The Detroit Lions will travel to Cincinnati on Thursday night to take on the Bengals in both teams’ first game of the 2026 preseason, and we’ve produced a few articles to help fans prepare for the contest, including How to Watch the Game, listings of the 90-man roster by number/name, and an updated look at the depth chart. Over the past two weeks, the Lions have held 11 training camp practices, and Pride of Detroit has been present at all of them, crediting as many as three writers on certain days. Through those observations, we’ve written a litany of articles, updating fans on the team’s progress. Coach Dan Campbell said they plan to rest many of their starters in this game, but several players will look to solidify their spots on the roster, while others look to prove they belong on an NFL roster. Here’s a look at 10 players who can improve their stock in this game. Following the sudden retirement of backup Teddy Bridgewater, Altmyer is in an excellent position to challenge for the QB2 role. The Lions signed veteran QB Josh Dobbs this week for added depth, but Altmyer is expected to get the majority of the reps in this game, which will give him a big advantage in the competition. Altmyer was targeted by the Lions as an undrafted free agent due to his experience and stylistic fit in a similar pro-style system, and he has played with confidence in training camp. While the Lions have historically relied on a veteran, such as Dobbs, in their backup role, Altmyer could force them to change their strategy if he performs well in the preseason. The Lions appear comfortable with their top three options at running back, with Jahmyr Gibbs starting, Isiah Pacheco as the backup and Sione Vaki a special teams staple. But the Lions have drafted four running backs in recent years, setting up a battle between last year’s RB4 Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small; a competition that, according to Campbell, is very close. With Gibbs unlikely to play in this preseason game, coupled with nursing injuries to Pacheco, Vaki and Small, this could be a great opportunity for Saylors to separate himself from the reserve competition. With the top four receivers (Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa and Greg Dortch) presumably locked up, the Lions have a very open competition for the remaining WR5 and WR6 roles (if they keep a sixth) on the roster. Campbell has called the receivers room the deepest he’s ever had during his tenure in Detroit and believes anyone could win the remaining roles. With the final roster spots likely coming down to special teams contributions, it’s worth noting that Campbell has mentioned Tay Martin as one of the top contributors in this area. If he can show well on offense and continue to rise on special teams, he will have a chance to be a sleeper for a remaining roster spot. Jackson Meeks quietly converted from WR-X to tight end midway through last season and has moved up the depth chart this offseason, in part due to the injury bug plaguing the tight end room. While he’s a little undersized for the position, he brings a unique ability to spread out as a receiving tight end and has been competing for a TE4 role all camp. With rookie Miles Kitselman now on injured reserve, Meeks’ path to the roster is a little easier, and with a strong performance in the preseason, he’ll have a chance to contain Thomas Gordon and prove to the coaches that they should keep a fourth tight end on the 53-man roster. With starting center Cade Mays expected to miss the start of the season and presumed replacement Juice Scruggs recovering from a soft tissue injury, the Lions have promoted McLaughlin to the starting lineup in practice and he is expected to start this game. This is a huge opportunity for the second-year offensive lineman, who suddenly finds himself not only eyeing a potential backup role on the 53-man roster, but also has a chance to compete with Scruggs for a starting job for Week 1 of the regular season. Gill-Howard has a great backstory, making him an easy rookie to root for, but he got off to a slow start in camp as he was learning to trust himself again after finishing his final college season injured. Over the past week, Gill-Howard has begun to take advantage of the opportunities in front of him and has been working further up the depth chart, playing multiple spots along the defensive line. With Mekhi Wingo returning from injury and potentially not playing in this game, Gill-Howard should have a fantastic opportunity to get on the field early in this game and continue his rise. One of the great feel-good stories of the camp has been Hassanein returning to full health and moving from “Rush End” to “Big End”. After missing his entire rookie season due to injuries and position changes, Hassanein has arrived at camp stronger and more explosive than ever. A fireball of energy, Hassanein hasn’t played a game in almost a year, and if he can corral his emotions, he’ll have a great chance to solidify his spot on the roster with a solid performance. A rookie UDFA fan favorite, Erick Hunter has taken reps higher up the depth chart due to injuries to Malcolm Rodriguez and Damone Clark. Hunter, already a dynamic special teams player, should see the field early in this game, likely once veteran Devin White comes out, and if he can perform like he did in between scrimmage for the Lions, he can prove he deserves to be in the conversation for a LB6 role. Ennis Rakestraw opened camp in competition for a starting role with Rock Ya-Sin, but over the past two weeks, he’s seen Ya-Sin secure the role and Nick Whiteside pass him on the depth chart. While others around him have been taking developmental steps, Rakestraw has been slow to progress. Some of that could be because the Lions have switched him between outside corner and nickel, but he needs to get back on track and take some positive steps before falling further behind. There may not be a player on the roster who needs a big game more than Rakestraw. Like Rakestraw, McCreary opened camp as the Lions’ starting nickel, but he has been slow to develop and has been overtaken on the depth chart by players like Christian Izien at nickel and Khalil Dorsey on the outside. If the Lions choose to keep just six cornerbacks on their roster, McCreary could be fighting for a roster spot and will need a strong performance against the Bengals to remain in the cornerback conversation.
