DETROIT -- Dan Campbell said there is a significant opportunity for players on the bubble to leave their mark, and that opportunity has arrived.
The Detroit Lions will close out the preseason against the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field. Let’s run through seven players on the roster bubble worth paying extra attention to:
QB Hendon Hooker
If it were up to me (it’s not), I would play Hendon Hooker all four quarters on Saturday. Kyle Allen has QB2 locked up, and the Lions know who he is, while Hooker needs more reps. There is an opportunity to give him the first four-quarter game-like experience since the 2022 season at Tennessee.
Hooker has had fleeting bright moments in the preseason. He has arm talent, but ball security issues and pocket presence are holding him back. With defensive depth needed and a pair of rookie wide receivers popping, Hooker being QB3 is a tough pill to swallow in terms of roster flexibility.
“So I would say that right now, if you’re saying – if you had to go in with the (no.) two right now, ‘Who would you trust more?’“ Lions coach Dan Campbell said after last week’s preseason game. ”Yeah, I would trust Kyle more because he’s proven more after these two games. But I’m still -- we’re still going to coach Hooker up. We’re still going to see what’s there and see if we can get him better. I mean, we still got a little bit here.”
The discussion on whether to keep Hooker or to let him loose for another opportunity was a main talking point on this week’s Dungeon of Doom podcast:
DT Brodric Martin
Brodric Martin has quietly been pointing in the right direction as camp and the preseason come to a close. Martin’s 26.3% pass-rush win rate is fourth among defensive tackles in the preseason. The 2023 third-round pick could also benefit from some of the defensive linemen still working back from injuries.
Martin has posted pressure in back-to-back preseason games, and his 90.7 pass-rushing grade is first among defensive tackles in the preseason. He’s continued to rep deep on the depth chart in Allen Park. But with another strong showing, the former third-round pick could sneak onto the roster. It seemed like a far-fetched idea a couple of weeks ago, but a window remains cracked for Martin if he wants it.
DB Erick Hallett II
Erick Hallett II has done everything he can to win a roster spot. His versatility between cornerback, nickelback and safety would pair well with veteran depth pieces Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox.
Hallett was very active in last week’s preseason game, notching three tackles and knocking down three passes while playing all over the field. His versatility has put him ahead of the likes of Nick Whiteside at cornerback. It could even alter the thinking at the safety position with so much versatility between him, Ya-Sin and Maddox.
EDGE defenders Isaac Ukwu and Nate Lynn
Notice Keith Cooper Jr.’s name is not on this list. I thought the undrafted rookie was already on the right side of the bubble, and then coach Dan Campbell said Josh Paschal might not make it back when they first expected. Cooper fills some of that inside-outside defensive depth Paschal brings.
Isaac Ukwu has looked like a mighty pass rusher against preseason competition. His one-arm pass-rushing move is truly impressive, and he’s someone who has spent the last year working in Allen Park. Perhaps he’s a candidate for the practice squad. But Ukwu has again put himself in the discussion.
Nate Lynn is right there, too. It’s gotten to the point with Lynn’s improvement that losing him would be a bummer, because he has taken “rookie season part two” and run with it. Lynn went down with a season-ending injury in last year’s preseason, meaning he didn’t get to practice or do anything all year long. He’s come back with a vengeance this year, though.
Lynn has seven pressures and a sack in three preseason appearances, and has had two run stops while looking like an active, untapped edge defender. The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad as their top three edge rushers. With Paschal still working back and Ahmed Hassanien injured with an uncertain timeline, they need more depth, and they need it now.
“ ... to see him kind of take another step here and grow and get a little bit better, it is good,” Campbell said of Lynn. “He’s -- like I said, he’s having a pretty good camp. Cooper’s having a pretty good camp. We’ve got a few guys in there that they’re turning our heads.”
WRs Jackson Meeks and Dominic Lovett
Jackson Meeks and Dominic Lovett are a tough discussion based on what they could be for this team. Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond are entering contract years, and Meeks and Lovett could be part of the long-term plan.
It’s just that things are so tight on the roster bubble, with more pressing needs elsewhere.
With the Lions likely keeping three quarterbacks and needing depth for the defensive line and edge rusher room, keeping six receivers is going to be tough, while holding seven feels out of the question.
Meeks has done everything he could possibly do to make this roster. He quickly signed as an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse and hit the ground running. Outside of Isaac TeSlaa, the 6-foot-2 wide receiver has been the standout player of the preseason. Meeks has scored in back-to-back games, including a big showing last week with seven catches for 93 yards and one touchdown.
Lovett, the team’s final seventh-round pick in April’s draft, missed some time with an abdominal injury. But he’s continued to look like the better option for special teams when compared to Meeks. And Lovett has some natural ability at wide receiver, no doubt.
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