Lions 2022 roster cuts: Detroit waives CBs Saivion Smith, Mark Gilbert

The Detroit Lions’ roster cuts continued on Monday evening as the team reported parted ways with young cornerbacks Saivion Smith (per Dave Birkett) and Mark Gilbert (per Ari Meirov).

Smith was claimed off of waivers late last year and signed a futures deal to start 2022. At times, he flashed a strong, physical nature that caught the eyes of the coaching staff.

“I love his competitive nature, defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant said earlier this offseason. “I love his football intelligence and his instincts. We’ve asked him to do a couple different things since he’s been here. He’s accepted all of those challenges and I think he’s done a really good job.”

Smith was having a solid preseason but in the finale, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to pick on him.

Gilbert, struggled in the preseason. Also a midseason addition last year, Gilbert made eight game appearances with the Lions in 2021, mainly serving on special teams.

With these cuts, the Lions’ outside cornerback room is down to Amani Oruwariye, Jeff Okudah, Will Harris, Bobby Price and Cedric Boswell. Things are likely looking good for Price, who is a main contributor on special teams for Detroit.

However, there are still many roster cuts to come, as the Lions are reportedly down to just 73 players. They’ll need to be down to 53 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. You can follow along with all of the Lions’ roster cuts with our handy 2022 tracker.