In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2026 training camp preview series, we continue to explore the defensive side of the ball by examining the Lions’ linebackers, speculating on current and future roles, and discussing how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.
Previous training camp previews:
- Quarterback: Can Luke Altmyer force a QB3 role?
- Running back: How RB roles could shift in 2026
- Wide receiver: WR depth roles up for grabs
- Tight end: How many TEs will make the roster?
- Offensive tackle: Can Blake Miller win the starting RT job?
- Interior OL: How quickly will Cade Mays adapt to scheme?
- Defensive tackles: DT has upgraded starters, questionable depth
- Edge rushers: 4 big questions at the EDGE
Roster construction
Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have heavily leaned on their linebacker group to contribute on special teams, which is why they tend to keep a larger number of
linebackers than other teams. Six has previously been the magic number when speculating roster decisions.
Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at linebacker in the previous five seasons:
- 2021: Opened the season with five linebackers, using three on defense and two on special teams. Another special teamer was added mid-season, and they ended the year with six.
- 2022: The pattern of starting with five but ending with six was repeated.
- 2023: The Lions started the season with six this time around and finished with six once again.
- 2024: With the expansion of the SAM role, the Lions opened and closed the season with seven linebackers, while only keeping six active on most game days.
- 2025: The Lions opened with seven linebackers (while Trevor Nowaske was injured) but reduced to six in Week 3, where they stayed for the remainder of the season.
How a planned increase in nickel defense impacts the LB room
While the Lions have insisted that their core defensive principles are not changing in 2026, they have acknowledged there will be some tweaks, including utilizing more nickel sets. The Lions used more base sets (three linebackers on the field) than any team in the NFL in 2025, but a shift in personnel this offseason indicates that the Lions are indeed being truthful in planning on more subpackage sets (two or one linebacker).
Traditionally, the Lions have kept six linebackers on their roster, deploying three starters and keeping three primarily for special teams and specialized roles. As a result, the Lions enter training camp with 10-12 linebackers on their 90-man roster and allow them to compete for jobs; this season they’ll enter training camp with just eight.
In addition to entering training camp with two-thirds of the linebackers they normally do, there was a significant personnel change this offseason as well, as the Lions will be adjusting to the loss of starter Alex Anzalone, who departed for the Buccaneers in free agency. Anzalone was a captain and key cog in the Lions’ defense for the last five seasons, but a contract dispute and a shift to youth on the roster for salary purposes resulted in a split. Lastly, the Lions elected not to re-sign core special teamer Grant Stuard, LB7 Zach Cunningham, and practice squader Ezekiel Turner.
To account for the loss of Anzalone and others, the Lions re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske, signed veterans Damone Clark and Joe Bachie in free agency, then drafted Jimmy Rolder in the fourth round, and signed rookie UDFA Erick Hunter after the NFL Draft.
How much the Lions lean into subpackage vs. base packages will directly impact how they divvy up roles and which players fit each new role best.
The battleground
How will the use of more subpackages impact the starters?
Not only will a shift to more subpackage use mean fewer three-linebacker sets, but the basic roles of the starters will also adjust.
All-Pro Jack Campbell is entering his third season as the Lions MIKE linebacker, and for the most part, his role will only be tweaked slightly. In three linebacker sets, he’ll mostly set up directly in the middle of the defense, and will only shift his spot a few feet (from over the center to over the guard) in nickel subpackage looks. Of course, with Campbell’s range he’ll work from all over the field, but as a general rule, he’ll be in the center of the defense.
Derrick Barnes was the starting SAM linebacker last season, a role that asked him to line up outside the tackle box on most plays, giving him the option to defend the run, pursue from the backside, pass rush, or drop into coverage. In three linebacker sets, Barnes is expected to remain in this role.
In subpackages, when only two linebackers are on the field, Barnes is expected to shift to a WILL (INSIDE) linebacker role, which is very different than the role Anzalone played last season. In three-linebacker sets, a traditional WILL lines up outside the tackle box, but in two-linebacker sets, the position shifts INSIDE, lining up over the tackle/guard gap, allowing the nickel defender room to operate.
Here’s an example from Week 18 when Anzalone missed the game due to a concussion:
While Barnes is expected to shift roles depending on base/subpackage sets, the Lions will still need a LB3 to play a traditional WILL role when they deploy three linebackers.
Who is LB3 heading into training camp?
While Campbell and Barnes are expected to fill the primary two linebacker roles, the Lions still plan on deploying three-linebacker sets, and heading into training camp, the leading candidate for that role is Malcolm Rodriguez.
Rodriguez tore his ACL in 2024, and while he was able to return to action late last season, he still looked like he was re-acclimating to football. That being said, in Week 18 when Anzalone was unavailable, Rodriguez was elevated to an LB3 role and was on the field for 75% of defensive snaps.
With an offseason/training camp to prepare and an opportunity to step into a LB3 role, expectations are high that he can rejoin the Lions’ starting lineup in base packages. However, he will face competition…
What should Lions expect from rookie Jimmy Rolder?
The developmental upside for Rolder is exciting, but expectations for his rookie season should be tempered. Learning the Lions’ linebacker roles can be incredibly challenging for a young player—remember, even Campbell didn’t start as a rookie—and Rolder enters the fray with only one year of college starting experience. Fortunately, he comes from a system at Michigan that runs a Pro-Style defensive scheme (molded after the Ravens), but even then, there’s a large jump in information and competition.
Rolder should find the field immediately on special teams, could start the season as high as LB4 on the depth chart, and might even push Rodriguez for an LB3 role as he gains experience, but based on how the Lions typically bring their linebackers along, his impact on the defensive side of the ball may not come until 2027.
Will the Lions reduce to 5 LBs, or stick with 6?
After the top four linebackers, the Lions’ remaining four players will likely be battling it out for one or two remaining spots.
- Trevor Nowaske, based on his experience with the team, will likely enter training camp as LB4 and no lower than LB6. His skill set gives the Lions a backup to Barnes at the SAM, as well as depth at MIKE.
- Damone Clark could also fall into the LB4-6 range to start camp, and he should be in competition for WILL snaps and MIKE depth.
- Joe Bachie has six years of NFL experience, but he’s primarily been a special teamer. That being said, the Lions have kept special teams-only linebackers in the past, giving him a shot to stick.
- Rookie UDFA Erick Hunter rounds out the group, but his coverage skills could give him a chance to turn heads in training camp. It’s also worth noting that he earned $175,000 in guarantees, including a $25,000 signing bonus, the highest amount the Lions have ever given out to a UDFA.
There’s an argument to be made that with linebacker usage on defense being reduced, the Lions could, in turn, reduce their need to roster six. However, with the value the Lions put on special teams and the roles the linebackers play in the third-phase, continuing to keep six linebackers on the active roster also makes a lot of sense.
