{"id":29340,"date":"2025-07-31T14:45:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=29340"},"modified":"2025-07-31T14:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:45:08","slug":"breaking-lions-players-to-keep-an-eye-on-during-hall-of-fame-game-against-chargers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=29340","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING : Lions players to keep an eye on during Hall of Fame Game against Chargers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Detroit<\/p>\n

CANTON, Ohio \u2014 When you think of July, you think of football. Right?<\/p>\n

OK, maybe not. But that\u2019s what\u2019s on the docket this year, as the Lions and Chargers kick off the NFL preseason, squaring off in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Dan Campbell said his starters won\u2019t play \u2014 no surprise there \u2014 and that list includes rookies Tyleik Williams and Tate Ratledge.<\/p>\n

So, then, who\u2019s worth watching? Let\u2019s discuss.<\/p>\n

QBs Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Lions publicly challenged Hooker this offseason, in an effort to bring out the best in him. They brought in Allen \u2014 a veteran with 19 career starts under his belt \u2014 to further emphasize their point. The early results? Exactly what the team could\u2019ve hoped for.<\/p>\n

Hooker has looked sharp this training camp. The main problem he had this time a year ago was holding onto the ball too long \u2014 almost as if he\u2019s waiting for a receiver to get open rather than throwing him open. There were also times he\u2019d take off and run during 7-on-7 periods, which accomplished nothing for Hooker, his receivers or the defense. Those days appear to be over. Hooker has gotten the ball out on time this summer, hitting his receivers accurately in stride. He looks more confident and said the game is slowing down, and that he\u2019s thinking less. It\u2019s showing. Allen\u2019s presence has brought out the best in Hooker \u2014 and he\u2019s no slouch himself. Allen has had some really strong days in training camp, with some \u201cwow\u201d throws that you didn\u2019t know he had in him. The hope for the Lions tonight is that these two continue what they\u2019ve done in practice. If they do that, fans will like what they see.<\/p>\n

WRs Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the reasons backup quarterback play in training camp has been better this year than in years past is because of the weapons these guys are throwing to. A couple in particular, TeSlaa and Lovett, have been excellent. Everyone knows TeSlaa \u2014 the in-state kid drafted by the team he loves, on record as Brad Holmes\u2019 favorite receiver in the class. He catches everything with his hands, can run, jump and win downfield. But before we prepare his bust in Canton, TeSlaa has worked exclusively with the second-team offense. What he\u2019s done is impressive, but I\u2019d like to see him get some first-team reps against Detroit\u2019s physical corners. Impressing tonight could help him earn those looks.<\/p>\n

Lovett\u2019s spot on the roster, even as a seventh-round pick, wasn\u2019t guaranteed when camp began. Holmes made it clear he would need to contribute on special teams in order to make the team. The Lions have tried him at gunner, put him as a punt returner, and have featured him as a second-team WR. He\u2019s been impressive in every role, using his short-area quickness to win in different phases of the game. Do the Lions need to carry six receivers on their roster? No. Will they need to in order to keep Lovett in Detroit? Entirely possible.<\/p>\n

DT Brodric Martin<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Martin, a 2023 third-round pick, has two NFL seasons under his belt without much to show for it. His rookie season was always going to be a developmental year, viewed as a raw prospect coming out of college. The size, long arms and power traits were what drew the Lions to him, but other than a few flashes here and there, we haven\u2019t seen much of the vision. Coaches have talked about Martin\u2019s pad level being too high. He has appeared in just five games through two seasons after missing time with a knee injury last season and was seldom used upon his November return, despite playing a position where the Lions were thin late in the year. In camp, Martin has been practicing with the third-team defense, with some second-team reps mixed in. He needs to prove something here soon or else his roster spot is in serious jeopardy.<\/p>\n

Edge Ahmed Hassanein<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve never seen a player as eager about the game as Hassanein is. It\u2019s refreshing. He\u2019s all smiles walking off the field, clearly thankful for the opportunity he\u2019s been given to play this sport and play for this organization. But make no mistake \u2014 Hassanein is here for a reason. The Lions are intrigued by his potential. While some draft analysts viewed him as a finished product with a limited game, the Lions point to the fact that he\u2019s only played football for seven years. Highly productive at Boise State, Hassanein relied on a relentless motor that helped him rack up sacks and TFLs, essentially cleaning up anything that came his way. That\u2019ll play for this group, and Hassanein has been a sponge in training camp,\u00a0picking the brains of Aidan Hutchinson and Penei Sewell. And while it\u2019s unrealistic to expect meaningful production from a rookie sixth-round pick this season, Hassanein has a chance to further impress a coaching staff that\u2019s keeping an eye on him.<\/p>\n

