Lions Preseason Snap Counts vs. Bengals: What They Reveal About the Depth Chart
The Detroit Lions’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t just a game. It was a data set. Snap counts and, more importantly, the order teams roll out their lineups tend to say more about a roster picture than the final score does — and Detroit’s 16-14 loss at Paycor Stadium on Thursday left plenty to dig through.
A breakdown of who played, how much, and in what order points to some real answers on Detroit’s backup quarterback battle, its crowded receiver room, and its always-tricky fourth running back spot.
Quarterback: Altmyer Gets the Bulk, Dobbs Gets a Purpose
Luke Altmyer took the vast majority of snaps at quarterback, playing 44 of the team’s 66 offensive plays. Josh Dobbs took the other 22. Jared Goff did not play.
Altmyer started and played deep into the game, finishing 13-of-22 passing for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble on a bad exchange with running back Jacob Saylors in the rain early in the game. For a moment, it looked like the fumble might have gotten him pulled. It didn’t. Coach Dan Campbell said after the game the plan all along was to get Dobbs some second-quarter reps with the starting offensive line, not to bench Altmyer for a mistake.
That distinction matters. Altmyer played well enough to make the backup job an actual competition. But Detroit clearly wants Dobbs — a veteran journeyman added late to the roster — ready to step in as the primary backup if needed. Dobbs went 4-of-8 for 32 yards in his stint.
Running Back: Saylors Building His Case Again
Jacob Saylors started and played 29 snaps (44%), well ahead of Kye Robichaux (21 snaps, 32%) and Raheem Blackshear (16 snaps, 24%). Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, and Sione Vaki all sat out, with Pacheco dealing with what’s been reported elsewhere as an MCL sprain.
Saylors is making a push to be the team’s RB4 for a second straight season, and his primary competition — Jabari Small — didn’t play, believed to be nursing a knee issue. Blackshear, a recent addition, drew praise from Campbell postgame but will need more than one outing to crack the RB4 conversation.
Vaki’s roster spot looks safe regardless of Thursday’s inactive list. Campbell effectively locked him into the RB3 role earlier in the week, tying it directly to special teams value:
“We know those two backs (Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco) at the top and we know what (Sione) Vaki is, he’s one of the best special teams players in the league. So, if that fourth running back is going to make it, he’s going to need to help on special teams.”
That’s a real signal for Saylors and Blackshear both — special teams reps might decide who sticks.
Wide Receiver: The WR5 Race Heats Up
With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams both held out, the receiver snaps went almost entirely to players fighting for depth spots. Dominic Lovett (32 snaps, 48%) and Tay Martin (30 snaps, 45%) led the group, followed by Tom Kennedy at 25 snaps.
Isaac TeSlaa got heavy run as Detroit looks for the second-year receiver to shake a slow camp. It didn’t happen Thursday — TeSlaa had a drop that turned into an interception and another that cost Detroit a fourth-down conversion, according to Yahoo Sports.
Greg Dortch, Detroit’s presumed WR4, barely saw the field — a strong sign his roster spot isn’t in question. That leaves WR5 as the real battle. Lovett was inconsistent, with a few nice grabs mixed with drops and a muffed (but recovered) punt. Martin had a solid outing, and Tarik Black caught Detroit’s only touchdown on a play that also drew a pass interference flag.
| Receiver | Offensive Snaps | Snap % |
|---|---|---|
| Dominic Lovett | 32 | 48% |
| Tay Martin | 30 | 45% |
| Tom Kennedy | 25 | 38% |
| Isaac TeSlaa | 17 | 26% |
| Tarik Black | 16 | 24% |
Offensive Line: Two Clear Lineups, All Night
Detroit ran two distinct offensive line groups and never mixed them. The first unit had Larry Borom at left tackle, Christian Mahogany at left guard, Seth McLaughlin at center, Miles Frazier at right guard, and Blake Miller at right tackle. The second group swapped in Frazier at left tackle, Melvin Priestly at left guard, Michael Niese at center, Mason Miller at right guard, and Colby Sorsdal at right tackle.
McLaughlin’s debut in a Lions uniform was up and down. Frazier, who played all 66 snaps, had a rough night by penalty count — he was flagged for holding three times. First-round pick Blake Miller got extensive run at right tackle, and Campbell sounded encouraged, though he stopped short of a full verdict:
“I felt like my eyes were never on he or Larry (Borom) and that’s a positive. That’s a pretty good sign that they’re handling their business. We didn’t have any issues on the perimeter.”
Defensive Line: Hassanein Making Noise
Ahmed Hassanein was the standout of the night up front. He recorded a sack on his very first defensive snap and added a second sack in the second half, continuing a strong camp that’s pushing him toward a roster lock. Anthony Lucas played the most defensive line snaps at 50 (71%), spread across both the start and the tail end of the game.
Presumed starter Tyler Lacy played sparingly, with Detroit thin at the position after a run of camp injuries. Eric O’Neill logged heavy snaps and started making plays late.
At defensive tackle, Skyler Gill-Howard was a bright spot after entering as a reserve, producing a pressure that led to a fourth-down intentional grounding penalty and chasing down Bengals quarterback Josh Johnson for a third-down stop.
Secondary: Rakestraw Injury, but Not a Major One
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw started outside opposite Nick Whiteside and left the game in the second quarter after tackling Bengals running back Tahj Brooks. He didn’t return. Campbell told reporters afterward the injury was “not major,” describing it as an upper-body contusion, and Rakestraw said X-rays came back clean structurally. It’s a meaningful update given Rakestraw missed all of 2025 after a shoulder injury and surgery.
Roger McCreary replaced Rakestraw and played into the fourth quarter — not necessarily a great sign for a player hoping to lock down a clear role. Whiteside, the other outside starter, had an early pass breakup on a deep shot.
At safety, veteran Chuck Clark got a brief look to open the game before giving way to the rest of the rotation, likely just to get system reps in ahead of a probable Week 1 starting job. Thomas Harper started and continues to cement himself as the fourth safety on the depth chart behind Christian Izien.
What It All Means
None of this settles anything on its own — preseason snap counts rarely do. But the pattern is consistent: Detroit is using Game 1 to sort out real questions at backup quarterback, RB4, WR5, and the back end of both lines, while resting nearly every established starter. Hassanein’s early flashes and Saylors’ continued strong camp stand out as the two clearest winners from the night. TeSlaa’s rough outing and the unresolved Rakestraw and Wingo situations are the two things worth tracking into Week 2.
Detroit’s second preseason game will offer the next real look at how these competitions are shaping up.
