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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Saturday that his coaching staff has taken notice of undrafted rookie receiver Jackson Meeks.
The Detroit Lions have a pretty full wide receiver depth chart. That’s especially the case when considering the team added two wideouts in the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, undrafted rookie receiver Jackson Meeks has still stood out for Detroit this preseason.
After the 24-17 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters his coaching staff definitely has Meeks on its radar with the NFL roster cutdown day approaching.
“He’s somebody that we’ve feel like has approved every day, every week. So you’re always going to take notice of those guys,” Campbell said to the media. “He’s going to be somebody we talk about tomorrow. He’s going to come up because he’s elevated his play and he is noticed.
“We’ll be discussing him for a while tomorrow.”
In Week 2 of the NFL preseason, Meeks led the Lions in every major statistical receiving category. The undrafted rookie had seven catches for 93 receiving yards on eight targets.
His longest catch was 27 yards, and he tallied an 11-yard touchdown.
The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs argued during the offseason Meeks had sixth-round value in the 2025 NFL Draft. Crabbs projected Meeks to have value as a depth receiver and special teams player in the NFL.
“Meeks is physical, tough and plays the game with a desired edge — this was groomed in part by his time at the University of Georgia, where he played a significant special teams role for the Bulldogs,” wrote Crabbs.
“However, he got a chance to showcase his hands, contested catch ability, and body control on the perimeter this past year at Syracuse.”
What Jackson Meeks Could Bring to Lions
In the NFL, it’s key for depth receivers to fulfill multiple roles. Not only might they need to catch passes if injuries occur, but they often must be smart and physical players for special teams.
Meeks meets those requirements. As Crabbs explained, he gained experience on special teams early in his college career with Georgia.
Then at Syracuse last year, Meeks became a star receiver. In 2024, he had 78 catches for 1,021 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Against higher competition in the SEC, Meeks had just 10 catches for 132 yards in 36 games over three seasons. But he showcased that given time, he can develop his skills at receiver.
And in the meantime, he can contribute in other ways besides catching passes.
“The athletic profile appears to be missing the explosiveness required to be an all-around threat at wide receiver, but this is a rosterable player with room to grow in refining his routes,” wrote Crabbs.
Lions Wide Receiver Depth Entering Week 3 of NFL Preseason
Based on what Campbell said Saturday, Meeks appears to be pushing for a roster spot in Detroit. But he faces stiff competition.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick are expected to be the top three receivers for the Lions this season. Although his biggest contribution to the team is as a punt returner, veteran Kalif Raymond is also returning.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Lions selected Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa at No. 70 overall in the third round. Detroit also grabbed wideout Dominic Lovett at No. 244 in the seventh.
Interestingly, Meeks and Lovett were teammates at Georgia in 2023. Lovett posted 54 catches for 613 yards with four touchdowns that season while Meeks had one reception for 23 yards.
It’s not unheard of for undrafted free agents to win roster spots over seventh-round picks during rookie seasons. But if the Lions retain Meeks over Lovett, they will be choosing the opposite receiver Georgia prioritized two years ago.
In Week 2 of the preseason, Lovett had two catches for 14 yards.
Meeks has outshined his former college teammate in preseason games. Meeks has 11 catches, 176 receiving yards and two touchdowns in two exhibition games this season.
NFL teams must cut their rosters down from 90 to 53 players by 4 pm ET on August 26.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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