role to right guard.

“Yeah, he’s a guy that has certainly caught our eye,” Campbell said of Eguakun last Tuesday. “He’s put the work in, he’s pretty polished for a young guy, he’s got good feet, he’s quick, he’s smart, he’s tough. So, we’re just getting him some reps in there (at guard) and seeing what it looks like. He didn’t look out of place yesterday doing that. He’ll get some more today at that position. So, we like Kingsley, he works his tail off.”

Last week Sorsdal played every snap at right tackle—which Morgan Cannon studied and broke down this past week—and with the injury situation being what it is, he could be in line for another heavy workload.

Reserves

LT Giovanni Manu* (59) — undisclosed, DNP Tuesday, in full Wednesday

LG Duke Clemens* (63)

C Bryan Hudson* (64)

RG Jake Burton (67)

If the Lions repeat what we’ve seen over the first two weeks, this group, plus Sorsdal, will likely compete in the second half.

Injured

Defense

Interior defensive line

The players in this group spend the majority of their time between the 0- and 3-technique.

  • DT Alim McNeill (54)
  • NT Kyle Peko (96)
  • NT Brodric Martin (99)
  • DT Mekhi Wingo* (94)
  • DT Chris Smith (90)

Injured

The Lions have leaned on Martin, Wingo, and Smith throughout the preseason, and they’re expected to be the primary interior defenders again this week. While Martin and Wingo seem to be in comfortable positions on the roster, keep an eye on Smith, who Campbell used as an example of a player who has consistently gotten better every day.

“A guy like Chris Smith does that every day,” Campbell said. “There will be things on tape that you don’t see. He’s tying up guys. He does dirty work, and he does exactly what he’s coached, and he does it over and over and over again. There’s something to be said for that position doing, for example, what he does. But he falls through the cracks if you’re just watching the game.”

Defensive line

The players in this group alternate between the 3-, 5-, and possibly 7-technique depending on the front design.

  • DL Levi Onwuzurike (91)
  • DL Josh Paschal (93)
  • DL Pat O’Connor (69)

Injured

With the Lions thin on interior defensive linemen, keep an eye on Paschal and O’Connor getting reps inside throughout the game.

EDGE

Players in this section flex between hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends, as well as stand-up pass rushers.

  • EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (97)
  • EDGE Marcus Davenport (92)
  • EDGE James Houston (41) — knee, limited Tuesday and Wednesday
  • EDGE Isaac Ukwu* (45)
  • EDGE Mitchell Agude (50)
  • EDGE Mathieu Betts (95)

Injured:

A knee injury has limited Houston of late, and the longer he remains out, the bigger the opportunity grows for Ukwu and Agude. Ukwu was another rookie who made my list of UDFAs with legitimate chances to make the roster but don’t sleep on Agude, who has also positioned himself for a shot at the 53-man team as well.

“I see growth. We like Mitch,” Campbell said of Agude. “Mitch, he’s another guy, just busts his rear, he gives you everything he’s got out there, and he’s got some rush ability. He’s strong, quick off the edge. And look, we moved him to SAM linebacker last week, so we kind of made that change. ‘Let’s put him at SAM and move Houston to more D-End.’ So, we flopped those two. And it’s not necessarily the perfect position for Mitch, but he’s made the most of it, and he’s trying to make it work, and that’s a credit to him. But he still has enough of that where he can play the D-End position and really excel at what he does best, so he’s doing a good job. We like Mitch.”

Off-the-ball linebacker

The MIKE and WILL linebackers operate in an off-the-ball role lined up between the tackles. The SAM linebacker is an at-the-line-scrimmage stand-up pass rusher who can also drop into coverage. This is a situational role that is not typically used in subpackage sets.

  • MIKE Jack Campbell (46)
  • WILL Alex Anzalone (34)
  • SAM/MIKE Derrick Barnes (55)
  • MIKE/WILL Jalen Reeves-Maybin (42)
  • MIKE/WILL Malcolm Rodriguez (44) — undisclosed, expected to practice next week
  • MIKE Ben Niemann (51)
  • WILL Abraham Beauplan (59)
  • WILL Ty Summers (25)
  • WILL Joel Iyiegbuniwe (52) — signed this week

The Lions appear very comfortable with their top five linebackers, but there could be room for a sixth player, depending on roster construction. Niemann has been with the team the longest—and has started each preseason game at MIKE—but the new additions are all very athletic and are making their case as well.

Cornerback

This section includes a variety of cornerbacks, including some who can play both outside (CB) and inside (NB).

  • CB Carlton Davis (23) — hamstring, limited Tuesday and Wednesday
  • CB Terrion Arnold* (0) — pec, expected to return to practice mid-week next week
  • NB/CB Amik Robertson (21) — undisclosed, limited Tuesday, DNP Wednesday
  • CB/NB Ennis Rakestraw* (15) — ankle, returned to practice in full on Tuesday
  • CB Khalil Dorsey (30)
  • CB Kindle Vildor (29)
  • CB Steven Gilmore (24) — undisclosed, limited Tuesday, in full Wednesday
  • CB Essang Bassey (17)
  • CB Javelin Guidry (36)
  • NB Rachad Wildgoose (27) — signed this week

Injured

With the Lions top three corners all dealing with injuries, the reserves will get a chance to compete for positioning. Rakestraw returned to practice this week, but it’s unclear if he will play against the Steelers. If he does play, it could be on the outside or in the slot, as Dorsey and Vildor have been starting on the outside as injury replacements.

Safety

The Lions' safety roles are often interchangeable but some also have slot (NB) range.

  • S/NB Brian Branch (32) — undisclosed, returned to practice in full on Tuesday
  • S Kerby Joseph (31)
  • S/NB Ifeatu Melifonwu (6) — achillies, DNP Tuesday or Wednesday
  • S Brandon Joseph (40)
  • S/NB Loren Strickland* (48)
  • S C.J. Moore (38)
  • S Chelen Garnes* (35)

Branch and Kerby Joseph are expected to sit out this game, and with Melifonwu dealing with an injury, it sets up a fierce competition amongst the defensive backs battle. Brandon Joseph will have a chance to cement his spot on the 53-man roster, while Strickland—who could start at nickel—will likely get an opportunity he is more valuable than Moore. Special teams will be huge for this position group.

Special teams

  • P Jack Fox (3)
  • K Jake Bates (43)
  • LS Scott Daly (47)
  • LS Hogan Hatten* (49)

Injured

The long snapper battle is a legitimate competition, and while Hatten has shown terrific pursuit/coverage skills, this job will likely be awarded to which player can snap the ball the most consistently.

At-a-glance projected depth chart

If you’re more of a visual learner, here’s an at-a-glance look at what was discussed above.

Defense in base (5-2 front)

Defense in nickel (4-2 front)

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