Pride of Detroit
As we creep up in our 2026 Detroit Lions roster ranking, we’re starting to reveal players who will undoubtedly play a part in writing the story of this year’s squad. We’re on players we ranked 70-61, and while that is not considered the true “roster bubble,” considering Detroit’s 53-man squad + 16-man practice squad equals 69 total players—it’s safe to say several of the names below will end up playing meaningful snaps for Detroit this year.
So let’s take a look at who eight people on the staff ranked between 70 and 61 on the Lions’ 2026 roster.
Previously:
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Tufele was a late signing this offseason to help navigate the nose tackle position after letting DJ Reader and Roy Lopez walk in free agency. The job won’t handed to Tufele, but he does has seven starts, 46 games, and over 760 defensive snaps of experience—including 473 in the last two years combined.
Last year’s ranking: N/A
McLaughlin is a fascinating young player. Just two years ago, he won the Rimington Trophy for college football’s best center in the country. But a torn Achilles late that season derailed his chances of getting drafted. And while he was cleared to practice shortly after the Cincinnati Bengals signed him as a UDFA, he didn’t make the team and spent his rookie season on the practice squad.
There was a path toward him making the roster here in Detroit, but it’s much more complicated after the Lions signed Cade Mays and traded for Juice Scruggs. He’ll likely start training camp on the outside looking in.
Last year’s ranking: 64
Sorsdal has dropped now for two consecutive seasons after ranking 40th on our 2024 list. The tough truth of the matter is that Sorsdal looked like he was going to miss the roster last year before an injury landed him on injured reserve.
This year, he’s getting work at offensive tackle, but that is going to be a tough path to the roster with Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, and Giovanni Manu likely all ahead of him right now.
Last year’s ranking: 66
Adams pretty much stays where he was last year after spending all of 2025 on the practice squad with no call-ups. He’s got an outside chance to make the roster given Detroit’s relatively thin depth at defensive tackle, but at 28 years old and limited experience, time is running out for him to make an impression.
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Lucas made an impression at Lions minicamp by getting into a fist-throwing scuffle, but even before that, there was some hype of his potential as a rookie UDFA. Of Detroit’s entire UDFA class, he...
