Detroit Lions rookie review: Receivers, safety stand out in HOF Game

Breaking down every rookie performance from the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener vs. the Chargers.

The Hall of Fame Game provided a great opportunity for the Detroit Lions to give their 2025 rookie class some extra experience on the field. In the Thursday night matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers , several first-year players made strong impressions.

Rookie receivers Dominic Lovett and Isaac TeSlaa both had strong showings in the first half of the game.

Lovett, one of Detroit’s seventh-round picks, dropped his first target of the game on a pass from Kyle Allen on second-and-18 that would have converted for a first down. The rookie later redeemed himself by bringing in five receptions for 31 yards over the rest of the half. He also contributed on special teams as a returner. Lovett took one punt return for 19 yards that—if not for tripping and stumbling to the sideline—he could have taken for a good amount of extra yards.

Overall, the former Mizzou Tiger and Georgia Bulldog seemed comfortable in his roles and moved quickly on short routes from the slot. He also did the work as a blocker in the run game when asked to. Lovett is currently battling for a role on the roster as the team’s sixth receiver.

Third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa doesn’t have as much to worry about when it comes to securing a roster spot, and his play on Thursday night showed just why he’s a lock for this team. TeSlaa pulled in back-to-back receptions at the end of the first quarter, the first for 24 yards and the next for 22.

TeSlaa’s most impressive play of the day, however, was not one you’d find on the stat sheet. Lining up at the gunner spot on a punt in the first half of the game, the third-round receiver outran the blockers on the return team and forced the return man to waive for a fair catch. It’s a good thing that fair catch was called, because TeSlaa seemed ready to take the man’s head off.

The unsung rookie hero of this game was undrafted safety Ian Kennelly, a Michigan native who played at Grand Valley. Kennelly tied with the second-most tackles on the team for this game despite only really playing in the second half. In my notes for this game I wrote “Kennelly is everywhere.” as the rookie defensive back took reps as both a box safety and free safety and played especially well in zone looks.

Kennelly had six total tackles, most of which were against the run. He does a great job as a run defender making his read quickly and meeting the rusher near the line. While he only had one solo tackle, it does go to show that he plays the safety position correctly, coming down from his drop to assist the front-seven against inside runs.

Here’s how the rest of the Lions’ rookie class performed in their first taste of NFL football:

• Fan-favorite Ahmed Hassanein did not disappoint in his debut. The late-round defensive lineman showed off a variety of pass rush moves and was able to be disruptive on the line throughout the entire game. The rookie totaled four tackles on the day but some of his best contributions were from the pressure he put on the opposing offense. He almost came away with a sack on the second drive of the game, but still managed to disrupt the play enough to force a fourth down.

• Fellow defensive lineman Keith Cooper had a fairly quiet outing despite garnering some hype in training camp recently. He came away with two tackles, one of them being a combo with Hassanein to close out the first half.
• Undrafted tight end Zach Horton served as the team’s fullback for the entirety of the game. He exceeded expectations as a run blocker and was the one clearing the way for several of Craig Reynolds’ big runs.

• Seventh-round pick Dan Jackson played safety for a good chunk of the game and also repped on every phase of special teams. He had six total tackles on the day.
• Receiver Jackson Meeks had a quiet day on offense but did make a small contribution on special teams. The undrafted rookie made the tackle on the kickoff to open the second half.
• Jakobie Keeney-James had a rough night. The undrafted receiver muffed a punt in the second half and put the Chargers inside the 10-yard line. He also was targeted once on offense but did not record any stats. As a kick returner, he averaged 24 yards per return on three attempts.
• No news is good news for former North Dakota State tackle Mason Miller. He took reps on the right side of the line near the end of the game and didn’t draw any negative attention to himself.
• Undrafted cornerback Tyson Russell quietly had himself a strong game against the Chargers. He came away with three tackles including one TFL and broke up one pass attempt.