to go around. Billingsley and Powell have separated themselves from the rest of the backup receivers and should be the primary r

The Lions made no secret of their plans to upgrade at tight end this offseason and they stuck to that plan with the eighth overall pick on Thursday night.The team drafted former Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson Barry Sanders Jersey , who became the fourth player at the position to go in the top eight of a draft in the last 40 years. Going so early leads to high expectations, but Hockenson said his expectations for himself are the same as they were before the draft got underway.“Honestly, I mean, I don’t think there’s any expectations that I don’t have myself,” Hockenson said, via the . “I’m going to go in and I’m going to do the same thing I did throughout my entire life is work hard and figure out what I need to do to help that team. Whether that’s inline blocking, whether that’s catching the ball, whether that’s sitting on the bench, no one knows. There’s support, but I’m going to work my tail off. I’m going to do everything I can to help this team.”The Lions don’t have the best history when it comes to taking tight ends in the first round. Hockenson said he “can’t control anything about that” and the hope in Detroit is that his arrival will make people forget Eric Ebron http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-zach-zenner-jersey , Brandon Pettigrew and any other bad memories.Bold prediction of the week: Backup receivers shine, but to no avail It’s a new week, which means we have a new bold prediction of the week. Part of a season-long series, it will be exactly as the title indicates: one hot take every week about what will unfold on Sunday (or in this case, Thursday). With the Detroit Lions taking on the Cleveland Browns in the fourth week of the preseason, we will see a lot of last ditch efforts to make the 53-man roster. Let’s take a look at this week’s prediction.Bold prediction of the week: Jace Billingsley and Brandon Powell each score twice, but it is too little, too lateFor those who have been keeping up with Pride of Detroit’s weekly Bubble Watch, you’ll know that there has been much more controversy among the staff regarding cuts on offense compared to cuts on defense. The play among backup receivers, linemen Womens Golden Tate III Jersey , and tight ends has been a roller coaster this preseason, much less so than the defense. That means that going into Thursday’s final preseason game against the Browns, there are still roster spots to be won.For the second team offense, it’s time to shine. Bubble Watch has been all over the place regarding who’s in and who’s out on the offensive lines, with Kenny Wiggins, Brian Mihalik, Corey Robinson, Wesley Johnson, and Leo Koloamatangi’s performances all varying by week. Third-string quarterback Jake Rudock, who likely won’t make the 53-man roster Damon Harrison Jersey , will likely be trying to put together tape in hopes of getting scooped up after cuts. Odds are the offense will be a well-oiled machine this week. For Jace Billingsley and Brandon Powell, that’s good news. Billingsley has been a fan favorite in camp every year since he joined the team, including earlier this preseason. Over the last two games, however, he seems to have disappeared (to be fair, he missed last preseason game with an injury). Powell is on the opposite trajectory, coming out of nowhere the last two weeks to win over fans with his performances on offense and this spectacular special teams play:Thus with the offensive line and quarterback(s) looking to make a last ditch impression, there should be plenty of quality targets to go around. Billingsley and Powell have separated themselves from the rest of the backup receivers and should be the primary receivers Thursday night. With all that working in their favor, I see Billingsley using his shifty moves to find the end zone twice, and Powell doing the same—although one will come on special teams White Austin Bryant Jersey , just to make it sting a little more when he doesn’t make the roster. Speaking of, it will not be enough to save either of them spots. I’m a firm believer that the Lions should only keep four receivers on the roster, and the recent emergence of Hakeem Valles has only reaffirmed that notion. For Billingsley, the Lions know what they have in him from the last several years and one shiny performance against backups won’t be enough to sway their minds. For Powell, he has really stepped up in recent weeks which is showing his increased comfort with the offense as a rookie, but he lacks special utility. His skillset resembles a combination of a larger Jace Billingsley with the return specialty of Jamal Agnew. That being said, there’s a reason Billingsley hasn’t made the roster the last two years and Jamal Agnew has a firm grip on return duties. Combine that with the likelihood that Ameer Abdullah makes the roster and is next in line for return duties and there simply isn’t a need for Powell’s skillset on the 53-man roster. As a consolation prize, it’s very much a possibility we see both guys return tothe Lions via practice squad should they clear waivers. They can still help their cases for that Thursday; they’re just not necessary to the first-team offense at this time. What are some of your bold predictions for this week’s matchup? Let us know in the comments.