Detroit Lions rookie class is only a week into training camp, but the early returns are starting to come into focus - and for a lot of these first-year players, the biggest story is simply getting on the field and staying there.
That matters, because the Lions have already had some injury issues ripple through the group. Even so, most of the rookies have been able to take part in camp as Detroit heads toward its August 13 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. That preseason opener should be a useful snapshot for a few different reasons: rookies tend to get extended looks in these games, the Lions will get their first chance to run through offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s script, and the team will get another chance to see whether this draft class has already delivered on some key picks.
Here’s where the rookie stock report stands heading into another week of preparation.
Blake Miller has been getting one of the best possible training-camp tests. He’s spending time against Aidan Hutchinson, which is exactly the kind of pressure a young tackle needs if he’s going to grow fast. Miller, the first-round pick, is in the mix for the starting right tackle job against Larry Borom, who is trying to win back a starting role with a contender.
Camp notes from LionsOnSI’s John Maakaron suggest Miller still has work to do, especially with his footwork when Hutchinson throws bull rushes and spin moves at him. But that kind of learning curve is part of the deal when a rookie is getting first-team reps.
Outside of that, there hasn’t been much to worry about with his progress. The Lions’ offensive line looks about 90% settled, and Miller sorting out his spot would make it feel as complete as it has since 2024.
Derrick Moore’s camp has been solid, but now he’s dealing with a setback. The rookie is working through a “minor strain,” according to The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy, and is expected to miss about a week. That’s a rough break for a player who was lined up to get preseason snaps.
Before the injury, Moore had been holding his own. Pouncy noted last Friday that he had been winning his 1-on-1 reps and even picked up a pressure during team periods. There’s clearly some adjustment time ahead for him as he gets used to NFL speed, but the injury interrupts the rhythm he was building.
Jimmy Rolder is in a tougher spot. After a good minicamp and OTAs, the linebacker suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the first week of camp and is expected to be out for “a while,” per Pouncy. That situation helps explain why the Lions signed veteran linebacker Devin White.
Rolder now has to get back quickly if he wants to re-enter the competition. The linebacker battle is already crowded behind Jack Campbell, and Dan Campbell said the injury is not a “season ender.”
Still, the timing is lousy. Rolder was viewed as a player with promise as a tackler and in coverage, but he can’t build that case while sidelined, and the White signing puts him in a more precarious position.
Keith Abney II has had the kind of rookie cornerback camp that comes with highs and lows. The Lions are trying him both in the slot and on the outside, and the early signs suggest he’s making progress at both spots. Pride of Detroit’s Al Karsten wrote in his Monday camp takeaways that Abney looked poised with the third-team defense and got his hands on the ball multiple times in red-zone situations.
He still has a long way to go before he’s pushing Rock Ya-Sin for the starting CB2 job. But the path to the second-string nickel role - or even the first-team nickel spot - looks more realistic right now.
Skylar Gill-Howard hasn’t made much noise yet. The sixth-round pick lost multiple 1-on-1 reps earlier this week against offensive linemen, which isn’t the kind of early impression a young defensive lineman wants to leave. That said, the Lions have a deep group up front with Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Tyler Lacy, and others back in the mix, so it was always going to be difficult for a rookie to break through.
Tyre West is in a similar lane. He hasn’t produced a standout camp either, and the numbers in front of him make that understandable.
With so many returning defensive linemen in the fold, it’s hard for a rookie to separate himself. Preseason games and the rest of camp will matter a lot for both West and Gill-Howard, but at this point, both could have an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster.
In Other News...
Lions May Finally Be Getting An Answer At Cornerback
Training camp has given the Lions a closer look at one of their most important unresolved spots, and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is right in the middle of it. With D.J. Reed locked in as the top corner, Detroit is sorting through the options for the job on the other side, and Rakestraw has earned first-team work while healthy enough to take part in the competition.
For a player whose early pro career has been slowed by injuries, simply being available has mattered almost as much as anything he has shown on the field. Dan Campbell has sounded encouraged by Rakestraws progress, even if the work remains uneven, and Rakestraw has kept his focus narrow - stay healthy, take it one day at a time, and try to keep stacking the kind of practices that can settle a position battle. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Veterans Suddenly Face A Real Camp Fight For Roster Spots
Training camp has a way of clarifying a roster, and in Detroit it is doing just that. The Lions have built enough depth that the last few spots are turning into a real battle, with veterans like Josh Paschal, Giovanni Manu and Trevor Nowaske all needing strong showings to hold off younger challengers and stay in the conversation as the preseason unfolds.
That kind of pressure only increases when injuries start reshaping the picture, because every missed rep gives someone else a chance to climb. Detroit is still sorting out the roles and performances at the edge of the roster, and while some players have the benefit of experience, the competition has made even familiar names feel less secure than they did when camp opened. [Read more 🡒]