3 surprise cuts the Lions could make during training camp, and what needs to happen to make them

The Detroit Lions will report to training camp next week, and from there, we'll wonder about what the 53-man roster could look like by the time camp is over at the end of August. Who is going to make this team? 

Today, we're going to talk about three players who might surprise everyone when they're cut ahead of the season. We're not just going to say these guys are gone; we're going to give reasons why it could happen and talk about what needs to happen in order for the Lions to feel comfortable moving on. Let's jump into it. 

Brock Wright

Wright has been the Lions' TE2 for a couple of years now, but that does not make him safe. The Lions spent a good amount of time this offseason looking at tight ends, and they have some options with some of the new guys on the roster. 

With Zach Horton, they have a guy who is probably the best run blocker on the team already, and is a strong pass blocker too. Not only can they use him as a blocking tight end, but they can also use him as a fullback. Kenny Yeboah brings a lot of what Wright can do to the table, and then Sahne Zylstra is a strong receiving tight end. 

At the end of the day, it's going to come down to how many tight ends the Lions want to keep and what they want to get out of each of them. Wright does have the upper hand of being the incumbent.

Kalif Raymond

Everybody loves Raymond, but right now, the Lions are going to be in a spot where they have to make some decisions on him. Raymond is kind of buried on the depth chart behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, and Tim Patrick. The Lions did not use him on offense a lot last year, and he mostly just handled returns. 

That could be enough to keep him around in 2025, but then there's rookie Dominic Lovett. The Lions drafted him to be a gunner and return man. If he comes in and shows that he's ready to take on those roles right now, that could push Raymond out. 

Similar to the tight end spot, how many receivers are the Lions going to carry? That's going to tell a lot. If it's five, then there's going to be an all-out battle for that fifth spot, and it's going to be all about what you can do on special teams. 

DJ Reader

The safest guy on this list, but not 100% safe. There has been some regression as of late, and we have to see if that was just a down year or if this is the way things are heading. 

Yes, the Lions don't have Alim McNeill till about November, but they do have Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Roy Lopez, Mekhi Wingo, and Pat O'Connor. They also have the wild cards like Myles Adams and Brodric Martin. 

A lot of those guys have the ability to be starters for this team, and then some of them have the potential to have a breakout summer. If all those things come together and Reader shows signs of regression, then the Lions could look at his release as a cost-cutting opportunity.