{"id":813657,"date":"2026-08-14T19:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/813657\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T19:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:00:11","slug":"detroit-lions-stock-report-risers-fallers-at-every-position-vs-bengals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/813657\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Lions stock report: Risers, fallers at every position vs. Bengals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Lions\u2019 first preseason game of the 2026 season<\/a> is in the books, and it\u2019s time to check in on the players who helped or hurt their stock against the Cincinnati Bengals.<\/p>\n

The Lions rested 32 players (including 18 starters) along with another three on injury lists (PUP\/NFI).<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a quick look at the roster with our game-day depth chart<\/a>, noting that the players without a position color did not play in this game. Additionally, if a player\u2019s name is written in red, they came into the game injured; if they were injured during the game, their name is boxed in black.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Stock up: Luke AltmyerStock neutral: Josh DobbsDid not play: Jared Goff\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t watch the game and only looked at the box score, you\u2019d be pretty underwhelmed by the Lions quarterbacks\u2019 performances, but of course, stats don\u2019t tell the whole story.<\/p>\n

Altmyer got the start and played roughly two-thirds of offensive snaps<\/a>, and while his numbers show below-average plays, the moment never looked too big for him. Yes, he made mistakes you\u2019d expect from an undrafted rookie, but he was efficient from a communications standpoint, stayed poised in the pocket, and trusted his teammates\u2014even after being let down on previous plays.<\/p>\n

You can also give Altmyer a bit of grace on his turnovers, as the first interception bounced off Issac TeSlaa to a defender, the second pick was a result of him forcing the issue late in the game trying to make a play (though he did sail the ball too high), and the fumble was due to a wet ball on the handoff. Those are errors he\u2019ll need to overcome if he wants to make the 53-man roster, but as coach Dan Campbell pointed out after the game, they also present learning opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Luke did a really good job for a young guy,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cI\u2019ve got to be careful; I don\u2019t want to give him too much sugar and tea time. But what you see in practice\u2014the composure, not too big for him, the accuracy, those deep balls\u2014he\u2019s got a touch about them. I felt like he showed up. The mistakes that he did make, they\u2019re great. You have to have those to learn from, in any position, but especially his. I felt like it was a good debut for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stock up: Jacob Saylors, Raheem BlackshearStock down: Kye RobichauxDid not play: Jahmyr GibbsInjury: Isiah Pacheco (MCL sprain), Sione Vaki (nose\/eye), Jabari Small (undisclosed)\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the battle for RB4, Saylors took a massive step forward on Thursday night, leading the team in rushing attempts, yards, average yards per carry, receptions, and receiving yards. He got involved in the offense in a variety of ways, was decisive as a runner, looked shifty in his movement, and produced results on different routes. A very complete game overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was probably our most potent player on offense, Campbell said of Saylors post-game. \u201dHe made a lot of plays for us. He\u2019s a steady workhorse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blackshear showed some promise that is worth investing in\u2014including a sweet 24-yard run\u2014while Robichaux continues to look strong as a downhill runner, but doesn\u2019t offer much beyond that.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Dominic Lovett, Tay Martin, Tarik BlackStock neutral: Greg Dortch, Cedrick Wilson, Lucky JacksonStock down: Isaac TeSlaa, Tom Kennedy, Malik CunninghamDid not play: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson WilliamsInjury: None<\/p>\n

While Campbell continues to hype the receiving room, I feel like I am continually left wanting more. Maybe I\u2019m spoiled by getting to watch Amon-Ra and Jamo so often, but there\u2019s room to grow for everyone who played on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

TeSlaa\u2019s rough preseason continued against the Bengals. He was targeted three times, failed to catch a pass, and one bounced off his helmet, deflected in the air, and led to an interception. Campbell insists that he isn\u2019t worried and that TeSlaa will \u201cbe fine,\u201d but he needs to start stacking wins soon if he hopes to be involved in the offense early in the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember what those days were like. You want everything to come early; you can come into your second season and place a lot of pressure on yourself. You want to be great. Just stay the course,\u201d Campbell empathized after the game.<\/p>\n

In the race for WR5, Dominic Lovett and Tay Martin got the first (and most) opportunities on the field amongst the reserves, but it was Lovett who took a bigger step forward. While Martin hauled in his only target for 14 yards, Lovett was targeted eight times (catching three for 28 yards), illustrating his ability to get open quickly in his routes.<\/p>\n

Veterans Tom Kennedy and Malik Cunningham each had one reception, but both look like they may be falling behind in the competition for a roster spot.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Jackson MeeksStock neutral: Tyler ConklinStock down: Thomas Gordon, Zach HortonDid not play: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright<\/p>\n

Conklin and Meeks got the start, with the veteran securing two receptions and the WR-convert producing a 17-yard reception, picking up 16 of those yards after the catch. Meeks was believed to be in a competition with Thomas for a TE4 role, but Meeks was clearly favored by the coaching staff in this game and looks to be ahead.<\/p>\n

Stock up: RT Blake Miller*, LT Larry BoromStock neutral: LG Christian Mahogany, C Michael Niese, LG Melvin Priestly*, RG Mason Miller, RT Colby SorsdalStock down: C Seth McLaughlin, RG\/LT Miles FrazierDid not play: Penei Sewell, Tate RatledgeInjury: Cade Mays (wrist), Juice Scruggs (soft tissue), Ben Bartch (undisclosed), Devin Cochran (undisclosed), Giovanni Manu (NFI)<\/p>\n

Offensive line is the hardest group to evaluate during a live game\u2014which is why the second unit almost all landed in the \u201cneutral\u201d group\u2014but the main takeaway I had from watching this game was that most of the Bengals\u2019 pressure was generated up the middle and not on the edges, a good sign for Miller and Borom.<\/p>\n

