The Detroit Lions’ third preseason game of the 2025 season is in the books, and it’s time to check back in on the players who helped or hurt their stock against the Miami Dolphins.
Attendance
For injury or rest purposes, the Lions did not play 30 players in this preseason game of the 2025 season, with another six still sitting out due to being on an injury list (PUP/NFI).
Let’s take a quick look at an overview of the roster with our game day depth chart, noting that the players without a position color did not play in this game. Additionally, if a player’s name is written in red, they came into the game with an injury, but if they were injured in the game, their name is boxed in red.
Note: Players with an asterisk (*) are rookies
Quarterback
- Stock up: Kyle Allen (14 of 17 for 124 yards, 2 TDs, 136.3 RTG)
- Stock down: Hendon Hooker (6 of 13 for 61 yards, 1 INT, 28.0 RTG)
- Did not play: Jared Goff
It’s been building for two weeks now, but after this game, it should be obvious to everyone that Allen is the clear leader for the QB2 job.
“I would trust Kyle (Allen) more because he’s proven more after these two games,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of the battle for the QB2 role. “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.”
Allen’s last four quarters (and change) of preseason play have resulted in some impressive stats: 21 of 25 for 244 yards, four TDs, zero INT, and a 146.9 passer rating. He attributes his recent uptick in play to his ability to be consistent and his understanding of a playbook that gives him lots of positive options to choose from
“It’s a good offense, it’s a really complete offense. I feel like I have answers on every play,” Allen said post-game. “I know where to go with the ball versus any coverage, and I just feel confident that whatever play is called, that whatever they’re driving, I’m going to know what to get to.”
Hooker had a difficult task in front of him versus the Dolphins. He was playing with a makeshift offensive line that consisted of a left tackle dealing with injury (Giovanni Manu), a brand new left guard (Zack Johnson) and a right tackle (Gunner Britton), and his right guard (Mason Miller) was an undrafted rookie who had previously spent the majority of his time at tackle. As a result, he consistently dealt with a collapsing pocket and his decision making was rushed—which has been Hooker’s achilles heel.
At this stage of the competition, I’m not sure Hooker can overtake Allen. But that doesn’t mean Hooker has lost his opportunity—as Campbell mentioned earlier. His time is dwindling, but he still has an opportunity to convince coaches he’s worth keeping as a potential third quarterback option.
Running back
- Stock up: Sione Vaki
- Stock neutral: Craig Reynolds, Jacob Saylors, Deon Jackson
- Did not play: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery
Reynolds got the start and looked his typical self. He did have multiple big runs not count due to penalties, but he’s comfortably in the RB3 spot. Vaki was next up, and while he averaged an impressive 6.0 yards per carry, most of his damage came in the Lions’ two-minute offense, where his skill set really thrives. He still has some work to do before he can challenge Reynolds, but the upside is noticeable and his special teams work is in mid-season form.
On a punt coverage rep, Vaki explodes from his wing position and gets a free look at the returner. He squares up the ball carrier, and with textbook precision, forces a fumble that the Lions recover.
“Super important,” Vaki said of forcing a fumble on punt coverage. “That’s what we want to do. To cause turnovers, whether it be on special teams or defense. It was good to get the ball out today.”
As for Saylors and Jackson, they ran hard and flashed at times, but this running backs room is nearly impossible to crack, and they’re likely fighting for a spot on the practice squad.
Wide receiver
- Stock up: Isaac TeSlaa*, Jackson Meeks*
- Stock neutral: Dominic Lovett*, Ronnie Bell
- Stock down: Tom Kennedy, Jakobie Keeney-James*
- Did not play: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick (undisclosed), Kalif Raymond
- Injured: Malik Taylor (undisclosed)
Through three games, Meeks leads the Lions’ offensive production with 11 receptions (on 13 targets) for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow rookie TeSlaa is right behind him with eight receptions (11 targets) for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Another rookie, Lovett, lands third on the list, who, despite missing the Lions’ second preseason game, has seven receptions (on 12 targets) for 45 yards. All three have also contributed on special teams, mainly as gunners.
