The Detroit Lions play their first preseason game on Thursday against the New York Giants. The two teams have been holding joint practices and will now square off on the field to open the preseason.
The Lions recently released their first unofficial depth chart and there were several notable takeaways. Obviously, this depth chart is “unofficial” for a reason and nothing is set in stone.
At the same time, though, some players would appear to be in trouble based on that depth chart.
With the first preseason game on Thursday, players who have underperformed thus far have the perfect opportunity to right the ship. Let’s identify five players on the roster who need to have a strong showing against the Giants.
Lions who need to shine in preseason Week 1
K Jake Bates
Coming into camp, Jake Bates had all the momentum in Detroit. The former UFL standout inked a two-year deal with the Lions and was noted for his ability to hit long kicks. Things looked even better for Bates when veteran kicker Michael Badgley suffered a season-ending injury in July.
Unfortunately, Bates has not lived up to expectations thus far. The former Michigan Panther has consistently missed kicks and recently had a practice where he connected on just 8-of-15 field goal tries. If Bates misses a kick or two in the preseason opener, expect the Lions to quickly add a veteran kicker.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones,
Donovan Peoples-Jones appears to be quickly losing ground in the Lions’ wide receiver race. The former Cleveland Brown once appeared to be a shoo-in for a spot this season, but the receiver has failed to impress this summer.
On the first depth chart, Peoples-Jones is listed as a third-stringer behind the likes of Daurice Fountain, Tom Kennedy, and Antoine Green. Head coach Dan Campbell also said he expects more out of the veteran.
Peoples-Jones has previously been an effective returner, but he’s listed as a backup to Kalif Raymond there, as well.
The bottom of the wide receiver depth chart is far from set, but Fountain, Kennedy, and Green have been more impressive than Peoples-Jones so far. A solid performance against the Giants would help DPJ get back in the running.
QB Hendon Hooker
Hendon Hooker would seemingly have all of the advantages in the race for the Lions’ backup quarterback job. Hooker is a former third-round pick who excelled in college for the Tennessee Volunteers and has more potential than the veteran Nate Sudfeld.
Unfortunately for Hooker, injury kept him sidelined for his rookie season. This summer, Hooker is healthy, but he has failed to stand out for much of camp. Hooker has had flashes, but he’s been consistently inconsistent. As a result, Sudfeld is currently listed ahead of Hooker on the depth chart.
It’s unlikely the Lions would give up on Hooker already, but the team is making it clear he won’t be handed the job. One strong preseason performance is exactly what Hooker needs.
DT Brodric Martin
Brodric Martin, like Hooker, was a third-round pick in 2023. Also like Hooker, Martin has disappointed this summer and could be in danger of not securing a role.
Martin is listed as a third-stringer on the team’s first depth chart behind veteran newcomer Kyle Peko, who even saw reps with the first team instead of Martin recently.
However, Peko is a journeyman who’s never been special, so Martin is far from buried. A great start to the preseason would get Martin right back in the thick of things for a depth role.
Slot corner candidates
For the final selection, we’re going with three separate players instead of just one. With the news of Emmanuel Moseley’s injury, there is one less competitor for the slot corner job.
The candidates appear to be Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Amik Robertson, and Ifeatu Melifonwu. With Moseley’s injury and Brian Branch possibly being a full-time safety now, the job is wide open for someone to take over.
Rakestraw, who has seen reps in the slot, had a slow start this offseason as the Lions eased him in during the offseason program, but he has come on strong in camp had three interceptions in practices last week.
Dan Campbell has specifically pointed to Melifonwu as an option at the nickel, and Robertson has been getting reps there all offseason. Assuming they all play, one of these guys needs to have a big start to the preseason to vault themselves above the competition.
