RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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DETROIT,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 22: Detroit Lions wide receiver Jackson Meeks (13) lines up before a play during the second half of an NFL preseason football game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Detroit Lions’ second preseason game of the 2026 season is in the books, and it’s time to check in on the players who helped or hurt their stock against the Washington Commanders.
Attendance
The Lions rested 17 players (including 10 starters), along with three others on injury lists (PUP/NFI).
Let’s take a quick look at the roster with our game-day depth chart , noting that the players without a position color did not play in this game. Additionally, if a player’s name is written in red, they came into the game injured; if they were injured during the game, their name is boxed in black.
Quarterback
Stock neutral: Josh Dobbs, Luke Altmyer
Did not play: Jared Goff
It was a bit of a mixed showing from the reserves on Saturday, with both quarterbacks flashing promise, while also making some glaring mistakes. Dobbs got the start and turned the ball over on the first two drives, but ran a 50-yard read-option touchdown on drive three and settled in after that. Altmyer was sacked three times on his opening drive, but he settled in once the Lions established their rushing attack. Overall, in a game meant to separate the two, the QB2 job looks unsettled, with neither seizing the opportunity.
Running back
Stock up: Jacob Saylors, Trayveon Williams, Raheem Blackshear
Did not play: Jahmyr Gibbs
Injured: Isiah Pacheco (MCL sprain), Sione Vaki (back spasms)
Game injury: Jabari Small (concussion)
Saylors got the start and likely remains in the lead for the RB4 job, but after a terrific show by every reserve running back, he has some real competition for the job. Saylors is a steady runner who can put power behind his pads, find the daylight in the defensive line, and has the balance to cut back against the grain.
Small entered this game as Saylors’ biggest challenger, displaying power and quickness, but he unfortunately suffered a concussion on his sixth snap and was forced from the game. With only a week before cutdown, it’s a tough time for an injury.
Williams was arguably the most impressive runner on Saturday, displaying wiggle, burst, decisiveness, and vision. He not only ran 10 times for 36 yards and a touchdown , but also caught a screen pass and took it for 24 yards . In all, Williams managed to outrush the entire Washington offense by himself.
Blackshear had the lowest production output of the backs (2.6 yards per carry), but some of that can be attributed to the situation he found himself in: being asked to run into a loaded box when the Commanders’ defense knew it was a run. Three straight runs gained a total of eight yards, and on fourth-and-two, he got what they needed to run out the clock.
Wide receiver
Stock up: Lucky Jackson, Tay Martin
Stock neutral: Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch, Tom Kennedy, Malik Cunningham
Stock down: Dominic Lovett, Tarik Black
Did not play: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams
Game injury: Cedrick Wilson (knee)
With the Lions’ running game cooking, it was a quiet night for the receivers: only Cedric Wilson and Lucky Jackson caught more than one pass (two each), and Wilson was tied for third in receiving yards (21); Jackson was fifth (15). Martin, Kennedy, and Cunningham each caught one pass for double-digit yardage; solid but average production. Lovett, who had a chance to separate himself with a good game, caught just one pass for six yards in a disappointing outing, while Black couldn’t manage a catch, despite entering the game in the second quarter and playing into the fourth quarter.
Martin remains the most fascinating reserve receiver in my eyes. Yes, he dropped a critical third-down pass, but he was also a catalyst in springing Dobbs 50-yard touchdown run by executing a key block. He also started this game, played more snaps than any wide receiver, and contributed on special teams.
Tight end
Stock up: Jackson Meeks
Stock neutral: Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin
Stock down: Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton
Injured: Sam LaPorta (hip)
It was the Jackson Meeks show on Saturday, as the tight end convert put his receiving skills on display, leading the team in receptions (4) and receiving yards (33), and was tied for the most snaps among the tight ends. But beyond the stats, he made plays when it mattered, converting a fourth down with an adapted route and reception , then forced a fumble late in the game with a wonderful special teams tackle .
“It does feel like home,” Meeks said of adjusting to tight end. “I’m loving tight end. I think I am loving the challenge more than—I love football—but I am loving the challenge because I am learning a whole new part of football.”
Conklin looked like a steady veteran on Saturday, displaying why he is likely locked in as TE3. While he did get beat for a sack on a push-pull from an edge rusher, the rest of the game he was solid. He sealed the other half of the hole on the Dobbs touchdown run, wiping out Commanders first-round pick Sonny Styles on the play, and caught two passes for 21 yards, including a third-down conversion .
Gordon and Horton appear to be falling out of the TE4 competition. Gordon tied Meeks for the most snaps by a tight end in this game, but while Meeks was stellar, Gordon was not targeted. Meanwhile, Horton was the last tight end to find the field (in the third quarter) and also failed to register a target.
Offensive line
Stock up: Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller*, Miles Frazier, Mason Miller
Stock neutral: Larry Borom, Christian Mahogany, Juice Scruggs, Devin Cochran
Stock down: Seth McLaughlin, Melvin Priestly*, Colby Sorsdal
Did not play: Penei Sewell
Injured: Cade Mays (wrist), Ben Bartch (concussion), Giovanni Manu (NFI)
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