Pride of Detroit
We’ve technically moved on from the “roster bubble” aspect of our 2026 Detroit Lions roster countdown, but the players in this next range—ranked 50 through 41—are far from safe. Most of the players below are likely considered to be on the right side of the bubble, but that can easily change based on the month of training camp and preseason ahead.
As a reminder, this countdown is based on the voting of eight staff members at Pride of Detroit, who all ranked the entire Lions roster from 90 to 1. These rankings represent the overall average of our eight ballots.
Previously:
Hassanein drops a single spot after essentially taking a redshirt season his rookie year. A pectoral injury cost him most of 2025, and now he returns to a very competitive defensive end room. Given that the Lions’ rush end position was already filled by the likes of DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, and Payton Turner, Detroit’s coaching staff is hoping to bulk Hassanein up to compete at the big end spot. That is another tough hurdle for Hassanein, but it’s hard to count out someone with the spirit and determination he has.
In an odd coincidence, Hatten and Hassanein swapped places from last year’s rankings. There’s nothing much to say about the Lions’ long-snapper. He’s been unnoticeable since taking over from the legendary Don Muhlbach, which is about as good of a compliment as you can give a long snapper. But where exactly do you rank a player in such a niche role? Around 50 is apparently the sweet spot.
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Clark was their biggest free-agent investment at linebacker following the loss of Alex Anzalone. That said, he’s unlikely to be lined up for a significant defensive role in 2026 unless there is an injury. Still, Clark should enter training camp on the right side of the roster simply because he’s a very experienced special teams player (760 snaps) with 26 starts to boot.
Speaking of special teams skills, Dorsey was described by special teams coordinator Dave Fipp last year as “one of the great gunners in the game of football right now.” That alone should put him in a somewhat comfortable position on the roster, but he drops in this year’s list after an injury-filled 2025 season. Still, Dorsey should feel somewhat comfortable in his roster chances unless Detroit uses their open roster spot to add to their cornerback room.
Nowaske climbs to his highest ranking since joining the team in the middle of the 2023 season. Last year...
