The Breakout Nobody Expected From Lions' Preseason Opener

Hassanein has had a nice training camp and entered last Thursday's preseason game as a solid roster contender. However, the second-year edge rusher was the best player on the field for the Lions' defense and was more dominant than expected.

In 29 defensive snaps against Cincinnati, Hassanein tallied two sacks, two tackles for loss, five quarterback pressures, and three defensive stops. The 24-year-old also earned an 89.9 Pro Football Focus grade, the highest for either team, and one of his sacks came versus the Bengals' first-team offense.

Hassanein missed most of his rookie campaign in 2025 with a pectoral injury suffered during the preseason, and when he was healthy, the Boise State product was stuck on the practice squad after being brought back in November. The Lions decided to keep him around on a futures deal for camp, and it's looking like a fantastic decision.

Though Hassanein likely won't be able to snag a starting spot in Kelvin Sheppard's defense, the young pass rusher should make the roster and play a key rotational role. Hassanein is playing too well right now for Detroit not to give him a chance in the regular season.

Hassanein was poised to show improvement this summer, but this type of breakout wasn't believed to be in the cards. The 2025 sixth-round pick is well on his way to sticking around in the Motor City for another year, this time on the active roster.