One of the most somber days on the NFL calandar took place on Sunday, as all teams around the league trimmed their roster from as many as 91 players down to 53 players.The Detroit Lions were obviously among the teams trimming down, and the nervous wait for fans took longer than most, with the team not publicly releasing the list until shortly before 9 p.m. EST, which was three hours past the deadline.The roster featured a great number of surprises, from five running backs to four wide receivers making the final cut, to an undrafted free agent now making it in all but one season of the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime.Here is a list of the biggest Lions winners and losers, after the NFL initial roster cuts were made. WinnersEDGE Eric O’NeillO’Neill was, by far, the most pleasant surprise of players making the 53-man roster. The rookie from Rutgers had a strong camp and preseason, with multiple pressures in every game, including single handedly affecting the final three downs of a Washington drive where the Commanders looked for a go-ahead score.The UDFA was viewed as a potential cut that would make the Lions sick by most pundits, as his motor and splash play ability was evident since he stepped foot in Allen Park. Ultimately, the Lions elected to retain his services and continue to develop the former Long Island transfer.QB Joshua DobbsDobbs was in a battle with rookie Luke Altmyer for the backup quarterback role behind Jared Goff, and the veteran had a late start to camp, as he was only signed after Teddy Bridgewater elected to hang up his cleats days before the preseason opener.Dobbs showcased his athleticism and ability to lead scoring drives in the last two preseason games, including multiple touchdown drives of over 70 yards in the preseason finale and a 50-yard touchdown run against Washington.In the end, the staff decided that Dobbs won the battle for QB2.DT Mekhi WingoWingo was viewed as a player that was borderline, with a general consensus that it was likely the LSU product was on the outside looking in. However, the former All-American had a strong enough camp to earn a spot on the roster over Ben Stille and Myles Adams, each of whom had strong plays as the preseason wound down.His role on this team is still a major question, as rookie Skyler Gill-Howard was arguably the most impactful defensive lineman of the Lions’ preseason. However, for now, it is a big win for the former 6th-round pick to make the team.TE Jackson MeeksMeeks was a player that trended up as the preseason progressed, but few could have seen Meeks outright winning the third tight end spot over Tyler Conklin. The converted receiver has the athleticism advantage over Conklin and the rest of his competition, and it is a massive show of confidence by the staff to believe his blocking will progress enough to outweigh Conklin’s proven reliability.One other factor in Meeks’ favor was his special teams play, with a punchout on kickoff coverage during the contest against Washington.LB Jimmy RolderNormally, a fourth-round selection making the team in his rookie year is a given. However, the reason that Rolder is highlighted is that the Michigan man is avoiding a stint to injured reserve, which would cost him the first four weeks (and games) of the year.Rolder suffered an injury as camp got underway, leading to the signing of Devin White. Michigan’s leading tackler from 2025 said he was returning to practice in about a week during a radio appearance on August 18.C Seth McLaughlinMcLaughlin made the initial roster after being thrust into the starting role after Cade Mays was injured during training camp. However, it was not smooth sailing for the former Rimington Award winner, as McLaughlin was replaced by Juice Scruggs on the depth chart before the second week of the preseason.Additionally, McLaughlin missed time during the preseason finale with a concussion, but ultimately made the roster.RB Jabari SmallThe biggest surprise of the first official 2026 Detroit Lions roster is Small. Small had signed with Detroit during the offseason, but missed most of the second preseason game after a concussion.However, Small had done enough in camp to earn the unprecedented fifth running back spot alongside Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Jacob Saylors, and Sione Vaki. Some detractors could say he is a placeholder as the Lions work roster magic to bring back a cut player or a waiver claim, but a counter to that would be that the 2025 first roster was only 50 players instead of the maximum 53.LosersQB Luke AltmyerAltmyer lost out on the backup quarterback battle after a shaky preseason, with multiple bad turnovers in the final two games. While Altmyer did see two of his interceptions as a direct result of wide receiver mistakes, a usual rookie mistake of holding onto the ball too long led to a fumble in the preseason finale.The good news for Altmyer is that he is likely to stay in Detroit on the practice squad. WR Greg DortchDortch was the most surprising cut, as his familiarity with Drew Petzing seemed to guarantee the pass catcher a roster spot. Instead, he was one of the first leaked cuts of the day.For Dortch, it is very likely that he could be remaining with Detroit, as he does not have to clear waivers, and there are only four receivers on the Motown roster currently.TE Tyler ConklinConklin was another surprising cut, as the Central Michigan product had been viewed as tight end three all of camp. Instead, Jackson Meeks had earned the spot over the longtime NFL veteran.When pinpointing a moment that may have led to his cut, a missed block leading to an Altmyer sack in the second preseason game looms large.CB Nick WhitesideWhiteside had a strong start to camp, but preseason action was where that momentum came to a halt for the Saginaw Valley State product. Multiple blown coverages, including on a deep route against Washington, ultimately came back to bite Whiteside and lead to a roster cut.LB Joe BachieBachie was a player that had plenty of run during the final preseason game, and was viewed as a bubble player during the final week before cuts. Ultimately, his game film was not enough to warrant keeping the Michigan State product in his home state for now.The multi-time All-Big Ten selection ultimately lost out on a spot when Devin White was signed, along with the team deciding Rolder did not need a stint on injured reserve.S Dan JacksonSince Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes took the reins in Detroit, every single draft pick has seen the field wearing the Honolulu Blue in a regular season game. With Jackson being waived, that impressive streak may finally be over.Jackson did not do enough to warrant a roster spot on a team that was already seeing their top two safeties on the Physically Unable to Perform list, along with keeping four safeties on the roster at cuts.DL Tyre WestAny time a draft selection fails to crack the 53-man roster, it is viewed as a disappointment. West failed to do enough to stand out during camp and preseason, and ultimately missed out on making the team.In defense of West, in the era of the transfer portal, the bottom three rounds of the draft were viewed among the weakest in recent memory. Around the NFL, the Denver Broncos cut three of their day three selections, including a fifth-round pick.Additionally, West is viewed as a strong candidate to earn a spot on the 2026 practice squad. OL Colby Sorsdal It seemed the former fifth-round pick never had a clear position during his stint in Detroit. An injury last season significantly derailed his development. After returning this year, Sorsdal struggled all throughout training camp and th preseason. It would be surprising if the team brought him back on the practice squad. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow