By admin 
The Detroit Lions are set to exit their Week 6 bye in the upcoming days to prepare for a critical NFC North matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field.
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Detroit is 3-2 on the year and coming off a blowout 45-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5. With the NFC North returning as one of the most competitive divisions in football, the Lions must stay on top of their game and take advantage of every opportunity presented to them.
That said, let’s take a look at two Lions players and a certain position group with the most to prove exiting the bye and heading into Packers game week.
Center Cade Mays
Mays is expected to be activated from injured reserve this week and possibly make his Lions debut on Sunday against the Packers. The veteran has yet to take the field this year due to a wrist injury suffered in the early stages of training camp.
Though Mays was Detroit’s marquee free-agent addition and has shown that he can be a reliable starting center, the Lions have gotten exceptional play out of Juice Scruggs with Mays out. Scruggs, who was traded to Detroit in March from the Houston Texans in the David Montgomery deal, is currently the highest-graded center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus (75.6).
If Mays ends up starting this week, he must uphold the standard set by Scruggs and be a valuable piece to the offensive line.
The Cornerback Room
The entire cornerback room has a lot at stake over the next few weeks. The group has been abysmal so far this year, and if it doesn’t show progress quickly, general manager Brad Holmes will certainly look at external options to find better play.
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D.J. Reed will likely remain a starter for the remainder of the season, but the No. 2 boundary corner spot has seen a few starters, including Rock Ya-Sin and Roger McCreary.
Regardless, someone has to step up at that spot, or we could see Detroit make a move at the trade deadline for a corner.
Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa
The Lions’ passing offense is already incredibly dynamic, but it could reach a new level if TeSlaa can show some consistency.
After solid performances in Weeks 3 and 4, TeSlaa didn’t pull in a catch in Week 5 against Arizona. The Arkansas product has flashed his big-play ability in 2026, but has yet to put it all together.
Detroit could use a viable No. 3 receiver in the offense alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. TeSlaa is supposed to be that guy, and we’ll see whether he can finally fill the role.
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This story was originally published October 18, 2026 at 7:59 PM.