After an off day on Saturday, the Lions returned to the practice field Sunday for their first training camp session in front of fans. Despite a threatening forecast, the rain held off, allowing Detroit to put together a lengthy, fast-paced, and competitive practice in shells.
The defense set the tone on the final day before the pads come on, turning in one of its strongest practices of camp while several players continued making their case for larger roles and roster spots.
Below are my nine biggest standouts from the day. Keep in mind that the Lions held two individual competition periods, where I primarily observed the offensive and defensive line one-on-one pass-rush drills alongside Erik Schlitt. When necessary, I’ve also incorporated additional observations from Jeremy Reisman on the one-on-one coverage and seven-on-seven periods.
Offensive line depth — Miles Frazier & Larry Borom
With Blake Miller limited to individual drills, Penei Sewell receiving periodic rest, and Christian Mahogany still working his way back up to speed with the second team, Sunday served as another reminder of just how important quality depth and versatility are along the offensive line.
Miles Frazier went from working almost exclusively at left guard early in camp to taking reps at left tackle, left guard, right guard, and right tackle during Sunday’s practice. It was a nonstop exercise in recalibrating his footwork and technique, yet he rarely looked out of place. Frazier appeared promisingly comfortable at tackle, even rotating in with the first team at right tackle while Larry Borom handled the sixth offensive lineman role. He also turned in one of the more impressive performances during one-on-one pass rush drills going 7-1 in a team-high eight reps. On one red-zone rep, after taking second-team reps at right tackle, Frazier immediately rotated in with the third team at right guard and snow-plowed Aidan Keanaaina out of the gap. His endurance and stamina stood out throughout the afternoon while further reinforcing his value as a versatile reserve and likely the team’s fourth tackle option.
Borom continued to show why the Lions value him, seamlessly rotating between left tackle, right tackle, and the sixth offensive lineman role. He also finished a perfect 4-0 during one-on-one pass rush drills.
Both players served as another reminder that Detroit has built enough depth and versatility to keep the offensive line from becoming a liability as the season progresses.
Linebackers — Malcolm Rodriguez & Joe Bachie
Malcolm Rodriguez continued to receive an abundance of work with the first-team defense at WILL linebacker, including a handful of red zone nickel reps, while also mixing in with the second team at MIKE linebacker. He was particularly sharp in coverage, highlighted by a step-for-step pass breakup against Sam LaPorta on a fourth-down goal-line corner route. Rodriguez also flashed against the run, recording a tackle for loss on an Isaiah Pacheco run off the right side. Overall, he looks noticeably more comfortable and decisive than the rusty version returning from injury last season.
Joe Bachie followed suit with an impressive string of red-zone and goal-line reps that showcased why the coaching staff might be starting to trust the veteran. Rotating in for Rodriguez as the second-team MIKE linebacker during the first red-zone series, Bachie helped stonewall the run after Christian Izien had already blown up the previous play for a tackle for loss. Then came the goal-line period.
On three consecutive plays, Bachie recorded a tackle for loss on first-and-goal, blanketed a tight end on a quick post route without drawing a target on second down, and finished the series by breaking up a Luke Altmeyer pass on third down. A Bachie barrage like that, after already starting to quietly put together a strong camp and, if Jimmy Rolder misses time, could have the inside track for the sixth linebacker spot.
Defensive line depth – Ahmed Hassanein & Levi Onwuzurike
The arrow continues pointing up for a bulked-up Ahmed Hassanein. His energy and trademark war cries echoing throughout practice remain impossible to miss. More importantly, the production is beginning to match the enthusiasm.
Hassanein crashed down the backside to disrupt a run near the goal line, was the first defender to surge through on the lone kickoff during the end-of-game scenario with the first-team units, and later generated a pressure during that final four-minute drill. Lined up next to Alim McNeill, Hassanein looped inside on a stunt, with McNeill crashing in front, and beat Cade Mays cleanly, and forced a pressure, although Jared Goff answered with a strike to Jameson Williams.
His versatility continues to stand out, and he looks increasingly capable of providing interior pass-rush juice while contributing on special teams.
While Levi Onwuzurike is still working behind Tyler Lacy at big end and seeing most of his snaps with the second-team defense, it’s encouraging to see him beginning to rev his engine.
During one-on-one pass rush drills, Onwuzurike gave Juice Scruggs the business with a powerful bull rush before following it up with a physical rep against Tate Ratledge. He carried that momentum into team drills,where he had an overwhelming pressure inside to force Teddy Bridgewater to dirt a ball. Later, during red-zone work, Onwuzurike crossed Miles Frazier’s face and quickly penetrated into Luke Altmeyer’s lap, forcing a hurried throw that nearly resulted in an interception.
If Detroit’s defensive front is going to take another step forward this season, reclaiming the disruptive version of Onwuzurike will be a significant piece of that equation.
Cornerbacks — Rock Ya-Sin & Keith Abney II
Before practice, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard expressed confidence in his secondary, emphasizing the value of having cerebral veterans in the defensive backfield.
“The quarterbacks in this league are too good now. So, it’s all about lying to them,” Sheppard said. “You have got to be liars on defense. You have got a lot of that guy with the green dot on offense. Pre-snap, he has to see something and then post-snap, that picture has to change or else you’re sitting duck. And, these guys have done these things. They understand the why behind it.”
Rock Ya-Sin backed up those comments with another encouraging day as he continued battling for a starting role.
During one-on-one and seven-on-seven periods, Jeremy Reisman shared that Ya-Sin was fantastic against Isaac TeSlaa, forcing two incompletions in his pair of reps against the second-year wide receiver. He carried that momentum into full-team red-zone drills, opening the period by breaking up a pass intended for TeSlaa on a post in the end zone that Jared Goff launched up to TeSlaa from roughly the 20-yard line. A few plays later, Goff went back to TeSlaa on a fade near the goal line, Ya-Sin once again broke up the pass as it was reaching TeSlaa’s massive catch radius. The veteran cornerback consistently outmatched TeSlaa’s size and physicality throughout practice, refusing to give ground.
Keith Abney II also had an encouraging afternoon.
Still working primarily with the third-team defense, Abney nearly came away with two interceptions in the red zone. First, he dove in front of a seam route intended for Tarik Black in the end zone before nearly jumping a goal-line slant on fourth down while aligned at outside cornerback.
For a rookie starting to find his footing, getting his hands on the football twice in high-leverage situations was another promising step in his development.
Tight end — Anthony Firkser
The Lions’ decision to bring Anthony Firkser back for a third stint with the organization already looks justified. With Miles Kitselman working through some expected growing pains and Tyler Conklin still rounding back into football shape after injury, Firkser provided a steady veteran presence.
From an operational standpoint alone, Firkser brought value. With Sam LaPorta still on a modest pitch count, he stepped in with the first-team offense and allowed the Lions to keep the operation moving without worrying about missed assignments or communication issues.
He also turned into a playmaker during the second-team red-zone periods.
Firkser first hauled in a play-action touchdown from Teddy Bridgewater on a walk-in throw to the flat at the goal line. On the very next possession, Bridgewater went right back to him on a well-designed tight end screen that Firkser rumbled into the end zone behind excellent blocking from Christian Mahogany (also had a strong day), who paved the way in front and turned one defensive back into roadkill.