Frazier landed in my stock down section because of three holding penalties in the first half while playing right guard, but I considered moving him out of this section after he looked solid at left tackle in the second half. McLaughlin also landed in the down section after an up-and-down performance and what I saw as a few communication issues, but he flashed<\/a> some good reps<\/a> that point to potential improvement over the next two weeks\/games. It also didn\u2019t help that Niese, his depth competition, looked solid with the second team.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Skyler Gill-Howard*, Chris SmithStock neutral: Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo (injured<\/a>)Stock down: Myles Adams, Ben Stille, Tyre West*Did not play: Alim McNeill, Tyleik WilliamsInjury:<\/p>\n

One of the big winners of the night was rookie Gill-Howard, who continues to ascend up the depth chart. While he is currently repping third or fourth at the 3-technique, he is getting mixed in with the second team and making plays when given the opportunity. On the night, he had two of the defense\u2019s top-5 plays, both drive-ending plays: generating a pressure on fourth down that resulted in intentional grounding, and running down QB Josh Johnson on third down to stop him short of the sticks. He also added in a pressure\/QB hit for good measure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching Skyler (Gill-Howard) get to the quarterback there, it was a critical fourth down to get the offense the ball. That takes a tremendous amount of effort, but that\u2019s what is expected; that was awesome,\u201d Campbell said post-game.<\/p>\n

Fellow rookie, West, saw just four snaps in the game and has a lot of work to do to get in reach of a roster spot.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Ahmed Hassanein, Anthony Lucas*, Eric O\u2019Neill*Stock neutral: Tyler LacyDid not play: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ WonnumInjury: Derrick Moore* (groin), Payton Turner (back)<\/p>\n

The no-doubt, biggest winner of this preseason game was Hassanein, who Campbell called \u201cdisruptive\u201d in his post-game presser, and that somehow seems to undersell the edge rusher\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

The first play Hassanein stepped on the field resulted in him beating the Bengals\u2019 starting offensive line with a dip\/effort move inside and sacking quarterback Joe Burrow<\/a>. He followed that up with another quarterback hit in the next series, and then got another sack later in the game which resulted in a fumble.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the way Ahmed (Hassanein) played, the things he\u2019s able to do, you felt like it would translate, certainly with this preseason. It was good to see; it was maximum effort. He\u2019s been disruptive, and he\u2019s going to learn from this,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n

Lucas and O\u2019Neill had impressive NFL debuts, flashing against the Bengals second team and showing more athleticism than anticipated. There are traits worth developing here.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Devin White, Trevor NowaskeStock neutral: Erick Hunter, Amen OgbongbenigaStock down: Joe Bachie, Troy ReederDid not play: Jack Campbell, Derrick BarnesInjury: Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder* (hamstring), Damone Clark<\/p>\n

With the starters resting, White and Nowaske got the start, with White operating at the WILL and Nowaske opening as the MIKE, later shifting to SAM in base formations. Both look like they are on the right side of the roster bubble and are the leading candidates for the LB4 and LB5 roles. Additionally, while neither played special teams in this game, I see that as a positive sign that they know what they have in these two and gave those reps to players fighting for a spot.<\/p>\n

Among the veterans, Bachie is ahead of Reeder, but neither did anything to separate them from the rest of the pack, despite both showing well in training camp practices.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Nick Whiteside, Keith Abney*Stock neutral: Roger McCreary, Khalil Dorsey, Ryan CooperStock down: Ennis Rakestraw (injured<\/a>)Did not play: Rock Ya-SinInjury: D.J. Reed (groin)<\/p>\n

Whiteside and Abney each made impact plays and showed real promise to be able to contribute as they continue to develop. Whiteside showed good recovery skills to force a pass breakup after he was beat, while Abney also got a PBU and tracked down a fumble recovery in the first half.<\/p>\n

Rakestraw continues to leave you wanting more. Not only was he injured and forced from the game early\u2014he\u2019ll reportedly be ok<\/a>\u2014but he gave up multiple receptions. He did have a nice pass breakup, working through the arms of the receiver, but it may have been the only positive play that stood out in this game for him.<\/p>\n

McCreary was first up to replace Rakestraw after his injury, but he quickly gave way to Dorsey and played well into the fourth quarter. It looked like an up-and-down performance to me, though it\u2019s worth noting that he did get praised by Campbell after the game.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Thomas HarperStock neutral: Chuck Clark, Christian Izien (NB)Stock down: Loren Strickland (injured<\/a>), Aamaris Brown*, Dan JacksonDid not play: Avonte MaddoxInjury: Brian Branch (PUP), Kerby Joseph (PUP)<\/p>\n

Harper looked very solid at safety in this game, starting at one spot opposite Clark\u2014who only got his feet wet in this game\u2014then shifting between the safety spots when playing with the reserves. Izien saw limited snaps at nickel (starter) and safety (reserve) in this game as he continues to get mixed in all over the field.<\/p>\n

Strickland looked overaggressive at times and eventually exited with an injury, while Brown was injured and returned, but he failed to stand out. Jackson was the last safety on the field, but did end up getting quite a bit of snaps as he replaced Strickland.<\/p>\n

Stock up: Jack Fox, Jake Bates, Hogan Hatten<\/p>\n

Bates successfully kicked from 46\u2014which was nullified by a penalty\u201441, and 52 yards, as this trio looked sharp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Detroit Lions\u2019 first preseason game of the 2026 season is in the books, and it\u2019s time to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":813658,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[2131,39966,349,99],"class_list":["post-813657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-detroit-lions-analysis","tag-detroit-lions-preseason","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=813657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/813658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=813657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=813657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=813657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}