The Detroit Lions have completed two preseason games, and the regular season is on the horizon.
In time, the Lions will have to trim their roster down to it’s final 53-man form. With the plethora in talent on the roster, coach Dan Campbell will face some tough decisions and talented players will be forced to be left off.
The Lions have plenty of options to fill out their practice squad with players who are left off, though those players may likely have options elsewhere across the league.
Here’s the latest prediction for the Lions’ final 53-man roster.
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Quarterback (2)
In: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker Out: Nate Sudfeld
Hooker’s performance throughout the second half was more in line with what the Lions are hoping to see from their backup quarterback. While the Tennessee product still made his share of mistakes, he hit on 12-of-13 passes after opening 0-for-2.
His mobility brings an intriguing aspect as well, and he showed he has what it takes to pilot the offense efficiently. If it shakes out this way, Sudfeld would be a candidate to return on the practice squad and be a part of the quarterback room to mentor the young passer.
The running back position is a deep one for the Lions. Montgomery and Gibbs give them a solid 1-2 punch, and all the options on the roster are capable ones.
Vaki has had an exciting preseason to this point, and Reynolds is the veteran option that will be tough to beat out based on his understanding of the offense and ability to contribute in a pinch. Still, Knight, Jefferson and Funk all are capable options who could be assets on the practice squad.
Wide receivers (6)
In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Kaden Davis, Isaiah Williams Out: Maurice Alexander, Jalon Calhoun, Daurice Fountain, Tom Kennedy Injured: Tre’Quan Smith
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Isaiah Williams has made a very compelling case to make the roster. He has dynamic playmaking ability and offers return versatility. However, where he runs into trouble when it comes to ending up on the final 53-man is that all of his roles are currently occupied by Raymond.
With Raymond being a safe bet to make the team, the Lions could elect to leave Williams off with hopes he makes it to the practice squad. However, there’s plenty of upside with him and it could be wise to stash him on the roster in case of injury.
Davis also helped his cause with a 61-yard touchdown Saturday. As of now, he’s out-performed Fountain in game action and could help to be a vertical threat.
It’s also worth wondering whether the Lions will peruse the market to find another receiver following final cuts.
Tight ends (4)
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In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra Out: Sean McKeon, Parker Hesse
The Lions could still go a variety of ways at this position. After LaPorta and Wright, the other spots are up for grabs. I’m choosing to keep both Mitchell and Zylstra, as both can serve a purpose within all of the Lions’ different personnel packages.
McKeon and Hesse are both veteran options who are block-first players. As a result, each has a case to make the team in the fullback role. Still, Zylstra has done some of that in the past and has the athleticism to be a legitimate threat in the passing game.
Offensive linemen (9)
In: Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow, Kevin Zeitler, Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Colby Sorsdal, Giovanni Manu, Dan Skipper, Kingsley Eguakun Out: Christian Mahogany, Michael Niese, Kayode Awosika, Jake Burton, Duke Clemens, Bryan Hudson, Jamarco Jones Injured reserve: Netane Muti
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The lone change from the previous prediction is to keep Eguakun and cut Mahogany, Detroit’s sixth-round pick this year. Mahogany is back in the building, but his time away has created an uphill climb for him to make the roster with all the depth the team has up front.
Eguakun is an intriguing undrafted free agent who has played center for the bulk of the two preseason games. The Florida product has flashed intriguing potential and could have some interior flexibility that would make him an asset.
There are several players, such as Mahogany, Niese, Awosika and Jones, who could make pushes for roster spots in the final two weeks leading up to final cuts.
Defensive linemen (6)
In: Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Brodric Martin, Mekhi Wingo, Levi Onwuzurike, Kyle Peko Out: Chris Smith Injured: David Bada
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The interior seems pretty set defensively, with Reader being the biggest question mark for health reasons. His status for Week 1 remains in doubt, and the Lions may be forced to roll with either Peko or Martin as the primary nose tackle should Reader not be ready.
McNeill appears primed for a big season, and Wingo has impressed the staff with his aptitude as a rookie. Nobody has had a bigger camp than Onwuzurike from a momentum perspective, and the prospect of what he can bring to the table is intriguing.
Defensive end (5)
In: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, James Houston, Mitchell Agude Out: Mathieu Betts, Pat O’Connor, Isaac Ukwu Injured: John Cominsky, Nate Lynn
Houston is sliding back to the edge full time, which gives him the potential to be a real threat in the pass-rush. Davenport and Paschal will likely handle most of the run defense, while Houston will likely begin the year as a rusher first with the ability to stop the run.
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Agude has had a strong camp and that translated to a good showing in the second preseason game. Ukwu has also been solid and has had a sack in each of the first two preseason outings.
