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Today is a great day. Not because it is my birthday, but because the NFL is back. The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions open the festivities Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
An offseason of preparation and roster manipulation has led to this point. While there are still weeks to juggle bottom of the roster spots before settling on a 53-man active roster, there is no better opportunity than the present to write about some of the players of intrigue in tonight’s game. The reality is that each team will likely rest its starters most, if not all, of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, but live-game repetitions are a visual resume for those fighting to make the active roster.
Below are some of the players — with varying role sizes — to which I will be paying particularly close attention:
10. CB Terrion Arnold, Lions
Arnold was drafted No. 24 overall last season. Among cornerbacks that were targeted on 75 throws or more, the Alabama product had the seventh-best defensive completion percentage (52.8%), according to TruMedia. Although his defensive coordinator is gone, Arnold should be more comfortable entering his second professional season.
Detroit may be cautious in his usage and sideline Arnold for the preseason opener after leaving practice earlier this week with a hamstring injury.
How to watch, stream 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game: Trey Lance to start for Chargers vs. Lions
9. EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, Chargers
Joey Bosa is gone from last year’s team and the performance of Tuipulotu is one reason why the franchise was comfortable moving on from the former face of the franchise. Last season, the USC product recorded 8.5 sacks. It will be interesting to see if he can take his game to yet another level. Tuipulotu is the future of Los Angeles’ pass rush given Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree are each 32 years of age or older.
8. TE Oronde Gadsden, Chargers
A field-stretching tight end was on the short list of needs for Jim Harbaugh’s team this offseason. They were unable to fill that role in free agency and waited until Day 3 of the NFL Draft to select Gadsden. Gadsden is built more like a jumbo wide receiver and his ability to make plays down the field could satiate the need.
7. QB Trey Lance, Chargers
Lance is expected to start the game. The former No. 3 overall selection has not developed in the manner that he or his former teams anticipated, but the athletic capabilities still exist. He has the potential to make the game entertaining even if it the most extensive exposure he will see this season.
6. DT Tyleik Williams, Lions
Detroit’s approach to the defensive interior this offseason felt like a franchise scarred by last season’s experiences. They signed veteran Roy Lopez, re-signed Levi Onwuzurike and drafted Williams in the first round to go along with Alim McNeill and D.J. Reader. It felt like overkill in the moment, but a training camp injury to Onwuzurike validated the team’s maneuvers.
Williams is a stout interior prospect who should elevate the run defense.
5. OT Giovanni Manu, Lions
A year ago, the Lions traded away a third-round pick for the right to move up and select Manu — a raw offensive tackle prospect from the University of British Columbia. Manu did not factor into last season and early returns from training camp have been mixed. There is still a level of intrigue that comes with Manu, given his Canadian football background, and seeing him against NFL competition in the preseason is intriguing.
4. WR Isaac TeSlaa, Lions
Similar to Manu, Detroit parted with significant draft capital to trade up for TeSlaa. The ex-Arkansas Razorback and Hillsdale College Charger checked a lot of boxes: size, speed and athleticism. Yet, his SEC production was rather pedestrian. Will the investment in TeSlaa pay off and solidify WR3 on the roster or will he become an example of a team’s overconfidence in their own evaluations?
3. EDGE Kyle Kennard, Chargers
Chargers fans may be witnessing the future of its pass rush when Tuipulotu and Kennard take the field. The latter represented good value where Los Angeles was able to snag him in the fourth round. Given the departure of Bosa and the advanced age of Mack, Dupree, odds are good that Kennard will be called into action early in his career. If he shines in those moments, there is no reason fans should not pencil him in as a starter in 2026.
2. LB Daiyan Henley, Chargers
Henley is one of the game’s emerging young linebackers. He is very athletic and has a good feel for the game. In a recent article at CBSSports.com, I laid out my case as to why Henley fits the prototype of an NFL All-Pro. He finished the season with nearly 150 tackles, a sack and an interception.
1. WR Tre Harris, Chargers
Tight end was noted as an offseason need for Los Angeles, but the same was true of wide receiver. The Chargers needed a player who could stretch the field and take some of the pressure off Ladd McConkey. When Mike Williams abruptly retired, the team’s options boiled down to retread Jalen Reagor, returning Quentin Johnston or Harris. The former Ole Miss Rebel has made some attention-grabbing plays in training camp, but is now tasked with showcasing his potential against opponents in different colored uniforms.
