Grading Lions' 2023 53-Man Roster

The Lions roster is quite unbalanced currently.

The Detroit Lions have trimmed their training camp roster to 53 players, effectively setting the first edition of their 2023 active roster. 

As is the case in most seasons, the roster construction comes with a mix of expected and surprising decisions made by Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell and the rest of the Lions' front office. 

The Lions got stronger in the quarterbacks room over the offseason. Teddy Bridgewater's arrival gives Jared Goff one of the league's most established backup quarterbacks. The team will roll with those two presumably until rookie Hendon Hooker is activated from the NFI list. 

Bridgewater, who has 65 career starts to his name, gives the Lions the necessary insurance and experience to remain competitive should Goff have to miss time. 

In the backfield, the Lions elected to go with just David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. This should signal that there will be a move coming in the coming days to help add depth to the roster. 

At wide receiver, the Lions had an established quartet of options, with Jameson Williams beginning the season suspended. They elected to keep five players.

Green beat out Dylan Drummond and Chase Cota for the final spot at the position. Green's big-play ability showed on a 70-yard score in the preseason finale. Given the investment made on him in the draft, he's worthy of a roster spot. 

The Lions elected to keep eight offensive linemen, trusting their depth of Graham Glasgow, Matt Nelson and rookie Colby Sorsdal. Both Glasgow and Nelson are established, and should offer production in a pinch. 

After a summer full of competition at linebacker, the Lions elected to keep six players. Indications are that the battle for the two starting spots has narrowed to three, in Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes. 

Anzalone, a veteran who was re-signed in the offseason, is coming off a career year with 125 tackles. The rookie Campbell is also a favorite to start at the position, with Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman all having experience and the ability to contribute on special teams.

Aidan Hutchinson gives the Lions' defensive line a key piece on the edge, while Alim McNeill slimmed down in the offseason in an effort to have a breakout year. 

While the edge is deep with players such as Charles Harris, Romeo Okwara and James Houston, the interior has more questions. Levi Onwuzurike missed all of last year with an injury. 

The Lions also elected to keep a pair of players, Julian Okwara and Benito Jones, who were believed to be on the roster bubble throughout camp.

Meanwhile, the secondary is full of new faces who should be impact players. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley and Cam Sutton were all strong free-agent signings. Second-round pick Brian Branch is already looking to be a draft steal.

Moseley had been on the PUP list throughout camp, but the team has elected to activate him prior to Week 1. He may not be ready for action by the Sept. 7 season opener, but the decision to activate him will prevent him from missing the season's first four games. 

Undrafted rookie cornerback Steven Gilmore, signed out of Marshall, also made the roster. He beat out fellow UDFA Starling Thomas V for a spot at the back-end of Detroit's corner rotation. 

Detroit was rumored to be in search of a kicker Tuesday and released Parker Romo, leaving Riley Patterson as the only option currently on the roster. Patterson had been leading the competition throughout camp, but struggled in the preseason finale. 

Despite the vote of confidence given to the Memphis product by Campbell, the Lions could certainly make an addition at the position in the coming days. 

Overall, the Lions have solid foundational pieces at key positions. Goff will lead the offense, but wide receiver and running back have questions about their depth. These positions are likely areas where Holmes and company can attack the waiver wire or free agency.

The offensive line and secondary are also full of established talent. Jack Campbell and Branch could wind up being stellar rookies on defense. 

There are still concerns, however. The kicker position appears to be unsettled, while the defensive interior depth is lacking.  

Though changes may be coming in quick order, the initial roster constructed by Holmes gets a "B" grade. Plenty of pieces are in the right place, but depth remains an issue.