The Detroit Lions made many transactions on Sunday, reaching the 53-man limit of their active roster as the regular season approaches.General manager Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell made moves throughout Sunday, though the moves weren't officially announced until late in the evening after the deadline had already passed. Here are the four biggest surprise additions and cuts from the Lions' first 53-man roster of the 2026 season.AdditionsEDGE Eric O'NeillO'Neill came on strong late in camp, with good showings in the preseason and a pick-six in a scrimmage later in the process. He'll likely be exclusive to special teams early in the year, as the team has good depth at this position.The Rutgers product is the latest in a long line of undrafted free agents to make the initial roster with Holmes and Campbell at the helm. He could also have the versatility to slide inside and play some on the interior.WR Tay MartinThe Lions elected to keep just four wide receivers to start the year, and Martin joined Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Martin is a player who stood out in the eyes of special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, and as a result likely has a role to begin the year.Martin played this spring playing for the Columbus Aviators, and at age 28 has appeared in just seven games since 2022. However, he has the chance to be a contributor both on special teams and on offense with the way the roster is currently constructed.RB Jabari SmallDetroit went deep at running back this year, keeping five at the position to start the year. Small is in the room along with Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors. When healthy, Small was having a good camp, but entered concussion protocol after the team's second preseason game.Small could have some special teams upside for the Lions, which is always an appealing quality. Additionally, he has shown the ability to get tough yards in a pinch, and with Pacheco's status for the opener uncertain he could provide some depth in the short-term.C Seth McLaughlinEarly in training camp, McLaughlin didn't appear to be in the running for a spot. However, an injury to Cade Mays opened up an opportunity to compete for the center spot, and McLaughlin showed enough to stay in the race to begin the regular season.Juice Scruggs' veteran pedigree gives him a leg up in the competition, and McLaughlin missed the final preseason game, but ultimately the team valued the Ohio State product enough to keep him through the process and give him an opportunity to compete for the job to begin the regular season.CutsWR Greg DortchDortch has been solid throughout camp, and looked poised to challenged Isaac TeSlaa for the third receiver spot during the process. Additionally, he has return upside and looked to be a solid replacement for the departed Kalif Raymond.However, it was not to be as the Lions are moving forward with four receivers. Dortch was released, and while the Lions would likely target him to return on the practice squad, he will have suitors elsewhere.It should be noted that the decision to cut both Dortch and Tom Kennedy comes as a surprise, as those two players looked to be the top options to return punts in Detroit.TE Tyler ConklinLike Dortch, Conklin is an experienced veteran who appeared primed to handle a depth role. However, things got off to a tough start as he suffered an injury in OTAs that forced him to miss the start of training camp.Conklin's slow start paired with the emergence of Jackson Meeks made the decision tough for the Lions. Ultimately Meeks, who made the switch from receiver in the offseason, did enough to take the third tight end job from Conklin and make the team.DL Chris SmithThe Lions have valued what Smith brings to the table for multiple years, as he has bounced between the active roster and practice squad and provided depth on the interior. Campbell went as far as to say Smith is undervalued during a training camp press conference.The Lions elected to keep Mekhi Wingo and Levi Onwuzurike, but Smith is on the outside looking in to begin the year. This could have to do with Smith being exclusively a nose tackle, while Wingo and Onwuzurike have some versatility.CB Nick WhitesideWhiteside had arguably the best start to training camp of any defensive back, and at one point looked to be close to a lock to make the team. However, his momentum cooled off in recent weeks and he wasn't able to clearly assert himself over other options.This development, paired with Roger McCreary improving after a shaky start, led to Whiteside not being included. He could certainly be a practice squad depth option as he was for Detroit last season.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow