The Detroit Lions’ 53-man roster is out, and it’s chock-full of surprises and twists.Five running backs instead of four? Wait, how many receivers? Three tight ends, but which tight ends? Who was the lone UDFA to make the roster? A local product waived at cornerback?Let’s answer these questions and more, now that the Lions’ 53-man roster is here.Surprise cutsA couple of names jump out. Greg Dortch was a presumed lock when he signed with the Lions in free agency. He felt like a logical replacement for Kalif Raymond, who signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason. He’s younger than Raymond, played for new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing in Arizona and had what felt like a very good training camp. But the Lions, evidently, believed there were only four receivers worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster. It feels light, but it’s possible there’s some maneuvering left to be done. Tom Kennedy and Dortch were Detroit’s top punt returners, and neither made the roster. A bit puzzling for now, but a reminder that these are just initial rosters.Top Plays from Lions @ ColtsEarly in camp, Nick Whiteside looked like one of the top corners on the roster. Coach Dan Campbell praised him for being fearless when lined up against Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. He was a menace in one-on-one drills versus receivers and was carrying it over to the preseason. Despite a difficult finish, it felt like Whiteside had done enough to make the roster. He’s subject to waivers, so we’ll see whether he clears and can return on Detroit’s practice squad.Tyler Conklin felt like a roster lock. He routinely repped as TE3 behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright, and he’s a veteran the team signed in free agency this offseason. Again, we’ll have to wait for the dust to settle, but Conklin felt safe. Instead, the Lions go with three TEs — with second-year converted WR Jackson Meeks earning the final spot. Meeks felt like he was on the cusp of a spot, and in the end, he got one.The inclusion of running back Jabari Small is a bit of a surprise. It felt like the Lions would go with four: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors. Small offers value on special teams, and considering the Lions could be without Pacheco for the opener, maybe they wanted to go heavier at RB.Best stories• Eric O’Neill had himself a camp. He made his presence felt in training camp, performed when given opportunities in the preseason and, against most projections, ends camp with a roster spot. The player out of Rutgers is the only 2026 UDFA to earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster. It felt like he kept showing the coaching staff tools he possessed, and when it was time to translate them to games, he rose to the occasion. At the very least, it felt like O’Neill had done enough to earn a spot on the practice squad, but maybe the Lions felt he put out too much good tape to risk losing him.• Tay Martin is undoubtedly one of the biggest risers this camp. He beat out a crowded field of receivers and earned the fourth and final spot on Detroit’s initial 53-man roster, behind a trio of starters, St. Brown, Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Martin is here because of his consistency on special teams, first and foremost. Whenever you asked Campbell or special teams coordinator Dave Fipp about Martin, they praised his daily playmaking on special teams. Martin also proved to be a solid receiving option when the Lions went his way in the preseason. From relative unknown to a roster spot, Martin is one of the better stories we’ve seen this camp.• Though you expected the Lions to keep Skyler Gill-Howard as a draft pick, the fact he earned his spot makes it all the more satisfying for him and his family. Gill-Howard was one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the preseason, constantly blowing up double teams and winning with an explosive first step and burst. Though he’s far from a complete player and will need continued patience against the run, Gill-Howard’s profile as a three-tech with pass-rush juice in the interior will get him on the field in certain packages. That’ll play.• And how about Ahmed Hassanein? You won’t find a player more appreciative of being in this league than Hassanein. He wants nothing more than to be a factor for this defensive line, and after an excellent training camp, Hassanein made the initial roster, after being waived injured around this time last season. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in.Eric O’Neill hits Bengals QB Joe Burrow just as he releases the ball during the Detroit-Cincinnati preseason game. (Katie Stratman / Imagn Images)Remaining questions and final thoughtsThere are 23 offensive players compared with 27 defensive. Some of those spots, such as WR, feel light. Five running backs feels a bit heavy. Will the offensive/defensive split get evened out over the next few days? Certainly possible. It’ll be fascinating to see which releases were a product of roster management more than anything, paving the way for a quick return in some fashion. You see it often with veterans.Will any of Detroit’s waived players the team hopes will sneak through to the practice squad be claimed? It didn’t happen last year. Will we see the Lions make a claim or two this year and continue to tweak the roster after cutdown day? The Lions kept 53 instead of last year’s 50, so there’s less room to work with, but it they can’t rule it out. The Lions added Tyler Lacy, Tyrus Wheat and Daniel Thomas last year.As for weak spots, is the combination of Devin White and Malcolm Rodriguez enough to replace Alex Anzalone at linebacker? Is Juice Scruggs capable of holding down the fort at center until Cade Mays returns? Is Blake Miller ready for his close-up? Do the Lions have enough at safety to bridge the gap to the returns of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph? Will Branch and Joseph look like Branch and Joseph? What if they don’t?In the end, this roster features top-10 players at various positions across the board. Quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, tackle, edge, linebacker, etc., but as we saw last year, the top players can only carry this roster so far. The Lions will need contributions (and better health) from the top down to get where they want to go.Will this roster offer it?Lions’ initial 53-man rosterQuarterbacks (2)Starter: Jared GoffReserve: Joshua DobbsWaived: Luke AltmyerRunning backs (5)Starter: Jahmyr GibbsReserves: Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors, Jabari SmallReleased: Trayveon WilliamsWaived: Roydell WilliamsWide receivers (4)Starters: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaaReserves: Tay MartinReserve/Injured: Kendrick LawReleased: Greg Dortch, Tom KennedyWaived: Dominic Lovett, Tarik Black, Malik Cunningham, Lucky JacksonTight ends (3)Starter: Sam LaPortaReserves: Brock Wright, Jackson MeeksReleased: Tyler ConklinWaived: Thomas Gordon, Zach HortonOffensive line (9)Starters (right to left): Blake Miller, Tate Ratledge, Juice Scruggs, Christian Mahogany, Penei SewellReserves: Ben Bartch, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, Seth McLaughlinIR to return: Cade MaysNFI: Giovanni ManuWaived injured: Michael NieseWaived: Mason Miller, Melvin Priestly, Devin Cochran, Colby Sorsdal, Gus HartwigDefensive line (11)Starters: Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, Alim McNeill, DJ WonnumReserves: Tyler Lacy, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein, Levi Onwuzurike, Skyler Gill-Howard, Mekhi Wingo, Eric O’NeillReserve/Injured: Payton TurnerWaived: Anthony Lucas, Tyre West, Chris SmithReleased: Ben Stille, Myles AdamsLinebacker (6)Starters: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin WhiteReserves: Malcolm Rodriguez, Trevor Nowaske, Jimmy RolderReserve/Injured: Damone ClarkWaived: Erick HunterReleased: Joe Bachie, Troy Reeder, Amen OgbongbemigaDefensive backs (10)Starters: D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary (nickel), Chuck Clark, Avonte MaddoxReserves: Christian Izien, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Keith Abney II (nickel), Khalil Dorsey, Thomas HarperWaived: Nick Whiteside, Aamaris Brown, Ryan Cooper Jr., Ekow Boye-Doe, Eric Scott Jr., Jason Taylor II, Dan JacksonSpecialists (3)Starters: Jack Fox (P), Jake Bates (K), Hogan Hatten (LS)