The Detroit Lions have put a bow on the 2022 preseason as well as training camp, and now, the tough decisions begin for the front office and coaching staff.
Deciding who stays this week is not going to be an easy task, especially given the newfound depth of the team’s roster. That sets up for one of the most dramatic final cuts in years.
How might things shake out this time? Here’s a look at where things could be trending at this point in time.
Stock up: John Cominsky, DL
At this point, it feels like a lock to say John Cominsky is making the team. Detroit has needed presence up front, and he brought it during the preseason whenever he was tasked with playing.
Along with Austin Bryant, Cominsky has been one of the most consistently impressive defensive linemen. Early in camp, he may have been buried on Detroit’s depth chart, but at this point, he has stepped up and shown he is a player worth taking seriously as a solid depth option for the season. His NFL experience helps, and Cominsky has leveraged that into what feels like a role for 2022.
Stock Down: Will Harris, CB/S
With the news that Jeff Okudah is a likely starter at cornerback, things suddenly aren’t looking so good for Will Harris, the man he was battling for a role.
Harris was playing late in Detroit’s third preseason game, which might not be a great sign for his roster hopes this week amid a very tight battle in the defensive backfield.
The new staff may be having a hard time deciding what to do with Harris, a holdover from the previous staff. He struggled at safety, then switched to cornerback. While Harris has played better at corner, he didn’t play well enough to edge out the recovering Okudah this camp. He might cling to a depth role, but after a push from others down the roster, his hold in that may be tenuous at best.
Stock up: Justin Jackson, RB
Detroit has one of the deepest running back rooms in the league already, so it probably wasn’t excellent for them to see Justin Jackson excel nearly every time he touched the ball in camp.
Jackson has been a revelation, and may have forced his way on the roster after another bright week against Pittsburgh. Not only a solid runner, Jackson can catch passes out of the backfield, an advantage he may have over Craig Reynolds and even Jermar Jefferson. He also has more NFL experience than that duo combined, which should bode well for him.
If he doesn’t catch on in Detroit, Jackson could either stick with the team’s practice squad or find a fast home elsewhere in a running back needy situation. He’s been that good.
Stock Down: Quintez Cephus, WR
After making multiple plays during the early portion of camp before injury, Quintez Cephus was playing extremely late in Detroit’s third preseason game, which may not have been good news.
Perhaps the team was trying to get him reps off injury to knock off some rust or showcase him. Either way, for Cephus, the situation is far from certain going into this week. Tom Kennedy may have fought his way on the roster, and Trinity Benson has also looked smooth at the position. That adds up to more competition at wideout, which could be bad news for someone with the injury history of Cephus.
It’s going to be a tough couple days for Cephus to sweat out as he awaits his fate.
Stock up: Chase Lucas, CB
One player who has really come on late in camp has been seventh-round cornerback Chase Lucas. He sticks like glue to receivers and is tough in the trenches at tackling. Better yet, he’s always around the ball.
Lucas may not have been on the team’s initial 53 man projections, but it’s nearly impossible to leave him off now. The Lions have shown they aren’t afraid to give rookies and youngsters a chance, so he may have edged out a player like Harris at cornerback.
Stock Down: Devin Funchess, TE
A few weeks ago, it would have seemed crazy to have Devin Funchess on this list after he impressed in the first preseason game. Yet, the Lions were running him out late in Week 3, showing he may
Much like Cephus, Funchess got injured in camp. While it wasn’t enough to knock him out, it may have been enough to stunt his development with the team. Like Cephus, it is possible the Lions were simply getting him reps to feel better, but it’s hard to say where he stands, especially with Shane Zylstra stepping up in Week 2.
Funchess may be trending downward after not doing much since his early outburst for the Lions.
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