Linebacker (5)
In: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin Out: Malik Jefferson, Ben Niemann, Ty Summers, Abraham Beauplan
The Lions’ linebacker depth is in a good place, but injuries have necessitated bringing on veterans such as Jefferson and Summers. These veterans have legitimate experience, which would make them helpful particularly on special teams.
Because of this, it would be less than surprising for Detroit to go heavier at this position. Niemann has been solid through the first two weeks of preseason, and Beauplan had two tackles for loss in his Lions’ debut. Linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard has plenty of options.
With the first four spots likely locked in, there could only be one spot available for the competitors at this position. Right now, the advantage leans with Dorsey due to his upside and special teams ability. Both Dorsey and Vildor have had strong weeks that translated to their opportunity against the Chiefs.
Gilmore still has upside as well, but he played a smaller role against the Chiefs and struggled in coverage, allowing an eventual touchdown when he tried to undercut a route that he was behind. Bassey and Guidry are depth additions who just joined the organization this week.
Safety (4)
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In: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brandon Joseph Out: C.J. Moore, Loren Strickland
One of the tougher decisions when it comes to final cuts could come at this position. Moore is a veteran whom the staff is familiar with and has contributed on special teams plenty during his career, while Joseph has had a solid camp and is proving to be a turnover artist.
Joseph had an interception in the preseason opener and forced a fumble in Week 2. The Notre Dame product has excellent instincts and plenty of scheme familiarity in his second year with the organization.
Strickland also isn’t going away quietly, as he’s stood out with his physicality and toughness.
Specialists (3)
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In: Jake Bates (K), Jack Fox (P), Scott Daly (LS) Out: Hogan Hatten
Hatten’s athleticism gives him an intriguing case to make the roster, and the long-snapper competition is likely far from over. He snapped on Saturday, and also got snaps at linebacker in the preseason opener.
The Idaho product will have a case, but the Lions had Daly snapping with the game on the line in Saturday’s game, so he gets the edge for now.
Voting on finalists open from June 22 through July 20
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What is the barbershop in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best barbershop.
Here are this year’s finalists:
Andino’s Barbershop in St. Clair Shores
Bennies Barbershop in Trenton
Chivalry Barber Co. in Royal Oak
The Garage Cuts and Coffee in Plymouth
Walter T’s Grooming Company in Waterford Township
We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.
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Click here to view the full list of finalists.
Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.
Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
About the Authors
Derick Hutchinson headshot
Derick Hutchinson
Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.
As part of our 30th anniversary celebration last month, we asked Hour Detroit readers to vote for their favorite covers from the magazine’s history. With all votes tabulated, here are the top 10 Hour Detroit covers, as voted by our loyal readers.
10. May 2022
Our May 2022 cover story by Nolan Bianhi highlighted the rise of Detroit City Football Club. The cover itself, photographed by Sal Rodriguez and featuring DCFC’s rabid Northern Guard Supporters, also birthed the very funny #EdDuckerForever social media trend.
As explained by Editor-In-Chief Kate Walsh in her Editor’s Letter in the June 2022 issue, “When the DCFC fans noticed a fan holding a scarf that said “Ed Ducker Forever,” some were left scratching their heads…Most people figured out that Ed Ducker was born to cover a profanity front and center on our cover, but they didn’t leave it at that. #EdDuckerForever became a thing on Twitter, with DCFC fans and others creating a backstory for this fictional character, including tales of his prowess on the pitch and in the sheets, saving (or dropping) babies, his love of beer, etc.”
Truthfully, the whole incident is symbolic of the overall vibe at any DCFC match. If you’ve never attended one yet, what are you waiting for?
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Another piece of trivia: former Hour Detroit digital editor Christina Clark is among the group of fans — she’s the one with pink hair. Coincidentally, the photo was taken before she joined the magazine.
9. July 2023
Featuring a stunning aerial photograph by William Cunningham, the cover for the July 2023 issue of Hour Detroit just draws you in with its beauty. The cover story by Kate Townley chronicled the many reasons (65, to be exact) why the Great Lakes are so great. Frankly, there are plenty more reasons to add to this already extensive list.
8. April 2024
Like the DCFC cover, the cover for the April 2024 issue, created by Ryan Olbrysh, has an incredible kinetic energy. Based around Detroit hosting the NFL Draft, the “City Guide” cover story explored all of the details any visitor to metro Detroit should know and featured contributions from Bill Dow, Dana White, Juliana Lumaj, Mickey Lyons, and Jack Thomas.
7. May 2020
For the May 2020 issue, Hour Detroit chronicled the impact of COVID-19 on metro Detroit in a nine-page special report by Steve Friess, Amy Haimerl, Joanne C. Gerstner, and Ashley Winn. The cover depicts the Spirit of Detroit monument wearing a mask and hospital scrubs. The poignant image is an original oil painting by Luke Mack for Hour Detroit.
