Detroit Lions tight end Jackson Meeks might have been the biggest winner of any player from the second preseason game against the Washington Commanders. Meeks entered the game off of most 53-man roster projections. Now, it is hard to find a roster projection that does not include Meeks on the Lions' initial roster.
Benjamin Raven of Mlive.com noted that Meeks went from one of the first players to one of the first players on the roster.
"Meeks was one of the last players left out on last week's first projections," wrote Raven. "He has real upside as an athletic, pass-catching tight end after making the switch from receiver. If LaPorta (hip) is unable to go in Week 1, then finding a spot for Meeks makes all the more sense."
Meeks had four catches for 33 yards in the Lions' second preseason game. One of his biggest catches was a fourth-and-three reception that moved the chains.
John Maakaron of Lions On SI added that it was not just his preseason performance; he has been great throughout training camp.
"Jackson Meeks continues to improve all throughout camp," wrote Maakaron. "While he may have been kept off our previous 53-man projections, it is hard to ignore Meeks' potential after a solid week of training camp and a standout performance at Ford Field."
Meeks also had a forced fumble on punt coverage. The turnover helped seal the win for the Lions. Along with being on many new projections, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic and Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com labeled him as one of the big winners of the day.
When asked about his performance, head coach Dan Campbell was highly encouraged by Meeks. He made it clear that Meeks was still new to the position, making his performance even more impressive .
"This tight end thing is still kind of new to him," stated Campbell. "The good news for (Jackson) Meeks is he's strong. You know, the athleticism. He was in the receiver room. He was really a big X, so I think we all kind of know what that is. But he's strong, and he's willing, and he's smart. So, it's just time on task."
Still, Campbell noted that while the transition is important, his role on special teams is even more crucial.
"He's another one; you see how he attacks special teams," said Campbell. "He gives our guys fits in special teams, too. Some of these looks. Whether he's on that team or he's giving, you know, OK, I'm opposite of the ball, we're really talking about punt, and I'm on punt rush. Man, he gives our guys fits. So, that was good to see. I thought he did some really good things today. Made some critical plays."
Meeks was a UDFA from Syracuse who played wide receiver in college. After a year on the Lions' practice squad, he appears to have taken major strides this offseason. The Lions have Tyler Conklin and Brock Wright behind Sam LaPorta. However, LaPorta has a hip injury and might miss some time. If so, Meeks is a lock as the fourth.
If not, he will be waiting until the final hours of roster cut day to know his fate.
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