OT Giovanni Manu<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Players like Manu are almost put in a difficult position because of the high-quality drafting of Holmes and company. A weird sentence to write, but think about all the homegrown talent that has made an impact in Year 1 or Year 2. That\u2019s sort of the norm around here, so when there\u2019s a player who obviously needs more time, they\u2019re not often afforded it by the fan base and even members of the media. Manu, quite frankly, needs more time. Mentally, he\u2019s much further along than he was a year ago. He has a better grasp of what he\u2019s asked to do and why, in a complicated offense. He spent the offseason training with Taylor Decker in Arizona and praised the veteran for taking him under his wing. Positive developments.<\/p>\n

Now, it doesn\u2019t always look pretty. He struggles with speed off the edge, but it seems to be technique more than anything. Watching him a little bit in practices and one-on-ones, the recovery skills are there when he is initially beaten. There will be good days and bad days, and continued reps are the name of the game. He\u2019ll get that this preseason. The Lions will make sure of it.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Lions<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

RB Sione Vaki<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Will Vaki play? Tough to say. He returned to practice this week after missing time with a hamstring injury, but was limited upon return. Vaki would be one of Detroit\u2019s top offensive weapons in a game like this, and could certainly use the reps as he continues to learn how to play running back at this level. However, the Lions might just opt to rest him so he doesn\u2019t further tweak it, as hamstrings tend to linger. If he plays, we\u2019ll be watching. If not, he\u2019ll have a good view of the festivities.<\/p>\n

DB Morice Norris<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A 2024 UDFA DB who found himself earning defensive snaps late in the year, Norris has a chance to earn a roster spot at safety. One thing you notice when watching him is that he\u2019s physical. Campbell tossed him from a practice last week for being too<\/em> physical in a non-padded practice, if that tells you anything. But now that the pads are on, Norris has a chance to shine. I\u2019m a fan of his game.<\/p>\n

Edge rushers Nate Lynn and Isaac Ukwu<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Lions added a pair of UDFA edge rushers a year ago in Lynn and Ukwu. A year later, both remain in camp, hoping to leave an impression.<\/p>\n

These two had completely different rookie seasons. Lynn was an early camp standout in 2024, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Ukwu flashed enough in the preseason to earn a spot on the practice squad. When the Lions needed edge help, they gave him a look,\u00a0though he looked like a rookie UDFA.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a young player and that was his first taste of real NFL football, so I thought as the game went on, he got better, and it looked like it was his first NFL game,\u201d Campbell said after Ukwu\u2019s debut vs. the Cowboys. That\u2019s just the truth, but I also \u2014 I see that guy every day in practice. \u2026Ukwu will get better every week.\u201d<\/p>\n

These preseason games will be a huge opportunity for both. The Lions will evaluate their young, internal options at edge to see who\u2019s worth rostering or keeping around on the practice squad to develop.<\/p>\n

DT Keith Cooper Jr.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s a dark horse candidate to make the roster, it just might be Cooper. A UDFA defensive lineman out of Houston, Cooper was mentioned by Campbell as a player who could help as the defensive tackle room thins. That was on Day 3. And he\u2019s done nothing to make those words age poorly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, we kind of like\u00a0Cooper now,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cHe\u2019s a young guy. Let\u2019s see what he can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper has been disruptive with the second-team defense and has even earned some first-team looks on occasion. It\u2019s important to remember that training camp is long and guys who flash early don\u2019t always maintain that momentum (remember when Daurice Fountain was destined to be WR3 last year?). That said, Cooper is worth watching. The coaching staff certainly is.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Lions won’t have any starters playing in the preseason game, but there are other players worth watching.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-29340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-detroit-lions","tag-detroit-lions"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING : Lions players to keep an eye on during Hall of Fame Game against Chargers - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=29340\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING : Lions players to keep an eye on during Hall of Fame Game against Chargers - 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