Projecting which players will and will not make the Detroit Lions’ roster is a fool’s errand in July, but that doesn’t mean we cannot think about it—on an unrelated note, stay tuned for the annual Pride of Detroit Bubble Watch in a few weeks!
Until training camp and preseason roll around, all we have to speculate with are a few weeks of OTAs and minicamp and a roster list. That small amount of information can still lead to us crowning winners from the early summer, but a figurative gold star only
goes so far. The Lions have a fair number of starters locked in. They also have multiple depth pieces in place. What they really need is for the remainder of the roster to separate itself. Is there a player that could sneak their way onto the roster come September?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which player is a sleeper to make the Detroit Lions roster?
My answer: Nick Whiteside.
A month ago, I would have told you that the cornerback room was set. Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed were starters outside, Roger McCreary was the option option at nickel, while Ennis Rakestraw, Rock Ya-Sin, Keith Abney, and Khalil Dorsey (as a special teams ace) rounded out the group—seven players deep.
The release of Arnold has a significant ripple up and down the depth chart, one that could benefit a roster bubble player like Whiteside.
The Lions’ depth chart at outside corner is fairly thin. In theory, Whiteside could win a starting role across from Reed, though that spot will almost certainly go to Ya-Sin or Rakestraw. However, there is suddenly room for Whiteside on the roster as a reserve. Rakestraw has battled injuries in his first two seasons, so much so that Whiteside actually has more regular season snaps with the Lions than Rakestraw. Rakestraw may have pedigree compared to Whiteside, but neither player has a high level of trust in this defense right now. A strong training camp and preseason from Whiteside could vault him into a roster spot as a backup.
Assuming Reed, Ya-Sin, and Rakestraw make the roster, that is only three outside cornerbacks. In 2025, the Lions went thin at that position and it wound up costing them. When injuries to Arnold and Reed arose, Amik Robertson was forced to play outside while Ya-Sin had to step in as a starter—the Lions never found consistency at cornerback.
The injuries were so bad that at one point, Whiteside was forced to step into a significant role against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. Surprisingly enough, this wound up being a stellar outing for Whiteside, who finished the week as the Lions’ highest-graded defender by PFF. Despite that performance, he was shuffled between the practice squad and active roster throughout the season, never playing more than a smattering of snaps. That could change in 2026—not only is there a role for Whiteside to win, but he has a legitimate shot as well.
It is also worth remembering that Dorsey is himself on the roster bubble despite his proven value as a gunner on the team. As a player with limited experience on defense, let alone good experience on defense, his spot is far from safe given the multiple special teamers in contention—fallout of the Kendrick Law injury could result in a roster spot for Cedrick Wilson and/or Dominic Lovett, two receivers that can play gunner.
Whiteside still has a long journey towards making the active roster come September, but for arguably the first time in his NFL career, he has more than a slim chance.
