The Detroit Lions open the preseason on the road tonight in Cincinnati.
It's an opportunity for general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell to get their first look at some of their young players and depth pieces on a bigger stage under the bright lights. After 11 practices against each other to begin training camp, the Lions look forward to lining up and hitting someone else for a change.
"As a coach, man, you want to see some of these guys," Campbell said. "You've been coaching them on technique, fundamentals. How do they handle competition? How do they compete, do they use what they've been taught?
"You want to see the development, you're excited for some of these young guys. And then some of these rookies, young players, to have a chance to see where they've grown. Do they take what you're teaching them to the field? And then some of these veteran guys that are playing for a spot, to watch them go out and compete."
Here are five things to look out for in the preseason opener:
### **1\. ROOKIE DEBUTS**
Campbell said Tuesday he plans on playing first-round pick Blake Miller, who has played most of the first-team reps at right tackle to begin camp. The No. 17 overall pick has had some ups and downs, but that's the life of a rookie in their first training camp, especially when matching up against All-Pro edge rusher [Aidan Hutchinson](https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/aidan-hutchinson/).
"It's a dream come true just to be able play in an NFL game period," Miller said this week. "That game experience is invaluable. Just continue to hone my craft and get better at things. Become more situationally aware and situationally smart and ultimately lead to me being the best player I can be."
We likely won't see second-round pick Derrick Moore (groin) or fourth-round pick Jimmy Rolder (hamstring) as they continue rehabbing injuries, but cornerback Keith Abney II (fifth-round), defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard (sixth) and defensive lineman Tyre West (seventh) will make their NFL debuts.
"He's pretty smart, he's pretty headsy for a rookie," Campbell said of Abney's play so far in camp. "Nickel position's not the easiest, and that's where he's gotten a majority of his reps is in there. And what you like is he'll do exactly what you tell him to do. He's another one. Be excited to see how he plays."
Undrafted rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer will get the start with [Jared Goff](https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/jared-goff/) and most of the other starters not expected to play tonight. It's a great opportunity for Altmyer to show coaches he's very much in the backup quarterback competition with newly signed veteran Josh Dobbs, who is also expected to get some reps tonight.