Who is the most important Lions player on the practice squad?

The Detroit Lions, like the rest of the NFL, finalized their 53-man roster on Sunday. This required difficult decisions by head coach Dan Campbell, who admittedly had the deepest and most talented training camp roster of his tenure. This meant that plenty of deserving players had to be left out of the final roster.

Fortunately, the Lions were able to get a few of these deserving players back on the practice squad. As injuries inevitably pile up, the Lions will rely on this group to fill their holes on the roster.

Among the 14 players the Lions currently have on their practice squad, who will matter the most in the 2026 season?

Surprise cut Nick Whiteside could still make a big defensive impact

This is a very difficult question to answer. The NFL season has a ton of unexpected turns, and you never know when and where the injuries will hit. So, any of these players could eventually emerge as difference-makers for the Lions.

As things stand now, however, the player with the best odds of making an impact has to be cornerback Nick Whiteside.

Whiteside was a surprise cut over the weekend. Many had assumed that the 26-year-old defender had done enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. He was considered one of the stars of training camp, seemingly making a play at every practice. Unfortunately, he couldn't sustain the momentum, and he wasn't particularly impressive in the final two preseason games. This led the Lions to go in a different direction on the secondary.

But they clearly still believe in the formerly undrafted player. Just like last year, they wanted to bring Whiteside onto the practice squad. And just like last year, Whiteside will try to get signed to the active roster during the season.

Looking at the state of Detroit's defensive backfield, he may get the chance earlier than he did last year.

DJ Reed and Rock Ya-Sin are locked in as starters on the outside. Christian Izien, Roger McCreary, and Keith Abney will get the lion's share of snaps at nickel. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Khalil Dorsey will be depth options, with the latter mostly playing a special teams role.

That is not a rotation Lions fans are particularly confident in. Abney had an up-and-down training camp, and Rakestraw continued to have injury concerns. Whiteside will be breathing down their necks all season.

Plus, Whiteside was taking reps at safety in the later part of training camp. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph will miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox will likely get the start to begin the season. There is definitely a scenario in which this becomes a weakness for the Lions early in the season. Whiteside could emerge as a possibility in that scenario.

As disappointing as it must have been for Whiteside not to make the cut, he will get his chances. If he makes the most of those chances, as he did in Week 7 against Tampa Bay last season, he will still find himself on the active roster at some point in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow