The Detroit Lions kick off their preseason schedule with a Thursday night clash against the Cincinnati Bengals. Most of the key veterans will sit out the game, including Jared Goff, but there will be plenty of reasons to tune into the game.
The individual performances will go a long way in determining the starters and some of the final spots on the 53-man roster. Dan Campbell & Co. will get three preseason games before they have to make their final determination. Here are three players who have the most to prove against Cincinnati.
C Seth McLaughlin
The Lions lost their starting center Cade Mays to a long-term wrist injury this week. Now, they have to scramble to find a new starter for at least the first half of the season. The preseason will give us a better idea of who will get the start at center in Week 1.
Since Mays went down, McLaughlin has been getting first-team reps. The two-time national champ went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, then spent last season on the Bengals' practice squad. Almost two years removed from the Achilles rupture that has severely impacted his career, McLaughlin has a chance to start for the Lions.
McLaughlin has the benefit of going up against his former team. If he performs well, he could have the inside track over Juice Scruggs to be the starter.
CB Ennis Rakestraw
The third-year defender has fallen behind Nick Whiteside in the cornerback pecking order. Assuming that DJ Reed and Rock Ya-Sin are the starters on the outside, Rakestraw is the CB4 at best.
At this point, there is a better chance that he will fall further down the depth chart than climb up. His training camp wasn't particularly impressive. Dan Campbell talked about how he had to be consistent and string together good days.
But he will have an excellent chance to prove his worth. If he is to match up against Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins at any point on Thursday, Rakestraw can show something to the coaching staff. If he can't, then Khalil Dorsey will gladly take his spot on the 53-man roster.
WR Dominic Lovett
The wide receiver room has never been this deep and talented in Detroit. The Lions feel great about their starting trio, but they also have a ton of capable pass-catchers behind them. Greg Dortch likely has the WR4 spot in the bag, but the roster spots behind him are up for grabs.
Lovett has as good a chance as any to grab one of those spots. He should get a good amount of targets, assuming Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams will not play. What he does with those targets will be important. But what will be equally significant is his contributions on special teams.
Campbell said that they are looking for their depth receivers to impact special teams. If Lovett can do a good job there, he could be favored over the likes of Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Tom Kennedy to be the WR5 to start the season.
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