DETROIT — The play of wide receiver Jackson Meeks is going to force the Detroit Lions to make a tough decision on cutdown day.
Meeks, an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse, had another dazzling performance in Detroit’s 24-17 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins at Ford Field on Saturday, catching seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s somebody that we feel like has improved every day, every week, so you’re always going to take notice of those guys,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He’s going to be somebody that we talk about tomorrow. He’s going to come up because he’s elevated his play and he is noticed.”
Meeks has led the Lions in receiving in two straight games. Against the Atlanta Falcons last week, he caught three passes for 78 yards and one touchdown, including a 68-yard reception on quarterback Kyle Allen’s first official pass attempt.
“I feel like I went out there and I made plays, but there’s still a lot of stuff I’ve got to clean up,” Meeks said after Saturday’s game. “Like, on that touchdown, I was short on my depth. There’s some … defenders I didn’t get to in the run game. It’s a lot of stuff I’ve got to clean up still, but I feel like I went out there and made the most of my opportunity.”
At this time last year he would’ve been a borderline lock to make the 53-man roster, which is set to be finalized at 4 p.m. on Aug. 26. But this is a much deeper receiver room in 2025, and with one of the roster spots assuredly going to fellow rookie Isaac TeSlaa, that means the best-case scenario for Meeks is that he’s either the No. 5 or 6 wide receiver on the depth chart, depending on whether veteran Tim Patrick can make his way back to the practice field soon.
Meeks is also in competition with rookie receiver Dominic Lovett, whom the Lions spent a seventh-round pick on in April’s draft. Meeks said he doesn’t concern himself with the reality of the climb he’s trying to make.
“I just control what I can control and go out there and play football,” Meeks said. “What I’ve been doing this whole time, what I’ve been doing my whole life, just going out there and playing football. People try to overthink the process, but regardless of what you do, the coaches, the GM, they’re gonna make the decision regardless.
“Being able to go out there and show who I am through my play, not through words, that’s the best thing I can do.”
Most of Meeks’ success has come with Allen under center, but he also caught four passes for 47 yards during a two-minute drill while working with Hendon Hooker at the end of the game. Hooker said Meeks (6-foot-2, 218 pounds) is “almost like a tight end at receiver.”
Allen added: “He’s a good player, man. He’s been great in practice, just the way he’s open in games, he’s just there. If the ball is coming his way, he usually can catch it, so I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”
Campbell ‘fired up’ about turnover effort
The Lions’ defense got their hands on the football on many occasions Saturday, but it only resulted in one turnover — a muffed punt recovered by Lovett.
But Campbell said he was “fired up” about the fact that the defense recorded 10 pass breakups and forced two other fumbles, both recovered by Miami.
“That was a point of emphasis this week was — man, getting balls on the ground, getting balls up. Now, we didn’t come up with them, but they’re hitting the turf and that — that’s how you do it … the ball will start bouncing our way,” Campbell said. “The hard part is getting them out.”
Added Campbell: “Theoretically, we could have had six turnovers today, that’s good. That’s a step in the right direction, so that was encouraging.”
Mr. Get-Us-Out-Of-Trouble
One of the most frequent disruptors against the Dolphins was defensive back Erick Hallett II, an ultra-versatile defender who recorded three pass breakups.
In a crowded defensive back room, most of the players who are lower on the depth chart have been asked to show some ability to move around. And while veterans like Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox have garnered a lot of attention this training camp, Hallett has been doing it at as high a level as anybody, which is going to give him a chance to make the 53-man roster.
“He’s a guy that can play all the positions,” Campbell said. “You need a corner, you need a nickel (cornerback), you need a safety, he can do them all. Mentally, he knows them all.
“Really, it’s about, ‘Well, what can the next guy do? Well, we know he can play this. OK, well, Hallett, you need to get over there then — you become safety or nickel.’ So, he’s kind of our get-us-out-of-trouble (guy) there.”
Originally Published: August 17, 2025 at 8:46 AM EDT