While we may get to see some of the Detroit Lions starters for at least a few plays on Saturday night when the Lions take on the Houston Texans, the truly important snaps will be taken by players jockeying for a better position on the depth chart and for a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Here are six Lions I’ll be paying extra attention to when they see the field on Saturday.
Josh Johnson
Quarterback Josh Johnson has not been with the Lions long, but he has quickly picked up the playbook and is in line for significant snaps on Saturday. It won’t take much for him to pass David Fales on the depth chart, but if Tom Savage is healthy, that would be a much tougher climb. Rumblings out of camp though have been impressive, and it will be interesting to see how Johnson handles real game action. He may prove to be a very valuable late-camp addition.
Ty Johnson
Johnson, the Lions sixth-round pick out of Maryland, has impressed in Allen Park, and he continued that impressive work during joint practices with the Texans.
Johnson has a speed element to his game that no other Lions back has, and he was the second back to see the field in the Lions preseason opener against the New England Patriots. If he can keep that momentum going, he’ll quickly pass Zach Zenner on the depth chart and could be in line for some real carries once the regular season begins. Pay extra attention to Johnson’s pass blocking and pass-catching, those are golden tickets to extra snaps in the regular season.
Chris Lacy
When Jermaine Kearse broke his leg in the first pre-season game, it was a devastating injury for Kearse and a giant blow to the Lions depth at receiver. But from every injury springs opportunity, and in this case, Lacy is the one taking the most advantage. Lacy spent most of the 2018 season on the Lions practice squad, and he’s made it his mission in camp not to return there. Like Johnson, Lacy has also impressed in joint practices with the Texans.
Lacy remains in a tight battle with Andy Jones, sixth-round draft pick Travis Fulgham, and others for a roster spot, but if he can play in real games the way he does in practice, he can guarantee himself a ticket to Ford Field. Keep an eye on his special snaps teams too; he had 11 of those snaps against the Patriots, and proving his value in the game’s third phase will make him too important to cut loose in September.
Kenny Wiggins and Joe Dahl
Dahl and Wiggins have been fighting for the starting left guard position all training camp, and while neither played lights out against the Patriots, neither was as bad on a second watch as it appeared at first blush. Dahl has largely taken first-team reps this week, but that may be because with Tyrell Crosby injured, and the Lions backup tackle position a mess, Wiggins has had to shift over to second-team tackle on a somewhat emergency basis.
I’m still not convinced that Wiggins ultimately won’t be a salary-cap casualty, but he could also beat out Dahl for the starting gig just as easy. Seeing how the two hold up against a deep and aggressive Texans defensive front seven will be a good test as they prepare for the regular season.
Kevin Strong
Strong has quickly become a fan-favorite, and as the undrafted rookie told Lions Wire exclusively earlier this week, he is doing everything he can to make an impression. The Lions front seven is deep, but only when everyone is healthy. Injuries to players like Da’Shawn Hand, Trey Flowers, Damon Harrison, and Mike Daniels has given guys like Strong a chance to show what they can do.
With Flowers and Harrison returning to practice, the Texans game may one of Strong’s last opportunities to prove against another team’s starters that he’s worthy of making the opening-day roster. He’s made the most of his opportunities so far and it wouldn’t surprise me if he does it again on Saturday.
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