The Lions’ left guard competition just got a lot more interesting.
Christian Mahogany, who was already facing pressure to hold onto the job, was placed on the active/non-football injury list to begin training camp on Tuesday. That adds another layer to a spot that already looked unsettled heading into August.
Mahogany took over as the starter last season and did an OK job, but injuries slowed him down and he didn’t appear fully ready after returning from a fractured leg. Because of that, the job never really felt locked down. Now, with camp opening and Mahogany unavailable to start, the door is wide open for someone else to make a move.
Detroit has several names in the mix at left guard: Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, and possibly Giovanni Manu. Bartch is coming off a foot injury from last season and didn’t get any work in minicamp or OTAs, but he showed well in limited chances with the San Francisco 49ers last year. Scruggs and Frazier both have room to grow, though both are young enough to justify the coaching investment during camp.
They’re not just placeholders, either. Both are real threats to Mahogany’s hold on the starting spot, even if their experience levels differ.
Manu is the wild card in the group. The Lions have only recently started trying him at guard instead of tackle, and the early feedback from those reps sounded positive.
Dan Campbell addressed the situation back in May and made it clear the team planned to let the competition play out.
"Look, Mahogany is very much in that. He played a bunch of games for us in 24, started again, until he had the injury.
We know he’s got to build, he’s got potential. There’s a reason we brought in Bartch, we have Frazier, we might try Manu a little bit.
I mean, we’re going to let this thing go and see what happens. When you’ve got someone nipping at yourr feels constantly, it’s good for everybody."
For Mahogany, the timing matters. Missing camp now only gives Bartch, Scruggs, or Frazier more chances to climb the depth chart while the Lions keep sorting through their offensive line options.
The team also listed safety Christian Izien with an active/non-football illness designation. Izien had been taking starter snaps during minicamp and OTAs, so the hope is that whatever is bothering him isn’t serious as camp gets underway.
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