Lions rookies could have a big impact after a silent Week 2 vs. Bills

The Detroit Lions could use some juice from their rookies sometime soon.

First-round tackle Blake Miller looked good before missing Week 2 with an injury, second-round edge Derrick Moore has been shut out of the stat sheet and fifth-round defensive back Keith Abney II didn’t play in Week 2.

Sixth-round defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard has looked promising in the middle. In Week 1, he was asked to hold his own against the run and delivered. Gill-Howard looked strong at the point of attack and showcased the burst that made him such an intriguing prospect.

He made three tackles against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 and had a quarterback hit against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

There’s room for each of those players to make an impact at their position groups soon. All four of them play positions that have struggled this year.

Rookies that must step up in Week 3 against Jets

We’ll start with Miller. He should slide back into right tackle for Larry Borom. The word from the Lions was that he would have been good to go if Detroit weren’t playing the Buffalo Bills on a Thursday.

“I think both of those guys are going to be okay, barring nothing, no setbacks today,” head coach Dan Campbell said of Miller and left guard Christian Mahogany, who also missed Week 2 with injury.

The Lions need Miller back in place of Borom. He’s been a disaster. Borom has already allowed 11 pressures, two sacks and two quarterback hits in 2026.

Detroit is also struggling on the other side of the line of scrimmage. That’s where they need Moore to step in.

Moore had a productive preseason but is still looking for his first NFL stat.

Moore is a young player still figuring things out. But this Lions group up front doesn’t have a ton of room to wait around on players to produce after getting shredded against the run and pass Thursday night.

If Moore can become an edge setter against the run and benefit from the attention Aidan Hutchinson gets as a pass rusher, it would give this front seven a needed boost.

Abney was a healthy scratch last week after making his NFL debut against the Saints in Week 1. In that game, he recorded 30 total snaps, 25 on defense at nickel and five on special teams.

READ MORE: Falcons' humbling win over Packers shouldn't concern Lions ahead of Week 13 meeting

He mostly looked fine splitting nickel reps with Roger McCreary since Christian Izien was out. But when Izien returned, the Lions held him out of Week 2.

It sounds like the Lions don’t plan on any healthy scratches for Abney anytime soon. Campbell said the rookie could also “sprinkle back there a little bit” as a reserve safety.

“For a rookie, he's a pretty dang smart, conscientious, aware football player that's got a ton of room to really take off,” Campbell said. “So, that's a good sign. But, yeah, it can be. He's young, you know, he's another one. He just needs reps and reps. But if we need it, that'll be a guy who may have to go in for us.”

This Jets matchup is a crucial game for the Lions to avoid a 1-2 start, especially after the Green Bay Packers fell to that record with a deflating loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.

For a roster with a lot of holes, some rookie breakouts helping shore up some of those weaknesses would be invaluable. Plus, it would be big for the long-term outlook of a roster whose stars are only getting older.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow