The Detroit Lions will have their second preseason game on Saturday afternoon against the Kansas City Chiefs. As expected, head coach Dan Campbell has said starters basically won't play and the few who do will be on the defensive side. Injuries around the roster have an impact there too.
On the other side, the Chiefs plan to play their starters the entire first half on Saturday. So the Lions players who will be playing will get a solid test going against the best the Chiefs are willing to offer. In line with that, it's also a great opportunity for those who are battling for a roster spot.
It's natural to tilt a little negative ("who has the most to lose?") when highlighting players who have particular spotlight on them going into a preseason game. Not simply players to watch, but players who could lose a roster spot or drop down the depth chart with a bad performance. In this case, the second preseason game is big for a lot of Lions' players battling for what probably amounts to about 10 spots on the 53 roster.
The list could very well extend longer, but let's hone in on five Lions players who have the most at stake on Saturday against the Chiefs.
5 Lions players with the most at stake in Week 2 of the preseason vs. Chiefs
5. CB Kindle Vildor
By necessity, Vildor was a starting corner for the Lions last last season. An unfortunate play against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game will probably stand as the most memorable thing from his tenure on the team. In another sense, he has been easy to push off the roster. But he's had a good training camp, and bigger opportunity has knocked.
Injuries at cornerback (Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold) gave Vildor a chance to work as a first-teamer this week, and by all accounts from reporters at Allen Park he looked really good.
Lions asked Vildor to play first team with Davis III and Arnold out and there was more of this than you might expect. Thought the vet responded in a big way to the opportunity. https://t.co/R5HFUJMxnN
— Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network (@Justin_Rogers) August 15, 2024
Vildor will probably start Saturday's game, and play plenty against the Chiefs' top receivers (minus the injured Marquise Brown). In a competition most prominently with Khalil Dorsey and Steven Gilmore, he can all but complete a firm separation of himself with a good game Saturday.