The Detroit Lions have not had a roster this talented in a long time. In fact, you could easily make an argument that this Lions team is the most talented roster in franchise history. Detroit may not have the flashiest QB in Jared Goff, but they have a ton of talented skill players and solid depth at nearly every position. It may be most appropriate to say that the Lions have their best overall roster, not necessarily their most talented collection of players. Regardless, it has been enough to turn Detroit into one of the most exciting teams in the NFL heading into 2024.
Detroit reinforced their biggest weakness in 2023 this past offseason — the defensive secondary.
The Lions did almost a complete overhaul of the cornerback room. Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs are no longer with the team, along with Jeff Okudah who was traded last year. Detroit had to start over at cornerback, only keeping second-year phenom Brian Branch. The Lions traded for Carlton Davis III from Tampa Bay and added Amik Robertson during free agency. They also invested their top two draft picks in cornerbacks — Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. This gives the team a ton more talent at a huge position of need, and could help their defense become even more potent.
However, not everyone can make the final 53-man roster.
Here are three players who are on the roster bubble heading into the NFL preseason. Each of these players could earn a spot on the Lions' final roster, but they could also just as easily be cut in September. Keep an eye on these players in preseason games throughout the month of August.
Can James Mitchell justify his spot on the Lions final roster?
The Detroit Lions drafted James Mitchell in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech. Mitchell showed potential in college to become a solid move tight end in the NFL. However, he suffered a season-ending injury during the second game of his senior season. This injury resulted in him tumbling down draft boards, enabling Detroit to take a chance on him in the fifth round.
The biggest issue for Mitchell is Detroit's investment in other tight ends on the roster. Second-year star Sam LaPorta is the undeniable starter. Brock Wright is next in line, having signed a three-year, $12 million contract to stay in Detroit earlier this offseason.
That leaves Mitchell in a competition with Shane Zylstra for TE3.
The Lions aren't expected to roster a fullback, so one could argue that a fourth tight end spot is within the realm of possibility. However, it seems more likely that the Lions would use that extra space to keep an additional offensive lineman instead of a tight end.
This is partly because of the versatility Penei Sewell provides the Lions. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has shown that he loves to use Sewell all over the offensive line, and has lined him up at tight end multiple times in the past.
Mitchell needs to have a strong training camp and preseason if he wants to earn himself a spot on the 53-man final roster.
Detroit has a huge need at EDGE rusher, but James Houston will still have to ball out to make the team
James Houston is essentially a dedicated pass rushing specialist in the NFL.
Houston played off-ball linebacker in college, but was heavily encouraged to transition to EDGE rusher during his final collegiate season. It was definitely the right move. Houston racked up 16.5 sacks in his final season and became a sixth-round pick by the Lions in 2022.
The argument for Houston is everything he has shown in flashes as a pro and in college. He has incredible bend and speed as an EDGE rusher, something that the Lions really need opposite of Aidan Hutchinson.
However, Houston struggles when defending against the run. This is something that the Lions' defensive coaching staff places a big emphasis on, so it could hurt his chances of becoming a starter in 2024. It may also keep him from making the final roster over other high-upside guys like Mitchell Agude, Mathieu Betts, or John Cominsky.
Training camp practices and preseason games will be absolutely huge for Houston's future in the NFL. He needs to compete like his career is on the line because it just might be.
Is there still a place for Emmanuel Moseley on the Lions?
Moseley has had some terrible injury luck over the past few seasons.
He originally signed with the Detroit Lions during free agency last offseason after leaving the San Francisco 49ers. Moseley suffered an ACL tear in his left knee on October 9th, 2022 that ended his tenure in San Francisco. His next injury was even more devastating. Almost one year to the day from his past knee injury, Moseley suffered another torn ACL, this time on his right knee. What's worse is that it was during his first drive back from injury. Truly a devastating situation.
Detroit re-signed Moseley this offseason, so there's hope he can battle back from injury once again in 2024. However, as we previewed at the top of this article, the Lions went on to invest a significant amount of resources in other cornerbacks as well.
Moseley's chances of making the Lions final roster depend on two major factors — his continued health and the number of roster spots the Lions intend to devote to cornerback.
Moseley does benefit from the fact that he plays outside cornerback, a position that the Lions are still somewhat light on depth for. He will compete with Steven Gilmore, Khalil Dorsey, and Kindle Vildor for one of the team's limited backup jobs.
Moseley may need to claw his way to the top of that pile, otherwise he may lose out to someone like Dorsey who brings special teams expertise to the table as well as coverage skills.
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