The Detroit Lions opened Year 6 of training camp under Dan Campbell on Wednesday with a crisp, 90-minute practice free of injuries and skirmishes. While the biggest headlines centered around the absences of Jahmyr Gibbs and starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, several players turned in noteworthy performances on the field.
With the Lions practicing in shells rather than full pads, many of the standout moments came through the passing game or from players who capitalized on expanded opportunities.
Jared Goff’s receiving triplets — WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR Jameson Williams, and TE Sam LaPorta
Even without Gibbs, Detroit’s offensive playmakers wasted little time reminding everyone how stacked this group is.
St. Brown opened 7-on-7 drills with one of the catches of the day, hauling in a fully extended toe-tapping reception along the sideline despite tight coverage draped over his back. It was the perfect way to begin camp, looking every bit like the aerial assassin All-Pro receiver who left off last season. He later added two more receptions on underneath throws.
His highlight-reel, 40-yard contested catch down the middle was arguably the play of the day. After throttling down to track the deep post perfectly, Williams elevated between Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Chuck Clark, who were both in tight coverage, and came down with the football before popping up with the bravado of a player poised for a breakout season.
Earlier in practice, Williams also appeared to come down with another contested ball along the sideline against D.J. Reed. Without replay, it was difficult to determine whether he got both feet in bounds, and both sides had differing opinions, but it was another impressive display of his catching ability.
UPDATE: The Lions posted a replay, and he’s clearly in.
Williams also added a sharp curl-route reception during 7-on-7 drills with Ennis Rakestraw in tight coverage, showcasing continued growth as a route runner.
While several injured players—including Levi Onwuzurike and Ben Bartch—were limited to warmups and individual drills, LaPorta looked fully healthy. The Pro Bowl tight end took roughly 90% of the first-team offensive reps, only coming off the field for a handful of snaps.
LaPorta wasn’t heavily featured as a receiver, finishing with one short catch from Jared Goff, but the bigger takeaway was how comfortable and fluid he looked coming off his back injury. Having one of Detroit’s premier offensive weapons moving at full speed again is an encouraging development entering the season.
“Old Ironsides,” as Dan Campbell affectionately calls him, may have been the biggest surprise of Day 1.
Whiteside opened practice with the third-team defense but earned a few second-team reps late in practice after recording three pass breakups.
His first came during 7-on-7 drills when he broke up a Luke Altmeyer scramble-drill downfield throw intended for Jackson Meeks. Shortly afterward, he knocked away a slant intended for tight end Miles Kitselman before capping his day with another breakup against Tarik Black, sticking with the receiver throughout an extended scramble before punching away a low Altmeyer pass.
Whiteside enters camp on the outside looking in for a roster spot, but he made the most of his opportunities Wednesday. He proved capable of stepping in when called upon last season, and performances like this could make it difficult for the coaching staff to leave him off the final 53-man roster.
Following Terrion Arnold’s release, Detroit elected not to add another cornerback. With only eight cornerbacks currently on the roster and likely six making the team, Whiteside should receive every opportunity to make his case throughout camp.
Starting linebackers — Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez
Jack Campbell’s place in this defense was never in question, but Day 1 provided encouraging signs for roles of the two linebackers alongside him.
Most notably, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez handled every first-team linebacker snap during team drills. Outside of warmups, no other linebacker rotated in with the starters, suggesting Rodriguez has an early grip on the starting WILL linebacker job while Barnes appears positioned to ascend to an every down role.
As expected for the opening practice, Detroit spent plenty of time in its base defense, with Barnes aligned at SAM linebacker on the line of scrimmage. When the Lions shifted into nickel personnel and Roger McCreary replaced Rodriguez, Barnes transitioned to off-ball linebacker, reinforcing his value as one of the defense’s most versatile pieces.
Just as noteworthy was the communication between Campbell, Barnes, and Rodriguez. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing consistently tested the defense with shifts and motions, forcing Detroit’s linebackers to communicate pre-snap and adjust responsibilities on the fly. The trio responded well, even getting Jared Goff and Cade Mays to check protections and audible before the snap on occasion.
Barnes also found his way into the backfield on multiple occasions, and when Campbell, Barnes, or Rodriguez dropped into coverage, Goff largely avoided attacking the intermediate middle of the field. Campbell also appeared to get his hand up to bat away a ball on a blitz.
