The Detroit Lions’ three-week Organized Team Activities program kicks off on Wednesday. It’ll be the first field work open to media for the 2026 season, and with player and coach availability, it’ll be an opportunity to learn plenty about the team this year.
We haven’t talked to coach Dan Campbell since the owners meetings, and we haven’t seen the Lions take the field since they walked off of Soldier Field following a relatively meaningless victory in Week 18.
So here are six things to watch for when the Lions start OTAs this week.
Just about every time Dan Campbell or Brad Holmes has met with the media this offseason, they’ve been passing the buck on providing an update on Kerby Joseph, noting that they’d know a little more in a couple of weeks. It’s now been a month of media silence from the Lions, and it’s reasonable to believe Campbell could give a more substantiative update on Joseph’s knee at the beginning of OTAs. It seems unlikely Joseph will be participating, but we may have a better sense of his return timeline and long-term outlook after talking to Campbell.
The other two major injury updates we’ll be looking for are on Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta. Branch will almost certainly be absent from practices, but it would be nice to hear that his rehab is on schedule and possibly get an estimated time of return. LaPorta has an outside chance of participating—at the end of the season, he had hoped to be running by OTAs—but, again, this will be more about checking in with his rehab progress and updating his timeline.
Other injuries to check in on: Brock Wright (neck), Levi Onwuzurike (ACL), and Dan Jackson (leg).
By now, we would’ve normally had our first look at the Lions’ new draft class via rookie minicamp. That also comes with individual media sessions for each pick.
So we’ve got a lot of catching up to do with the Lions’ seven 2026 NFL Draft picks and the undrafted rookie class. Whether it’s hearing from them on how their early transition to the big leagues is going or seeing where and how they line up with their veteran teammates, there will be plenty of attention spent on the team’s rookie class.
While I still believe the starting left guard job is Christian Mahogany’s to lose, he’ll undoubtedly have to work to keep it. Miles Frazier will have his first offseason to grown, learn, and compete. But Detroit now has experienced veterans in Ben Bartch and Juice Scruggs (who will most likely rep at center) who could enter the fray, as well.
An offensive line is only as good as its weakest link, and while left guard doesn’t necessarily have to be a weakness this year, it is the only starting position that doesn’t have a clearly defined standout.
Given Detroit’s relative lack of investment in roster upgrades this offseason, they will likely relying on their young corps of players’ development to get overall improvement from their 2026 squad. That growth will have to come from Holmes’ 2024 and 2025 draft classes.
As OTAs begin, I will be focused on that 2024 class that has underwhelmed thus far. But if Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw, Sione Vaki, Mekhi Wingo, and Mahogany can take the steps in development that we’ve seen only flashes of thus far, it can not only change the perception of that draft, but give the 2026 Lions a major boost. If Arnold can become a good-to-great reliable starter, Detroit’s future at cornerback suddenly looks a lot brighter. If Rakestraw can stay on the field, the Lions’ depth looks solid. Vaki or Wingo could expand to roles beyond special teams, and Mahogany could firmly establish himself as the starter. Even if only a few of those things happen, Detroit’s 2024 draft class looks suddenly better.
But 2025 draft class growth may be even more important. Tyleik Williams, Tate Ratledge, and Isaac TeSlaa are slated for huge roles this year, and they’ll need to prove they were worth the investment. We won’t get all of our answers about their development during OTAs, but it’ll be a sneak peek into their progress.
Schematic changes on both sides of the ball
Obviously, the Lions are still in the process of developing and installing their schemes for the 2026 season, but this will be our first look at any noticeable changes to the offense under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. It’ll also just be a chance to see how he runs practice. I’m not expecting anything drastic, and we won’t be able to report on too many specifics, but it’ll be interesting nonetheless.
I think more intrigue is on the defense, where personnel decisions may be dictating a shift in scheme. With fewer investments in linebackers and more on the edge and secondary, could Detroit be moving to more 3-4 looks or nickel packages? Could they lean a little more into zone coverages after a rough year from the secondary? What does Kelvin Sheppard have under his sleeves as he enters Year 2 as coordinator?
Does practice look any different?
Finally, I’ll be on the lookout to see if practice is run any different. All offseason, the Lions have said they are going to turn over every rock in order to make sure last year’s disappointing season never happens again. They’ve changed their offseason schedule, cancelled rookie minicamp, disbanded joint practices—all in the promise to get back to basics.
So what does that look like on the practice field? Will we see higher-intensity practices (as much as the rules currently allow)? Will there be more one-on-one competitions that we saw earlier in the regime? Or will the Lions actually take an edge off in order to avoid the injury-plagued years of the past two seasons?
While I doubt that last one, I do expect some alterations to how Campbell runs practice, because the entire staff seems devoted this offseason to change and growth.