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6. January 2018
Abdul El-Sayed graced the January 2018 cover of Hour Detroit, was profiled by Lou Blouin, and photographed by Matthew LaVere. At that time, he was a 33-year-old Michigan gubernatorial candidate gaining lots of attention for his rising grassroots campaign.
The former director of the Detroit Health Department lost the Democratic nomination to Gretchen Whitmer. However, the man some thought could be the first Muslim governor in the United States now has a chance at becoming the first Muslim person elected to the United States Senate. El-Sayed, now 41, is in a very competitive 2026 Democratic primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Primary elections for the open Michigan Senate seat vacated by a retiring Sen. Gary Peters will take place on Aug. 4, with the Democratic and Republican primary winners facing off in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
5. February 2021
On this cover photographed by Julia Pickett, contributor Steve Friess summed up Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 rather perfectly: “A pandemic. An ‘SNL’ parody. A kidnapping plot. And mean tweets from the president. Did anyone have a more bizarre and intense 2020 than ’the woman in Michigan’?” Friess’ cover story on Whitmer explored her 2020 experiences and describing them as “surreal” could be the most apt use of that word ever.
4. January 2024
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell headlined our annual “Detroiters” list in 2024, which highlights the people making unique impacts on metro Detroit. His striking portrait, courtesy of the Detroit Lions, appeared on the cover, with contributor Jim McFarlin detailing the rise of Campbell becoming one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures in recent history.
3. June 2005
Detroit has been very fortunate to have some incredible local news anchors over the years. WDIV-TV’s Carmen Harlan is certainly among the most iconic. A Detroit native, Harlan joined WDIV-TV in 1978 as a general assignment reporter. Three years later, she became an anchor. Paired with Mort Crim, another legendary Detroit news anchor, Harlan continued to serve as anchor until her retirement in 2016. Photographed by Roy Ritchie, Harlan appeared on the cover of Hour Detroit in June 2005 for our “Best of Detroit” issue. In the 2005 edition of our readers’ poll, Harlan won three honors: Best local TV anchor, best TV hairdo (female), and best-looking TV personality.
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2. April 2026
Our latest “City Guide” feature took on the theme of “Hidden Detroit.” In it, we examined lesser-known aspects and treasures in metro Detroit. The cover was of Tintoretto’s “The Dreams of Men,” which is featured in the Detroit Institute of Arts, but it’s in a surprising location. If you’re looking to find out where to spot this gorgeous painting, Jack Thomas and Kate Walsh share its location in their piece appropriately titled “Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of Arts.”
1. June 2019
The 2019 “Best of Detroit” list served as a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who passed away in Aug. 2018 at age 76. Not only did the “Queen of Soul” win the honor of “Detroit Legend,” but she appeared on the cover via an original oil painting by Kim Frank Fujiwara. (Fujiwara won in the category of “Best Fine Artist.”) Simply put: This is a breathtaking cover. We admire and agree with our readers’ outstanding taste in their choice for the best Hour Detroit cover.
DETROIT – Detroit first responders and several private citizens are being credited with helping rescue a dozen people after multiple sailboats capsized in the Detroit River near Belle Isle during severe weather last week.
The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 10 as a line of thunderstorms moved through southeast Michigan, bringing strong winds to the area.
According to the Detroit Fire Department, crews were dispatched to Belle Isle near the beach following reports of overturned boats and people in the water.
Firefighters, EMS personnel, Engine 27, and Fireboat 2, known as the Sivad Johnson, responded to the scene.
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When crews arrived, they found multiple small sailboats overturned in the river.
Officials said 20 people aboard seven sailboats were involved in the incident.
Twelve people were rescued from the water, while eight others safely returned aboard two boats that remained upright.
Fireboat 2 rescued four people from the water.
The Detroit Police Department Harbormaster rescued two more, while a private boater assisted three people. Another three were brought to safety by a nearby boat club vessel.
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The operator of the sailing group said as many as 26 people were on the water before the storm arrived, with six making it back to shore on their own before rescue efforts began.
Despite the dangerous conditions, no serious injuries were reported. Officials said all rescued individuals declined medical treatment.
Authorities praised the coordinated response among firefighters, police officers, boat club members, and private boaters who assisted during the emergency.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” said Detroit Fire Department Fireboat Operator Daniel Familant. “To be honest, we do make a lot of the saves by the private boaters out there that are fishing or just having a good time, and people were out there screaming, ‘Help, help,’ and there they go, so everyone helps out. It’s an all-hands effort.”
Emergency crews remained on scene until everyone involved was accounted for.
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Officials noted that one member of the Fireboat 2 crew was serving on the vessel for the first time during the rescue operation.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.