Maybe the third time is the charm for the much-maligned former second-round pick.
One of the biggest surprises from Day 1 was just how much work Ennis Rakestraw Jr. received with the first-team defense.
While veteran Rock Ya-Sin rotated in throughout practice and opened as the No. 2 cornerback during certain periods, Rakestraw appeared to receive the slight majority of first-team reps opposite D.J. Reed. During one stretch, Ya-Sin even rotated in for Reed—possibly as part of a workload management plan—while Rakestraw remained on the field with the starting defense.
Rakestraw didn’t record a pass breakup or interception, but he received invaluable reps against one of the NFL’s premier receiving duos in St. Brown and Williams. Williams beat him for two tough receptions, while St. Brown hauled in the outstanding sideline catch in tight coverage, but Rakestraw consistently stayed in phase and competed throughout the day.
More importantly, Detroit’s coaching staff appears committed to giving him every opportunity to earn the starting job vacated by Arnold. Dan Campbell also mentioned before practice that Rakestraw could receive slot reps in nickel packages, further highlighting the staff’s confidence in his versatility.
Special teams reinforced that trust as well. Rakestraw lined up as the first-team gunner opposite Khalil Dorsey on the punt team, another indication the Lions intend to rely on him in multiple phases.
- CB D.J. Reed: Detroit’s CB1 looked fully healthy Goff rarely challenged him throughout practice, targeting the opposite side of the field far more often. Reed was only tested twice—allowing Williams’ contested sideline catch before later breaking up a slant intended for LaPorta.
- RB Sione Vaki: While the run game was naturally limited in shells, Vaki’s best moment came in pass protection, where he stonewalled Chuck Clark on a blitz pickup. He also served as the first-team punt team’s personal protector and opened multiple periods with the first-team offense in Gibbs’ absence. Similar to Rakestraw, Vaki is receiving every opportunity to prove he deserves a larger role, competing with Isiah Pacheco for touches and situational responsibilities behind Gibbs.
- DL Tyler Lacy: Wednesday’s heavy usage of base personnel played directly into Lacy’s hands. With Levi Onwuzurike largely held out, Lacy consistently worked as the starting big end (5-technique), opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and in between Barnes and Tyleik Williams. He also received quality reps with the reserve units, logging significantly more snaps than DJ Wonnum, who primarily entered in nickel packages for the first-team.
- OL Juice Scruggs: With Christian Mahogany on the NFI list and Ben Bartch limited, Scruggs handled the overwhelming majority of first-team reps at left guard alongside Cade Mays and Penei Sewell. Notably, all of his work came at guard rather than center.
- OL Miles Frazier: Campbell often talks about young players “drinking from a firehose,” and that certainly applied to Frazier. With Mahogany and Bartch unavailable, the rookie received extensive work at left guard with both the second- and third-team offensive lines. The concentrated reps should accelerate his development. I spoke with Frazier after practice, and while he was gassed, he was hungry for as many reps as possible.
- RT Blake Miller: Stop the fight. One day in and it appears Blake Miller is the Lions starting right tackle, receiving every first-team rep, with Larry Borom primarily playing second-team left tackle and as the first-team’s sixth offensive lineman.
- TE Miles Kitselman: After watching 21 tight ends hear their names called during the NFL Draft, the undrafted rookie is already making the most of his opportunity. With Tyler Conklin sidelined, Kitselman saw first-team reps and even served as the lone tight end during at least one 11-personnel rep, an encouraging sign early in camp.
- NT Aidan Keanaaina: Keanaaina opened camp as the primary backup to Tyleik Williams at nose tackle before Chris Smith mixed in later. Following Jay Tufele’s release, the undrafted rookie has a clearer path to earning a roster spot.
- WR Greg Dortch: Dortch looked completely comfortable as the Lions’ primary punt returner and appeared firmly entrenched as the team’s No. 4 wide receiver on Day 1.
- S Avonte Maddox: After working with the second-team defense during OTAs and minicamp, Maddox opened training camp alongside Chuck Clark in the starting lineup with the other safeties sidelined. If Joseph misses time into the regular season, Maddox’s skillset as a deep post safety could make him Detroit’s best internal option. He also served as the backup personal protector behind Sione Vaki on the punt team.
