TomKennedy

Erik Schlitt·Jul 19

Despite a terrific preseason that saw Meeks excel in the WR-X role, he didn’t make the 53-man roster and was relegated to the practice

squad for the majority of the season. Meeks was elevated for two games due to injuries, but he only saw the field on offense for five snaps and didn’t record a stat. Meeks and Tom Kennedy would battle it out for the Lions WR6 role all season, but it was Kennedy’s contributions on special teams that earned him the role over the last month of the season. Meeks is an above-average contested-catch receiver with above-average blocking skills, and, at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, the Lions elected to cross-train him at tight end last season as the team dealt with injuries. Since then, Meeks has packed on muscle and, according to the team’s website, now weighs 235 pounds. In the spring during OTAs, Meeks continued to work mainly with the receivers but also got some time with the tight ends group. While Meeks finished last season as WR7, his ability to play multiple positions could give him an advantage over the majority of the depth players on the roster. This range could allow Meeks to elevate to as high as a WR5/TE4 role this season, but he’ll need to prove that he can consistently play both spots.

Nathan Jahnke·Aug 9

TeSlaa continues to show he deserves at least some playing time with the starters once the regular season hits. The Lions rested their top four wide receivers on the depth chart for a second straight week. Similar to the Hall of Fame game, TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy were the two primary receivers. TeSlaa again played the X receiver role, while Kennedy played both the Z role and the slot. Seventh-round rookie Dominic Lovett was the slot receiver last week, but an injury is expected to cost him time. This left Kennedy moving to the slot more often, while undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks took over as the Z in three-receiver sets. @[Jackson Meeks](2038) made the most of his playing time with a 68-yard pass, but TeSlaa also showed up on the scoreboard with a touchdown near the end of the half. It’s unlikely we’ll see how much TeSlaa might play in the regular season until Week 1 hits. The Lions might play their starters one or two drives this preseason. If TeSlaa does earn playing time, it will likely come at Tim Patrick‘s expense.