The Lions placed running backs Brian Calhoun and Aveion Cason on the injured reserve list and released 20 players to trim their roster to the NFL-mandated 53-man limit on Saturday.
The Lions will start the season with two running backs, rookie starter Kevin Smith and Tatum Bell, and four wide receivers.
The Lions kept 11 defensive linemen and four tight ends.
Seven of the nine players drafted this past April made the roster.
"Obviously, a lot of factors go into these decisions," coach Rod Marinelli said of keeping 11 linemen. "You have to keep your best 53 players. This gives us great depth along the defensive front. We believe there was too much of a risk to consider releasing some of the young linemen."
NFL teams can add eight players to their practice squad, starting at noon EDT on Sunday.
Marinelli said the cuts were tougher this year than in his previous two seasons as head coach.
"We like them," Marinelli said of the final group that was cut. "Maybe somebody else does. Who knows what everybody sees?
"There was some tough calls. Some of the receivers did a nice job for us. A couple of those blockers are pretty solid guys."
Wide receivers John Standeford, Brandon Middleton, Devale Ellis and Kenneth Moore, a fifth-round pick in April, were among the players released. There was believed to be a battle for a fifth wide receiver spot, but only starters Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson and backups Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey made the team.
With Cason out with an ankle injury, the Lions plan on using Furrey and McDonald for kickoff returns. Cason made 42 kickoff returns in 12 games last season for the Lions.
Middleton led the Lions with two receiving touchdowns and a 33.8 average on kickoff returns in the preseason. He had six catches for 116 yards and four kickoff returns for 135 yards.
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