The 2026 NFL season is on the horizon as the Detroit Lions prepare for the start of training camp with rookies set to report on Saturday. While that will help determine who comes out on top in some key position battles and set the stage for who makes the 53-man roster, it will also be a huge opportunity for players on the roster bubble to make their case.
From one rookie worth paying attention to and a wide receiver receiving some high praise from a teammate to an offensive lineman with a lot of work to do, some players are under more pressure than others as they look to improve their roster chances going into the 2026 season.
With that in mind, here are three bubble players on this Lions roster who can help themselves the most in training camp.
Luke Altmyer, QB
The undrafted signal-caller out of Illinois was a 2025 All-Big Ten honorable mention and is coming off a 2025 season in which he posted career-highs in completion percentage (67.4%) and passing yards (3,007) with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also accounted for the fifth-most passing yards (7,607) and second-most passing TDs (57) in the history of the Fighting Illini program.
Altmyer has been praised for his accuracy and ability to read defenses and could get some additional playing time, considering Jared Goff has not played in the preseason for the last three years. At the same time, the QB2 position is one of the weaknesses on this team and is still a work in progress.
Altmyer has been solid in OTAs, and his confidence and ability to retain information in practice could lead to him potentially overtaking veteran Teddy Bridgewater for the backup role. It will be an uphill battle, but it would not be totally out of reach for him to overtake Bridgewater, who has not started a game since 2022.
Regardless, Altmyer is an under-the-radar storyline that Lions fans have to pay attention to at training camp. He may have an outside chance of making the roster, but if Altmyer has a strong finish to the offseason in training camp and impresses in the preseason, the Lions may have no other choice but to keep him around.
Jackson Meeks, TE
The Lions already have plenty of talent for Goff to distribute the ball to down the field, but one player who could sneak up and contend for a roster spot is Meeks, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2025 and eventually signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions.
Even though Meeks only made two appearances last season and failed to record a single stat, safety Kerby Joseph singled him out as a name to watch on the roster bubble. While Joseph's comments alone will not be enough to earn Meeks a spot, they are certainly warranted when you consider his size and speed, as well as his versatility at wide receiver and TE.
The fact that he caught the eye of one of the team's veterans speaks volumes, but that does not mean it is going to be an easy path. The Lions already have three ahead of him on the depth chart at TE, including Sam LaPorta. While the starter at TE is coming off a shortened 2025 season due to a major back injury, a contract extension could be coming his way soon.
If Meeks has a path to securing a roster spot, it could be on special teams, where he played all but five of his 28 snaps last season. While Greg Dortch will likely be one of the primary contributors on special teams, Meeks has a path to contending for a role there. Still, he needs to have a strong showing at training camp to eliminate any doubt.
Giovanni Manu, OT
Manu was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft and has done nothing to feel comfortable about his future in the Motor City. He entered the league as a physically intriguing prospect, but was mostly unknown after playing college football at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
While he has raw power and athleticism, Manu is still inexperienced and needs to improve his pass protection technique. After moving Penei Sewell from right to left tackle and using a first-round pick on Blake Miller, July could bring an end to his time in Detroit.
This is an offensive line that can make or break the Lions' season, especially when you consider the career-high 38 sacks that Goff took last season. This is also a team that relies on the run game and needs much better protection in front of its QB, who is more of a typical pocket-passer and excels when he has time to throw.
This is certainly a training camp battle that Lions fans cannot ignore, and one that could spell the end of Manu's time with the franchise if he does not have a standout performance and outshine his teammates on a reworked OL unit.
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