Lions Roster Reactions: New Starter Now Under Immediate Pressure

Getty Austin Seibert kicks a field goal for the Lions in 2022.

The Detroit Lions have established their initial 53 man roster of the 2022 season, and within, there are some intriguing surprises and angles to be discussed.

While the roster feels final, the truth is, it’s far from it. Waiver moves will be revealed over the next few days, and the team will have a chance to shuffle players on and off. This list is simply a starting point for the team.

Now that things have been revealed, what are some of the biggest surprises and talking points? Here’s a look at some quick reactions to the moves that the team made on Tuesday, August 30.

Letting Justin Jackson Go Feels Like a Mistake

NFL front offices never seem keen to overreact about anything that plays out in the short-term, and that’s probably why Detroit let Justin Jackson go in spite of his gritty camp.

Still, what Jackson was able to do was impressive. After signing late in the summer, he was a force in camp and also the preseason, showing up every time he got a chance to touch the ball. He had speed and NFL experience. The Lions seem to be betting on their players in this battle, but it looked as if Jackson earned a job with the team given what he did.

If the Lions have the chance, they should offer a practice squad spot to Jackson. Given the way injuries can and do play out in the NFL, it’s very likely they are going to have a need for more runner depth this season. One problem? Jackson might not make it back given what he already showed teams. Therein lies the risk with letting him walk.

Austin Seibert Will Face Pressure Right Away

Late in the 2021 season, it seemed the Lions had found their future kicker in Riley Patterson. Quickly, that notion was proven not to be the case during this camp.

From nearly the jump, Seibert seemed to have a big advantage over Patterson in the mind of the staff, and received most of the first-team reps. It felt as if Patterson never had a great chance to win the job overall outright. Unfortunately for Seibert, fans will remember this fact.

From Week 1 on, Austin Seibert had better hope he is relatively flawless and accurate, or else there’s going to be a significant uproar amongst a fanbase that takes its specialists seriously after enjoying the likes of Jason Hanson and Matt Prater through the years. Many fans were early Patterson loyalists, and felt he deserved a shot again in 2022.

Seibert is the guy now at kicker, and the staff had better hope they were right on this evaluation. That’s especially true if Patterson signs elsewhere and establishes himself as a stud.

Detroit Betting on Youth Once Again

While the Lions cut some young players who had done a nice job for them in the past like safety C.J. Moore and linebacker Anthony Pittman, others stuck around for the roster, showing the team remains committed to youth.

Rookie Chase Lucas fought his way on the roster at cornerback, wedging his way into a competition that few seventh-round rookies do. Defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor is staying too, working too hard and looking too solid to be on anything other than the roster. Malcolm Rodriguez made the team, and the biggest drama now might be seeing how soon he starts.

Last year, the Lions made a point to showcase that they didn’t care about a player’s age or experience level, simply how they fought and played. As the team gets deeper, it can be said that this is still a core value for Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.

Lions Will Eventually Add Another Quarterback

While Detroit might have let Tim Boyle walk and David Blough stay, the situation could be fluid at the position relative to others who were released across the league.

In the past, the Lions have liked to carry three quarterbacks. With the depth this roster had, that simply wasn’t possible or sustainable, nor was it necessary. Watch out for Detroit adding someone to their practice squad, though, to perhaps eventually push Blough. Don’t discount the notion that if the right player is available, Blough could be sent packing, too.

It simply feels as if the Lions are far from a finished project at quarterback, even if the team has on the surface committed to one of their in-house options.

Detroit Values Offensive Line Depth

Given Detroit’s starters could be one of the more elite units in the league, it seemed as if the Lions may be content to roll with seven or eight lineman. Instead, the team kept nine players.

Cracking the roster were Logan Stenberg and Tommy Kraemer, both guards. Evan Brown is on the roster as well, and Matt Nelson is the team’s swing tackle. Depth is a good thing to have, especially for an offensive front which sustained plenty of injuries last year.

Given all the players that stayed gained valuable experience in a lost 2021 season, Detroit’s offensive front could truly be amongst the best of the best in the NFL this year top to bottom.

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