Training camp is still a few weeks out for the Lions, but the pressure is already building in Detroit. With cornerback, safety, left guard and the edge spot opposite Aidan Hutchinson shaping up as the main fights, the message is clear: outside of the established stars, nobody is locked in.
That kind of uncertainty can be uncomfortable. It can also be the opening a few players need to force their way into the picture.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is one of them. He’s suddenly carrying a lot of weight as one of the Lions’ remaining chances to show the 2024 draft class wasn’t a total miss.
Giovanni Manu and Sione Vaki are still around and trying to avoid the cut-candidate conversation, but Rakestraw looks like the best bet of that group to actually matter this season. With Terrion Arnold released, there’s a path for Rakestraw to become a key backup - or even a starter - if he can finally stay healthy.
He’s played just eight games through three NFL seasons, and if he can shake the injury issues in camp, he could open the year as the starter next to DJ Reed or at least as Rock Ya-Sin’s top backup.
Christian Izien is in a different spot, but the pressure is just as real. Detroit brought him in as a veteran safety to help bridge the gap while Kerby Joseph and/or Brian Branch get healthy.
In three seasons, Izien has piled up 165 total tackles, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, five passes defended and 7.5 stuffs. Right now, he appears lined up to start to open the season, a spot earned by strong work at OTAs and minicamp alongside Chuck Clark.
The challenge is obvious: both players are being asked to function as full-time starters on a contending team, even if that’s not really the stage of their careers they’re at yet.
Payton Turner is another name worth watching closely. Former Lion Grant Stuard recently said Turner could post a "10 plus" sack season, and while that sounds like a teammate pumping up a friend, there’s real optimism around Turner’s summer. Dan Campbell has been impressed with what he’s seen.
"I know this, there’s been nothing that (Turner's) done that has been a disappointment to us through all of spring since we started this, the offseason program. The meetings have been good.
The field work has been good. He’s moving around well.
His care factor is up there, seems like he is a pretty smart guy, so you know we’re intrigued. That’s also why we brought him in, you know, we liked him when he was coming out as a pup a long time ago, so we’ll see.
We'll see."
Turner is listed fourth on the edge depth chart behind Hutchinson, Tyler Lacy and rookie Tyre West, but camp could change that quickly. If he keeps trending the way Detroit wants, he has a real chance to jump those names and settle in as Hutchinson’s immediate backup.
Then there’s Tyler Conklin, who may be staring at the toughest road of the bunch. Tight end looks more settled than most rooms on the roster, with Sam LaPorta clearly at the top and Brock Wright bringing system familiarity after starting much of the season in 2025 in place of LaPorta.
Conklin is the new guy, and that makes his margin for error thinner. Still, his roughest season came last year with the Los Angeles Chargers, so there’s at least reason to think he can bounce back.
And with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing known for leaning on tight ends and dependable pass catchers, Conklin has a lane if he can show he still brings the receiving ability he’s flashed before.
In Other News...
A Familiar Fix For Detroit's Pass Rush Might Not Be Gone Yet
ZaDarius Smiths name is back in the conversation for the Lions, even if only indirectly for now. After his brief stint with Philadelphia in 2023 ended with a retirement, the Eagles released him from the reserve/retired list in June 2024, which naturally reopened the door to speculation about what comes next for a veteran pass rusher who already spent time in Detroit.
Smith was a familiar midseason addition for the Lions in 2024 after arriving from Cleveland, and he gave them useful pressure off the edge before the offseason moved on without him. Detroit has spent plenty of time sorting through ways to keep its pass rush steady, so any hint that a proven option might not be done yet is the kind of development worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Penei Sewells Standing Just Made One Lions Change Feel Massive
Penei Sewells place among the NFLs elite has long been settled in Detroit, where the Lions have leaned on him as one of the most dependable players on the roster. Even after a 2025 season interrupted by injuries, the left tackles standing remains as strong as ever, with three straight First Team All-Pro selections underscoring just how high the bar has been for him.
Dan Campbells latest comments only added to the sense that the Lions are making a major line adjustment with real confidence behind it. Sewell has prior experience on the left side, and Campbell made clear he expects the transition to go smoothly, a notable vote of trust for a player whose rsum already puts him in rare company. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Obvious Pass Rush Move Before Camp
The Lions head into camp with much of their defensive core back in place, but the edge group still looks like a spot where one more proven piece could help. Detroit already moved on from Al-Quadin Muhammad and used a high draft pick on Derrick Moore, signaling that it wants more juice and depth around Aidan Hutchinson as it builds out the front seven for 2026.
A veteran like Jadeveon Clowney would fit that conversation neatly because he has spent 12 years finding ways to stay useful for different teams, and he just turned in a productive season in Dallas. For a defense trying to keep its pass rush steady over a long year, the question is less about whether there is room for another edge and more about whether the Lions want to turn that obvious opportunity into a move before camp opens. [Read more 🡒]