The Detroit Lions' first preseason game was a little eye opening as it pertains to who the Lions are already considering a lock for the 53-man roster, and who might be fighting for a spot there with the teams' remaining preseason slate. Snap count tells that story, and there were five specific Lions that stood out as being either beneficiaries, or targets, of that count.
With just two games remaining and half a month left until the Lions begin making roster cuts, these counts are important to note. We'll dive into those counts here, and what they seemed to indicate in that first matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
5 Lions whose snap count vs. Bengals might say it all about spot on roster
Roger McCreary: 39, six on special teams
McCreary got a lot more burn at the tail end of this contest, with 39 snaps coming mostly in the second half. He recorded one pass breakup and four total tackles over that stretch.
It's not so much the snap count, but more so where they came, that gives the feeling that McCreary is beginning to fall down the Lions' depth chart already. With the team having some options at nickel back by way of rookie Keith Abney II and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., he's beginning to feel a little expendable.
Greg Dortch: Seven snaps, one on special teams
This snap count screams "I am the primary kick returner now." Dortch came into camp with some hype thanks to his speed and ability to boost the Arizona Cardinals' special teams unit last season, and clearly, Detroit is looking to protect him already in the preseason.
We saw a lot more from players like Dominic Lovett, Tay Martin, and Jackson Meeks on kick returns, as they look to showcase their ability to be the teams' WR4 as well as an option on special teams. Dortch doesn't have to prove that.
Tyler Lacy: 13 snaps
Similar to Dortch, Lacy's low snap count feels intentional from the Lions' coaching staff. Lacy has been making decent noise in training camp as he enters his fourth year in the league, and as the Lions are still seeking a decent second pass rushing option next to Aidan Hutchinson. Lacy and, possibly, Ahmed Hassanein, are battling it out to be the backups to Hutchinson and DJ Wonnum.
If Lacy's snap count is any indication, he's already etched a spot on the roster behind one of those starters.
READ MORE: Blake Miller's quiet preseason debut is exactly what the Lions needed
Tom Kennedy: 25 snaps, none on special teams
Kennedy's biggest strength from late last year was popping off the screen as a kick returner. He had an excellent outing against the Dallas Cowboys where he really solidified himself as a potential option there to replace Kalif Raymond, but he saw zero special teams snaps in this game.
He also only saw 25 total snaps with the offense, which was a bit surprising since he did have some hype coming into camp following such a great end to his 2025 season. The longest tenured Lion might be dealing with another year where he's landing on the roster bubble.
Josh Dobbs: 22 snaps
Lions fans shouldn't read too much into Dobbs' 22 snaps in this one for two reasons - he just signed with the team this week, and he also took snaps with their "starting" offensive line in this game. That goes to show that Detroit wants him getting comfortable with as close to their first team offense as they can replicate.
And, in that limited time, he looked good - 4-8 passing with a nice rush for nine yards. We should expect to see a lot more Dobbs in their second preseason game after he's gotten some more training camp reps under his belt.
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