Pride of Detroit
Earlier in the week, we continued our rankings of the 2026 Detroit Lions roster and got to what I believe is the first part of the roster bubble. The Lions’ roster is deeper than most teams’, so even those players we ranked between 61-70 could make the 53-man roster. Even if they don’t, many are likely destined for the practice squad, and we’ve seen countless of those players get the call-up midseason and make an impact.
In our next installment—players we ranked 60-51—we get into some players who will inevitably make the 53-man roster or almost assuredly the practice squad.
Previously:
Last year’s ranking: 70
Smith has quietly hung around the Lions organization since 2023. That alone shows the Lions’ commitment to the 26-year-old defender. In fact, he even made Detroit’s initial 53-man roster last year. However, he’s only made five game appearances—and only played 47 snaps across those games (all in 2024). It wouldn’t be surprising if Smith makes the initial 53-man roster again, as Detroit’s depth on the interior defensive line is relatively thin.
Manu’s ranking is the lowest it’s ever been, and for good reason. With the Lions investing in both a new starting tackle (first-round pick Blake Miller) and an upgrade at OT3 (signing Larry Borom), Manu’s future with the team looks more in jeopardy than ever. In order to make the 53-man roster, he’ll have to try to convince the Lions he’s worth keeping at OT4 or expand his value to other positions. He’s already started taking a small amount of reps at guard in the spring.
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Lions fans were pretty shocked when Detroit opted to keep Jacob Saylors over Craig Reynolds in the middle of the 2025 season, but the former UFL running back proved his value on special teams. He ended up logging 281 special teams snaps—third-most on the team—and finished the season with eight tackles.
He’s still inexperienced as a running back, and the health of Sione Vaki could keep him off the field as a reserve offensive weapon, but Detroit clearly liked what he gave them on teams.
Despite Kennedy being on the team since 2019, this is the highest ever ranking for Tom Kennedy. He may have only played in six games last year, but he finally proved he can be an asset on special teams. He finished second on the team in kick return yardage (447, behind Saylors) and first in kick return average (27.9) on 16 attempts.
His chances of making the 53-man roster are very real, particularly after the Lions lost rookie Kendrick Law to a torn ACL this summer—leaving a significant receiver and special teams role...
