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Lions Rookies Who Will Stand Out the Most in Preseason Action vs. Bengals
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- Lions Rookies Who Will Stand Out the Most in Preseason Action vs. Bengals
The Detroit Lions ' rookie class will take center stage Thursday night as the team faces the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in the preseason opener.
With most of the Lions' starters not playing , the rookies will see a ton of action to prove they belong. Detroit 's roster is filled with experienced veterans, but head coach Dan Campbell could use contributions from rookies this season to elevate the Lions into legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
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With the preseason finally here, let's take a look at a few Lions rookies who should stand out against the Bengals.
Offensive Tackle Blake Miller
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Blake Miller speaks to media members during OTAs at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Miller, who was the Lions' first-round pick in April at No. 17 overall, has had an up-and-down camp . However, there shouldn't be much panic, as it usually takes some time for rookie tackles to gain comfort in the NFL .
Entering Thursday's preseason opener, Miller is still the favorite to be Detroit's Week 1 starting right tackle over Larry Borom . However, if the Clemson product can stand out versus Cincinnati, as he is slated to play multiple series, Miller will have taken a gigantic step toward officially locking up the job.
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Miller was a rock-solid pass protector in college, allowing just eight sacks in four seasons and posting an 83.5 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade during his senior campaign in 2025. We know the rookie has what it takes to be a long-term starter for Detroit, but he needs to get the growing pains out of the way first.
Cornerback Keith Abney II
Abney has primarily been playing nickel for the Lions in camp, and drew praise from Campbell earlier this week for his maturity as a rookie .
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"He's pretty headsy for a rookie," Campbell said of Abney via Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. "Nickel position's not the easiest…he'll do exactly what you tell him to do. You give him one of the finer details…and man, he does it. He hits his landmarks in zone drops. … That's always gonna give you a chance."
Though free-agent addition Roger McCreary is the current frontrunner to be the starting nickel , Abney can shorten the gap on Thursday with an impressive showing. The Arizona State product is a tenacious player who doesn't shy away from getting involved in the run game and making physical plays.
However, if he can also show growth in coverage throughout the preseason, Abney could have a much bigger role than initially expected on Kelvin Sheppard 's defense this year.
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Quarterback Luke Altmyer
Detroit Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer (2) practices during training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Monday, August 3, 2026.
Despite being an undrafted rookie, Altmyer will have a lot of eyes on him Thursday as he will lead the Lions' offense for most of the night.
Altmyer is slated to be Detroit's QB3 behind Jared Goff and Josh Dobbs , who just signed with the team this week . However, Altmyer could narrow the gap between himself and Dobbs with an efficient, turnover-free outing against the Bengals.
There's no denying that Altmyer still has a long way to go in his development and must be close to perfect in the preseason to beat out the experienced Dobbs for the backup job, but the Illinois product has promise, and he must showcase it these next few weeks.
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Edge Rusher Anthony Lucas
Lucas, an undrafted free agent out of USC, has received some first-team reps in practice due to the injuries to Derrick Moore and Payton Turner . But Thursday's contest will be his biggest opportunity yet as Lucas looks to secure a spot in Detroit's deep edge rusher room.
Though Lucas didn't tally much production in college, the 6-foot-5 pass rusher possesses exciting athleticism and also has the ability to play on the inside as a defensive tackle. It would be wise for Sheppard to use that versatility and put Lucas in a position to make plays in multiple spots.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
