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Unlike the offense, the Detroit Lions defense consistently got better throughout the preseason. On Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Lions held their opponents to zero first downs on three of their first four drives. Granted, those were Lions starters we’re talking about, but a handful of Detroit reserves have stood out for all of the right reasons.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the players on the roster bubble on that side of the ball, and where their roster status stands going into final cutdowns.
Here are our staff’s predictions for the final version of Bubble Watch (our predictions for the offense can be found here).
Final Bubble Watch: Defense
| Player | Jeremy Reisman | Ryan Mathews | Mike Payton | Hamza | Alex Reno | Erik Schlitt | John Whiticar | Chris Perfett | Jerry Mallory | TOTAL | Change from last week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Jeremy Reisman | Ryan Mathews | Mike Payton | Hamza | Alex Reno | Erik Schlitt | John Whiticar | Chris Perfett | Jerry Mallory | TOTAL | Change from last week |
| DT Jashon Cornell | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 0 | -7 |
| DT Bruce Hector | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 0 | -1 |
| DT Demetrius Taylor | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | 9 | +4 |
| DT Isaiah Buggs | IN | OUT | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | 8 | +5 |
| EDGE James Houston | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | IN | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 1 | -1 |
| EDGE Austin Bryant | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | 9 | 0 |
| EDGE John Cominsky | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | 9 | +2 |
| LB Jarrad Davis | OUT | IN | IN | IN | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | IN | 4 | +1 |
| LB Josh Woods | IN | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | IN | OUT | 2 | +2 |
| LB Anthony Pittman | OUT | IN | OUT | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | IN | 6 | -1 |
| CB AJ Parker | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | 9 | 0 |
| CB Mike Hughes | IN | IN | IN | OUT | OUT | IN | OUT | IN | IN | 6 | +4 |
| CB Chase Lucas | OUT | OUT | IN | OUT | IN | OUT | IN | IN | IN | 5 | -3 |
| CB Bobby Price | IN | IN | OUT | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | 7 | -1 |
| CB Mark Gilbert | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 0 | 0 |
| S C.J. Moore | OUT | IN | IN | IN | OUT | OUT | IN | OUT | IN | 5 | -4 |
| S JuJu Hughes | IN | OUT | OUT | OUT | IN | IN | OUT | IN | OUT | 4 | +4 |
Defensive tackle
- Demetrius Taylor — 9 “IN” votes (up 4)
- Isaiah Buggs — 8 (up 5)
- Jashon Cornell — 0 (down 7)
- Bruce Hector — 0 (down 1)
There seems to be a lot more clarity on the defensive line these days. After the Lions moved Alim McNeill to more three-tech roles, it was Isaiah Buggs who saw the promotion to the first teams as their primary nose tackle. Though the visit from Malcom Brown looms largely over his head, Buggs is currently running unopposed at that position.
Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Demetrius Taylor has seen a meteoric rise after a strong camp and preseason. That has come at the expense of Jashon Cornell, who had the exact opposite trajectory this summer, starting out hot but fizzling out.
Edge defender
- Austin Bryant — 9 (no change)
- John Cominsky — 9 (up 2)
- James Houston — 1 (down 1)
A lot of clarity here, too, as Austin Bryant isn’t really even on the roster bubble anymore after being one of the best Lions defensive players this preseason. Cominsky is now a unanimous “in” as well, which makes sense due to his strong play and the placement of rookie defensive end Josh Paschal on the reserve/PUP list.
James Houston, while a promising long-term prospect, has just not shown enough flashes right now to warrant at 53-man roster spot.
Linebacker
- Anthony Pittman — 6 (down 1)
- Jarrad Davis — 4 (up 1)
- Josh Woods — 2 (up 2)
Off Bubble Watch: Shaun Dion Hamilton — cut last week
There’s a lot less clarity when it comes to the linebacking corps, but for good reason. Detroit’s depth has played surprisingly well. On Sunday against the Steelers, Davis had his best game, notching four tackles—including a tackle for loss. Woods had three tackles of his own and a pass defended, while Anthony Pittman continues to show his versatility coming off the edge and playing a big role on special teams. He loses a little steam this week, though, after not showing up on the box score in the preseason finale.
Cornerback
- AJ Parker — 9 (no change)
- Bobby Price — 7 (down 1)
- Mike Hughes — 6 (up 4)
- Chase Lucas — 5 (down 3)
- Mark Gilbert — 0 (no change)
Here’s what coach Dan Campbell had to say about AJ Parker after Sunday’s loss to the Steelers.
“AJ has proven to be dependable. He’s smart. He’s crafty. Though he has limitations, he understands his own limitations and is able to play at least one step ahead, because he is a smart player.”
That sounds like a pretty ringing endorsement for at least a spot on the roster, if not the starting nickel job.
It gets a little hairy beyond that, as the Lions saw plenty of Mike Hughes and Chase Lucas throughout the game. Hughes probably brings more on special teams, though, and is a little more costly to cut.
Safety
- C.J. Moore — 5 (down 4)
- JuJu Hughes — 4 (up 4)
Injuries to C.J. Moore and Ifeatu Melifonwu have made this a tricky position to project. Given that at one point last week Moore was in a walking boot, it seems unlikely he’ll be ready to go right away. Can the Lions afford to keep yet another player who won’t be ready for Week 1 on the 53-man roster? Or will Moore be one of those players who makes the initial 53, but then goes on IR? Or will the Lions just part ways?
Either way, Hughes has played well as of late, and this situation certainly benefits his roster chances.
Kicker
- Austin Seibert — 9 (up 2)
- Riley Patterson — 0 (down 2)
We barely got to see any kickers on Sunday, but the only one we saw do anything was Austin Seibert. He made his only kick, did a sufficient job on kickoffs, and helped the Lions recover an onside kick. Patterson had to watch it all from the sidelines.
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