TeSlaa is a lock for the roster and is quickly earning the trust of coaches, which gives him a clear path to opportunities in the regular season.
“TeSlaa is just continuing to grow and get more comfortable,” Campbell said. “He’s getting more confident, and he’s making more plays. You know, I bring this up every time those happen, you gain trust in those players. […] We’re going to need to use him this year, he’s going to have to help us, on special teams and on offense, so that’s encouraging.”
Meeks has consistently improved throughout the preseason games, and the coaching staff has taken notice of this.
“He’s somebody that we feel like has improved every day, every week,” Campbell said of Meeks. “So, you’re always going to take notice of those guys. 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 and Lovett appear to be in competition for a WR6 role, but their contributions have been significant enough to make it an almost too close to call battle. Add in the fact both have clear paths to snaps in upcoming seasons, and it’s fair to contemplate if the Lions would consider keeping seven receivers on the depth chart.
Tight end
- Stock neutral: Shane Zylstra, Zach Horton*
- Stock down: Steven Stilianos, Gunnar Oakes
- Did not play: Sam LaPorta (undisclosed), Brock Wright
Not a lot is happening amongst the tight ends this week. For the first time this season, Zylstra was held out of the stat sheet, and Horton showed up with two catches for 15 yards. Both players end up in the stock neutral this week, because Zylstra offset his lack of production by showing the positional range to play fullback, while Horton’s production was offset by being flagged for a critical holding penalty on a Craig Reynolds explosive.
Stilianos was mainly used as a blocker and didn’t have any truly notable plays beyond a holding penalty. Oakes didn’t make an appearance on offense and was limited to just two special teams snaps.
Offensive line
- Stock up: Kingsley Eguakun, Netane Muti, Mason Miller*
- Stock Neutral: Dan Skipper, Kayode Awosika, Michael Niese, Gunner Britton
- Stock down: Jamarco Jones, Giovanni Manu, Zack Johnson
- Did not play: Taylor Decker, Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, Penei Sewell, Tate Ratledge*
- Injured: Miles Frazier* (Active/PUP), Trystan Colon (elbow)
It’s tough for offensive linemen to stand out during live viewings (except for negative reasons), but Eguakun showed really nice movement in the run game, while Muti showed the ability to recover after being beaten, and had a punishing look-for-work block on TeSlaa’s touchdown. It was a good game for a couple of players fighting for reserve roles.
Miller has had a rough camp, but it’s important to give him his flowers when he stands out for positive reasons. At guard, he seems to be playing with a bit more confidence and was firing off the ball. These types of plays will get him on the practice squad for more development.
Jones, Manu, and Johnson end up in the stock down category simply because they allowed obvious sacks combined with another negative trait, such as giving up multiple pressures or committing a penalty.
Defensive end
- Stock up: Al-Quadin Muhammad, Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu
- Stock down: Mitchell Agude
- Did not play: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport
- Injured: Josh Paschal (Active/NFI), Ahmad Hassanein
Muhammad has almost locked up a roster spot, yet he’s still playing with tremendous hustle. On a screen play that went away from his side of the line, Muhammad crashed from the opposite end position, needed to cross the entire field, and tracked the ball carrier 30+ yards downfield to make the solo tackle. Coaches love that tenacity.
Lynn continues to look sharp and will once again have the coaches considering him for a pass rushing specialist role. Ukwu was the only defender to secure a sack, and probably should’ve had a second, but it was called back due to a penalty. Ukwu isn’t going away.
The big news out of the edge group was the injury to Hassanein, who appeared to suffer an upper body injury that required trainers and an immediate exit to the locker room.
“Out of the (injuries) we had today, he might be the one that could be a little bit,” Campbell said of Hassanein. “So, we’ll know more in the morning.”
Defensive tackle
- Stock up: 4i/3T Keith Cooper*, Pat O’Connor
- Stock neutral: NT Chris Smith, 3T Myles Adams
- Stock down: NT Brodric Martin
- Did not play: DJ Reader, Roy Lopez, Tyleik Williams*
- Injured: Alim McNeill (Active/PUP), Mekhi Wingo (Active/PUP)
Cooper continues to start off games in the 4i role (the Lions like to start games in their base defense with the SAM), but he also took reps at the 3-technique, as well as nose tackle on third down passing plays. His positional range is expanding, his run stuffing is solid, and he’s surely making roster decisions harder for coaches.
