Lions Stock Watch: 5 Risers, 3 Fallers After Bengals Preseason Game

The Detroit Lions kicked off their exhibition season on Thursday night against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

As is customary with any preseason contest, you can’t place too much stock in any single game. Yet, both standout and lackluster performances can certainly sway an organization, and play a role in whether an individual gets off the roster bubble (or stays on it).

Let’s take a look now at whose stock is trending up and down following the Lions’ loss to Cincinnati Thursday.

Stock up

QB Luke Altmyer

Sure, Altmyer experienced his fair share of ups and downs Thursday, and threw two picks (one of which should’ve been caught by WR Isaac TeSlaa).

Yet, the undrafted free agent quarterback still showed enough to remain an intriguing player to watch heading into Detroit’s preseason tilt with the Commanders next week.

He garnered roughly two-thirds of the snaps under center for Dan Campbell’s squad, and while doing so, showcased a high degree of poise in the pocket.

With more opportunities looming for the rookie passer, the reps he received against Cincinnati should prove to be valuable as he continues battling for a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster.

RB Jacob Saylors

Saylors was the primary back on Thursday, and certainly made the most of his opportunity to tote the rock.

Saylors paced all Lions offensive performers in the first half with 83 total yards, and ended up finishing the exhibition contest with that total.

It was an impressive performance from the second-year pro, with Jahmyr Gibbs held out for the game and Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki both inactive.

WR Dominic Lovett

Lovett made a positive impression Thursday, securing three catches for 28 yards on eight targets. Sure, that’s not the greatest stat line, but most importantly, he garnered more targets than every Lions player who suited up against Cincinnati, including fellow pass-catchers Tay Martin, Tom Kennedy and Malik Cunningham.

With Detroit continuing to assess its depth at wide receiver, every rep matters, and Lovett’s outing Thursday provides him with something to build upon entering week two of the preseason.

EDGE Ahmed Hassanein

Hassanein had a monstrous preseason debut, finishing with a game-high two sacks. One of those sacks came on the Bengals’ first drive of the game, when he wrapped up Cincinnati starter Joe Burrow for a nine-yard loss.

The Boise State product possesses a relentless motor, and it was on full display Thursday. He generated pressure all night along, and demonstrated why he’s deserving of a spot on the Lions’ season-opening 53-man roster.

With another strong showing in the preseason, I believe he would solidify his status as a member of Kelvin Sheppard’s EDGE rotation to start the season.

DT Skyler Gill-Howard

Gill-Howard, the Lions’ sixth-round pick this past April, had an impressive preseason debut. He notably generated multiple pressures, and took down Bengals backup QB Josh Johnson on a pivotal third down in the fourth quarter.

The Texas Tech product seemingly wreaked havoc all night, and Campbell, to no surprise, was complimentary of the rookie’s performance after the game.

“Watching Skyler get to the quarterback there, it was a critical fourth down to get the offense the ball,” the sixth-year head coach said. “That takes a tremendous amount of effort, but that’s what is expected; that was awesome.”

Gill-Howard is positioning himself to be in line for meaningful snaps on the team’s defensive line in 2026.

Stock down

WR Isaac TeSlaa

The 2025 third-round pick was targeted three times, and failed to haul in a single pass. Additionally, one of his drops led to an Altmyer pick on the first drive of the game.

It was an underwhelming performance from the Lions No. 3 wideout, who has struggled to make his mark in training camp up to this point.

It’ll be intriguing to see if the Arkansas product can get back on the right track headed into Detroit’s exhibition tilt with Washington next Saturday.

OL Miles Frazier

Unquestionably, Frazier had a disappointing evening against the Bengals. After missing all of last year’s preseason with a physical ailment, the 2025 fifth-round pick was called for three penalties in the first half alone.

Overall, he struggled in his time at right guard, and hopefully bounces back with a better performance a week from now vs. the Commanders.

CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

The 2024 second-round pick continues to struggle to establish himself, notably exiting Thursday’s preseason game prematurely with an injury. And even before that, he delivered an uneven performance in coverage against Cincinnati, coughing up multiple receptions.

He’ll need to deliver stronger showings the rest of the preseason to solidify his spot on the Lions' 53-man roster to open the season.

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