There are three changes in the projection of the 53-person Detroit Lions squad after the minicamp

The Detroit Lions completed their three-day mandatory minicamp last week, and some players stood out during the session, resulting in a few changes to our projected 53-man roster.

Of course, it’s important to remember that no one should put too much stock in this part of the offseason, as final roster decisions will be made based on what happens in training camp when the pads go live.

But to shake things up a bit, we’ll base our latest prediction on what happened during last week’s minicamp, favoring the players who stood out the most.

Using this method, after our pre-minicamp version, we added three new elements to our 53-person projection. New additions are marked with an asterisk and draft picks are in bold.

Projection of the 53-man Lions squad

Quarterbacks (2)

Starter: Jared Goff

Backup: Hendon Hooker

Analysis: Hooker has had an up-and-down minicamp and clearly still has a lot of work to do, but he’ll make the roster. Nate Sudfeld’s spot on the starting 53-man roster will depend on how much confidence Detroit has in its second-year signal-caller, who is essentially a rookie after a lost freshman season.

Running back (4)

Starters: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery

Backups: Sione Vaki, Craig Reynolds

Analysis: The only change is that Vaki has been moved up one place in the pecking order. While the rest of the backup options have been quiet, Vaki has excelled as a pass catcher in practice and favors RB3 on the depth chart.

Wide Receiver (6):

Starters: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Caliph Raymond

Backups: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green, Kaden Davis*

Analysis: As we mentioned earlier, this projection is based on who stood out the most during minicamp, and Davis certainly qualifies for it after being listed as two of our standouts. Throughout the three-day event, Davis scored multiple touchdowns and made impressive passing plays with several nice catches.

Who was replaced: Tre’Quan Smith

Tight end (3)

Starter: LaPorta herself

Backups: Brock Wright and James Mitchell

Analysis: Things have been quiet late in the offseason, so nothing has changed here since our last forecast. LaPorta and Wright are close to the lineup, but Mitchell’s spot is not safe. It is also possible to move the fourth one.

Offensive line (10)

Starters: LT Taylor Decker, LG Kevin Zeitler, C Frank Ragnow, RG Graham Glasgow, RT Penei Sewell

Backups: OT Dan Skipper, G/T Colby Sorsdal, OT Giovanni Manu, G Christian Mahoń, G Kayode Awosika

Analysis: News on the offensive line has been sparse during minicamp, so we haven’t seen enough to make any changes here. We still have the Lions at 10 due to lack of experience with some of the depth options.

Inner defense line (5)

Starters: DJ Reader, Alim McNeill

Backups: Levi Onwuzurike, Brodric Martin, Mekhi Wingo

Analysis: Another position that remains unchanged. However, it should be noted that Onwuzurike was one of the standouts of the minicamp after suffering several compressions/bags over the course of three days. Head coach Dan Campbell also congratulated Onwuzurike.

Edge Brush (5)

Starters: Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport

Backups: John Cominsky, Josh Paschal and James Houston

Analysis: There’s nothing new here other than to say that Paschal had a standout day on Day 2 and received praise from Campbell for his offseason work.

Defender (5)

Starters: Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell

Backups: Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Malcolm Rodriguez

Analysis: This group of stars remains unchanged. However, Campbell performed brilliantly.

Corner sofa (6)

Starters: Carlton Davis, Terrion ArnoldBrian Branch (slot)

Backups: Amic Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw Jr.Khalil Dorsey*

Analysis: Dorsey was one of the standouts in minicamp with a pair of back-to-back sixes. Unfortunately, his camp was cut short due to an ankle injury, which fortunately is not considered serious.

Who was replaced: Emmanuel Moseley

Security (4)

Starters: Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu

Backups: Brandon Joseph and CJ Moore

Analysis: Brandon Joseph certainly wasn’t perfect, but he received praise from Campbell and recorded an interception during 11-on-11 drills on the first day. He was expected to be included in the squad earlier, but he only strengthened his case.

Specialists (3)

Starters: K.James Turner*P Jack Fox, LS Scott Daly

Analysis: Things got heated in the kickers’ competition after Turner defeated Michael Badgley during one of the sessions. All in all, we haven’t seen Badgley outplay a rookie yet, so the Michigan product is in a great position to take over heading into training camp.

That said, things will get interesting if the Lions manage to sign UFL star Jake Bates, who the team has reportedly requested a visit with.

Who was replaced: Michael Badgley