O’Connor was able to get some game action in after only getting in one practice following a return from injury. That’s a big win for a player who could be feeling the heat from Cooper, as they have very similar positional range.
Martin has shown some flash as a pass rusher the last two games, but he’s still getting moved off his spot too easily as a run defender, and was twice flagged for a neutral zone infraction.
Linebacker
- Stock up: MIKE Zach Cunningham, WILL Grant Stuard, WILL Ezekiel Turner
- Stock neutral: SAM/MIKE Trevor Nowaske
- Stock down: MIKE Anthony Pittman, WILL DaRon Gilbert
- Did not play: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes
- Injured: Malcolm Rodriguez (Active/PUP)
Not much has changed at linebacker. Cunningham, Stuard, and Nowaske look like LBs 4, 5, and 6, but we are seeing a late push from Ezekiel Turner to jump into the mix. Turner led the team with nine tackles—more than double any other defender—and was a starter on multiple phases of special teams.
Cornerback
- Stock up: Erick Hallett, Nick Whiteside
- Stock neutral: D.J. Miller, Luq Barcoo
- Stock down: Tyson Russell, Allan George
- Did not play: D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold (hamstring), Amik Robertson
- Injured: Khalil Dorsey (Active/PUP)
Hallett and Whiteside got the start in this game, and if the Lions plan on keeping any of the six reserves that played in this game, they figure to be the corners with the best shots at a roster spot. Whiteside’s coverage has been sharp, and he had a textbook pass breakup (PBU) in the second half that illustrates his potential. Meanwhile, Hallett led the team with three PBUs and played on the outside, in the slot, and at safety—illustrating his value.
“He’s a guy that can play all the positions. So, you need a corner, you need a nickel, you need a safety; he can do them all,” Campbell said of Hallett. “Mentally, he knows them all. […] he’s kind of our get-us-out-of-trouble (guy).”
Miller and Barcoo each had two PBUs, while Russell and George each allowed touchdowns to be completed to their coverage responsibility.
Safety
- Stock up: Rock Ya-Sin, Ian Kennelly*
- Stock neutral: Avonte Maddox,
- Stock down: Loren Strickland
- Did not play: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph
- Injured: Morice Norris (concussion)
Ya-Sin and Kennelly got the start for the second consecutive preseason game, an honor that’s awarded to the safeties playing their best ball leading into the game.
“I just show up every day and put the work in, and that’s the coach’s call to put me out there first,” Kennelly told Pride of Detroit after the game. “But I would just say, showing up and putting the work in, and trying to make improvements each time I’m out there.”
Kennelly has gotten to a point in camp that he looks very comfortable with the defensive playbook and is cycling through all three safety spots (deep, two-high, and slot) with ease. And while his defensive production is being rewarded, Kennelly also knows his path to the roster will be what he does on special teams—where he is also starting in all four phases.
“That’s where I’m going to have to excel in order to make this football team,” Kennelly said. “So, that’s everything for me right now. They see me as a more physical guy, and I can run too, so I can be versatile out there. But I know, as a backup safety, I’m going to have to be a special teams guy, and I take pride in that.”
Versatility was a theme amongst the safeties this week, as Ya-Sin also spoke with Pride of Detroit about his desires to make himself more valuable by being position adaptable.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to be, is adaptable to whatever my team needs me to do,” Ya-Sin told Pride of Detroit after the game. “I want to be able to contribute on special teams, defense, corner, nickel, safety, whatever it is, just be adaptable.”
As Kennelly and Ya-Sin have started to separate themselves from the pack, Strickland needs to elevate his game if he hopes to make the roster again this season. Unfortunately, he was one of only two dressed Lions defenders (linebacker DaRon Gilbert) to not play a single snap in the first half.
Specialists
- Stock neutral: Jake Bates, Jack Fox, Hogan Hatten
No competition, no sweat. They’ve been solid, as expected.
