Position Battles to Watch in Lions' Matchup With Chiefs

Plenty of position battles still undecided ahead of second preseason game.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kaden Davis (88), / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions' roster is full of competition.

Coach Dan Campbell has explained his affinity for having competition at every position heading into the regular season. By setting up position battles, it brings out the best in all players competing in these areas.

The Lions have multiple undecided position battles heading into the second week of the preseason, and as a result the game offers another opportunity for Campbell to watch multiple players get reps at these positions in a game setting.

Here are three position battles still undecided that are worth watching in the Lions' second preseason matchup.

Backup Quarterback

The Lions battle between Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker took a bit of a bump when Hooker went down with an injury in the preseason opener against the New York Giants. Detroit's second-year passer was limited to just two series after suffering a concussion.

After missing two practices this week, Hooker was back in action Wednesday and Campbell said he was trending toward playing. That would be very beneficial for his development, as any game reps are good reps after missing all of the preseason in his rookie year.

Sudfeld, meanwhile, is trying to recover from a rough first performance. He finished the game last week on a strong note by leading a drive into the red zone, but it was largely a stagnant day for the offense. Saturday offers him an opportunity to right that ship.

If Hooker is unable to play, the Lions could roll out Jake Fromm, who was signed for depth but could stake his claim to stick around on the practice squad with a strong performance.

Wide receiver 3/4

Campbell has been consistent about the state of the Lions' wide receiver room. Several players at the position have staked their claim at a bigger role, but consistency seems to be lacking in this area. Among the candidates who have stood out the most are Kaden Davis and Daurice Fountain.

The Lions' head coach made a statement earlier in the week about the coaching staff hoping for a player to step up and take their role. Kalif Raymond seems set to be the team's third wide receiver, and Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the most proven of the other candidates.

Peoples-Jones has recovered from a slow start to have a better showing in recent days and could be on track to get a role that many believe was set for him prior to the start of training camp. Still, time hasn't completely run out on players like Fountain and Davis, but they could use a strong showing Saturday.

Nickel cornerback

With Emmanuel Moseley suffering an injury, the Lions' nickel cornerback has been up for grabs. Newcomer Amik Robertson played reps at the position in the opener, with Ennis Rakestraw also seeing time there.

There's other players in the mix, namely Ifeatu Melifonwu who is a safety that was converted from cornerback. Those instincts would be big at the nickel position, but a late start could set the Syracuse product back at points.

Detroit could deploy different players at different packages in this area, but it needs a consistent option in the slot. Robertson may be the leading man currently, and Rakestraw could use this position as a ticket to early playing time. This will be a fun battle to watch between multiple players who have intriguing upside.