Heading into the final roster cutdown, the Detroit Lions had an interesting decision to make regarding their young wide receivers. Rookies Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett, and Jackson Meeks all performed well in the preseason. Despite that, it was likely that one wouldn't make the team, and that just so happened to be Meeks.
That said, Detroit made a surprise move on Wednesday morning. According to Tom Pelissero, the Lions traded receiver Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Patrick's departure means the Lions now only have five receivers on their roster and can bring a player like Meeks back.
Well, now I'm even more confused on the Jackson Meeks cut https://t.co/BmNEIjBt7T
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) August 27, 2025
Lions Must Bring WR Jackson Meeks Back
Detroit signed Meeks as an undrafted free agent this year. Although the 22-year-old had a quiet beginning to training camp and the preseason, he caught fans' eyes in the Lions' second preseason game. In that game against the Atlanta Falcons, Meeks recorded three receptions on four targets for 78 yards and one touchdown.
During the following week of practice, he stood out. Then, when the Lions faced the Tennessee Titans, Meeks had another stellar performance. In that game, he recorded seven receptions on seven targets for 93 yards and one touchdown. Many thought that the game may have put him above Lovett in the pecking order.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to have been the case. Furthermore, in their final preseason game, Meeks didn't receive a single target, which also may have hurt his chances of making the roster. Still, Lions fans were optimistic for the undrafted rookie.
Despite having three open roster spots on the initial 53-man roster, Meeks didn't make it. Be that as it may, the decision made some sense because carrying a seventh wide receiver wouldn't have necessarily helped the team.
With Patrick being traded, signing Meeks to the active roster makes sense. The rookie spent all of training camp and the preseason understanding the playbook and showed potential. Sure, the Lions could add another veteran to replace Patrick, but developing a rookie like Meeks is the smarter choice.
Following the 2026 season, Detroit is going to have to make a decision on whether or not they will pay Jameson Williams. There's a scenario where even if they want to keep Williams, they may not have enough money to do so. Therefore, developing three rookies this season will help in efforts to replace Williams in the future.