The Detroit Lions head into training camp with a few obvious pressure points, and the biggest ones are all about finding the right answers before the season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Dan Campbell’s team is coming off a year in which it missed the playoffs, but the roster still carries plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Even so, the Lions have to sort out some important jobs before the real games begin.
Up front, the offensive line is going to look different, and the new pieces have to click fast. All-Pro Penei Sewell is moving to left tackle, while 2025 first-round pick Blake Miller takes over Sewell’s old spot at right tackle. At center, offseason addition Cade Mays is set to step in, and he may be the most important free-agent pickup Detroit made this offseason.
Those three will be central to how the line functions, but they can’t do it alone. The Lions also need steady work from Christian Mahogany at left guard and Tate Ratledge at right guard. For this group, it’s all about trust and chemistry, and Detroit needs the unit to come together by the end of camp.
There’s also a real competition brewing at EDGE. D.J.
Wonnum and rookie Derrick Moore, a second-round pick in April, both have a legitimate chance to start opposite Aidan Hutchinson. That battle should run through camp, with the sharper player earning the job for Week 1.
The secondary may be the most unsettled part of the roster. Cornerback became even more complicated after 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold was cut in June following his arrest for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery and kidnapping plot in Tampa, Fla.
At outside corner, Roger McCreary and Rock Ya-Sin are expected to get the first crack at the spot opposite returning starter D.J. Reed. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., now entering his third season, should also see work on the boundary during camp.
McCreary is also the front-runner at slot corner, but he won’t have that path to himself. Christian Izien and Keith Abney II are both in the mix, and Abney - an Arizona State product and one of the Lions’ two fifth-round picks this year - is another name to watch.
If Detroit can settle those jobs before camp ends, it would put Kelvin Sheppard’s defense in a much better position heading into the season.
In Other News...
Lions Left Guard Battle Just Took A Sudden Turn In Camp
Training camp has a way of sorting out the depth chart quickly, and the Lions already have one of their more interesting battles taking shape on the interior of the offensive line. Left guard is open enough that Detroit is sorting through multiple options, with the staff using camp reps to get a clearer read on who can handle the job when the pads come on and the competition gets real.
Christian Mahogany is part of that mix, along with Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier and potentially Giovanni Manu, which gives the Lions both experience and upside to weigh as they build out the line. Campbell has made clear the team will let the competition unfold, and the wrinkle here is that Detroit may be watching more than one player at the same time as it tries to settle a spot that could matter a lot once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Finally Reveals Why He Passed On The Lions
At Big Ten Media Days, Matt Campbell explained the thinking behind the career move that took him from Iowa State to Penn State, and in the process revisited a decision that still resonates in Detroit. Back in 2021, the Lions were searching for their next head coach amid a full-scale reset, and Campbell was among the names tied to the opening before the job eventually went to Dan Campbell.
What stood out in Campbells remarks was the kind of place he wanted to land, one with history and a feel that matched his own background. He said Penn State checked those boxes, which helps frame why Detroit did not, even as the Lions were trying to climb out of the wreckage of the Matt Patricia era and build something new. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Rookie Suddenly Has A Real Shot In Crowded DT Battle
Training camp has already put the Lions defensive tackle group under the microscope, and the opening weeks of the battle have given rookie Skyler Gill-Howard a legitimate path to stick. Detroit is sorting through multiple roster competitions, and after the team moved on from veteran Jay Tufele, the interior line picture got a little clearer for a sixth-round pick who is still working his way back from ankle surgery.
Gill-Howard is trying to carve out a role in a crowded room that also includes Levi Onwuzurike, who is returning from injury and looking to reestablish himself. For a rookie with limited college action last season, every rep matters, and the early camp setup suggests the Lions will keep giving him a chance to prove he belongs in the mix. [Read more 🡒]