3 positional battles to watch for in Lions' final preseason game vs. Texans

The Detroit Lions have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Despite losing both their defensive and offensive coordinators this offseason, their weapons on both sides of the ball are so good that it shouldn't matter too much who is calling the shots for them.

Even with that talent, we've seen some interesting positional competitions taking place in training camp and the preseason. Between the rise in stock for Isaac TeSlaa as well as UDFA Jackson Meeks, and the emergence of Isaac Ukwu last week against the Miami Dolphins, there are plenty of battles brewing still that might not have a conclusion until the very last moment.

There are a few battles we can get a glimpse at in their near totality this Saturday, as the Lions face off with the Houston Texans for their final bout of the preseason. We can almost smell the crispy leaves and stadium fare indicating football season.

4 positional battles to watch for vs. Texans

QB2 competition

We'll be getting a final Hendon Hooker start in this Texans games, with hopes from both himself and the team that he can finally piece together a solid game. Turnovers have plagued Hooker in addition to just not trusting the pocket enough, leading to a lot of lost yardage due to scrambles. He hasn't gotten into a rhythm in the same way that Kyle Allen has the last two games of the preseason.

If Hooker puts together a great game, then it feels like it tips the scale in his favor to remain on the roster as the teams' 3rd quarterback. If not, then Detroit will probably accept defeat as it pertains to how they handled Hooker's development and not carry him on the 53-man roster.

WR3 battle

Initially, it felt like this was a two-man friendly feud between TeSlaa and veteran receiver Tim Patrick. But, TeSlaa has been really sticking out in camp and preseason - in a great way. Between athletic snags for touchdowns, running with the 1s in training camp, and now getting 1-on-1 work in with Jared Goff on Thursday, TeSlaa looks like he's getting groomed to take over that WR3 spot.

READ MORE: Lions' offensive line nightmare just got worse after concerning injury update

However, it fee ls like even TeSlaa has some competition now in the form of Meeks. The UDFA looked great against the Dolphins, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards, and adding a touchdown on the day to that nice stat line. While Meeks could also just be a gunner, he's been showing flashes of even more usage than that.

In addition to WR3, in general, the wide receiver room is a fun one to think about ahead of the deadline for a final roster. As team reporter Tim Twentyman noted in his practice observations from Thursday, Dominic Lovett, Kalif Raymond, and Meeks are all vying for a spot on this roster alongside TeSlaa and Patrick, and they all look good.

EDGE competition

With news of Josh Paschal's injury timeline being extended, players like Isaac Ukwu, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Mitchell Agude, and Nate Lynn have to be feeling pretty good about their chances of making the roster by way of so many injuries opening up holes. Lynn has been especially impressive in camp and preseason, but Ukwu just had a great game against the Dolphins.

Additionally, there's always a chance the Lions finally go out and sign Za'Darius Smith to the 53-man roster. With the Tuesday deadline approaching and Paschal's news dropped, Detroit might go for who they already feel comfortable with in Smith to take one of the final roster spots at EDGE.

More Lions news and analysis