Detroit Lions' unconventional roster construction is all about keeping talent

Whether it’s drafting running backs high in the first round or setting their initial 53-man roster, the Detroit Lions are comfortable with the unconventional.
The Lions made their final 25 roster moves Tuesday and finished the day with an unusual mix of 21 offensive players (including just two true running backs) and 29 defensive players (with 12 — !! — defensive linemen).
Rosters are fluid, of course, and things are bound to change when waiver claims are processed Wednesday, but Lions coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes followed the same philosophy in setting their roster they did when they surprised everyone by taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 in the draft: Accumulate as many good players as possible, regardless of position, and figure things out later.
The Lions kept Romeo Okwara, Isaiah Buggs, Julian Okwara and James Houston, giving them a glut of backup defensive linemen at a position where eight or nine players will be active on gameday.
In the secondary, they kept oft-injured safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, trusted veteran Will Harris and young cornerbacks Khalil Dorsey and Steven Gilmore.
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All those players have more upside, and most had better camps, than the offensive players they made the roster over. Dylan Drummond as a sixth receiver. Kayode Awosika as a ninth offensive lineman. And Craig Reynolds or Benny Snell as backup running backs.
NFL roster rules have changed enough in recent years that the Lions won’t be shorthanded even if they stick with the 29-21 defense-offense split.
Reynolds and/or Snell will be back on the 53-man roster or practice squad, and one should be active as the No. 3 running back next Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions will have a handful of linemen on their look team so they can field two-plus platoons in practice. And a couple of the players the Lions kept — Julian Okwara and Melifonwu, in particular — are dealing with injuries and in Okwara’s case, there could be a trip to injured reserve in the future.
That would free up one roster spot for the Lions to re-sign a veteran like Reynolds who wasn't exposed to waivers, and Holmes could create another by pulling off a trade.
He reportedly was active in seeking upgrades at kicker and backup quarterback in recent days — one target, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, was traded to the Dallas Cowboys — and he has depth at one of the most precious positions, pass rusher, to deal from a position of strength.
Maybe Holmes would rather have the depth and roll the dice with his kicker or No. 5 receiver. Romeo Okwara could sit the bench until he’s needed, which given the injury rate in the NFL, he most certainly will be at some point.
Either way, I wouldn’t get too carried away with the numbers behind the roster construction. The players filling those spots are more important, and the Lions have one of the better rosters in the NFL.
Explaining the secondary
There were no real stunners on the Lions’ roster, but there was one mild surprise in the secondary, which, along with the defensive line, were the toughest gluts to sort out.
The Lions waived undrafted rookie cornerback Starling Thomas V and kept fellow UDFA corner Steven Gilmore and special teams standout Khalil Dorsey.
Thomas spent most of the summer playing with the second-team defense and occasionally got on the field with the top unit. He impressed as far back as spring, but his play had plateaued of late.
Gilmore, meanwhile, had a knockout final two weeks, with interceptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. He returned his one-handed pick for a touchdown last week against Carolina, and his ball production was hard to ignore.
Similarly, Dorsey had a strong finish to the preseason, and he projects as a core player on special teams. Dorsey handled the first kickoff return against the Panthers, but might fit better as a fullback on that unit (depending what the roster looks like a week from now) and is a good bet to play as a gunner on punt.
Thomas will be back on practice squad if he clears waivers, and I suspect Chase Lucas might be, too. Both had good preseasons but fell victim to the numbers with the Lions keeping Melifonwu and do-it-all backup Harris on their roster.
Kick in the butt
The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Lions were among the teams milling around the trade market looking for a kicker. When they couldn’t strike a deal, they kept Riley Patterson over Parker Romo at the position.
Keeping Patterson over Romo is no surprise. Lions coach Dan Campbell gave Patterson a vote of confidence after he missed a field goal and extra point last week against the Panthers, and Romo didn’t even play the last two exhibition games.
It won’t be a shock, either, if the Lions employ another kicker at some point this fall.
Since letting Matt Prater walk in free agency before the 2021 season, the Lions have employed 11 different kickers — Randy Bullock, Matthew Wright, Zane Gonzalez, Austin Seibert, Ryan Santoso, Aldrick Rosas, Dominik Eberle, Michael Badgley, Sam Ficken, Patterson and Romo — a virtual revolving door at the position.
They didn’t take a kicker in this year’s draft and haven’t been patient enough to develop one so far, but for a team with championship aspirations, that’s not a great spot to be unsettled at.
If the Lions want a veteran at the position, there are a couple intriguing names still on the market. Badgley, who made 20 of 24 field goals for the Lions last fall, has come and gone with two teams since the Lions gave him his spring release, and Robbie Gould has been picky about taking a job after making 27 of 32 kicks for the San Francisco 49ers last season.