Jeremy already broke down 6 things to watch during Detroit Lions OTAs earlier this week after practices officially began Wednesday, May 27.
With the media set to receive its first opportunity to observe practice during Friday’s session — the third day of Phase 3 — I wanted to dive a little deeper into a few roster-related storylines that have been on my mind and hopefully gain at least some clarity beginning Friday.
Obviously, organized team activities are neither padded nor full-contact practices, so it is important not to overreact to anything this early in the process. Still, OTAs can help begin painting the initial picture for what will ultimately be a foundational few months, with training camp and preseason games eventually determining the pecking order in position battles and spots on the initial 53-man roster.
Below are my seven additional things to watch for during Lions OTAs.
Offensive lineman Miles Frazier
While Jeremy already covered the left guard competition in his preview and mentioned Miles Frazier as part of that battle, I am also curious to see whether Frazier cross-trains at both guard spots and, assuming Giovanni Manu opens as the second-team left tackle, whether the second-year LSU product also gets reps as the third-team right tackle.
It will be difficult for Frazier to truly establish himself as a dark-horse contender for the starting left guard role while potentially juggling multiple responsibilities across the second and third units, but developing reliable versatility would provide clear value both this season and long term.
Tight end Miles Kitselman
The undrafted rookie earned draftable grades from numerous analysts during the pre-draft process and will compete with Zach Horton and Thomas Gordon for a potential TE4 roster spot.
Kitselman’s usage — not just whether he is working with the second or third team — will be worth monitoring. Tennessee deployed him all over the formation, including inline, in the slot, and occasionally in the backfield, and that type of versatility could significantly strengthen his case for a roster spot.
One of the more important things to monitor early in OTAs will be the Lions’ plans at nose tackle — starting with confirming that Tyleik Williams is running with the first team and officially inheriting DJ Reader’s old role as the primary early-down defender aligned head-up or shaded over the center. Taking his place commanding multiple blockers on the interior with Alim McNeill.
Even without full contact, watching Williams and Cade Mays eventually square off down the line should provide some entertaining brute-force collisions.
Almost as important as confirming Williams’ role will be identifying the pecking order behind him. Does McNeill slide over in certain packages? How do the reps get distributed among Chris Smith, Jay Tufele, UDFA Aidan Keanaaina, and possibly Myles Adams?
Assuming no additional veteran reinforcements are added — and there are not many meaningful upgrades left on the open market anyway — at least one of those depth options will likely need to carve out a role on the initial 53-man roster.
Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike
As one of Levi Onwuzurike’s biggest supporters, for me it will be worthwhile to get an update on both his health and his projected usage within the defensive front.
Specifically, whether he is operating as the fifth defensive lineman in the primary rotation, mixing in at five-technique with the first team at times, and continuing to see work in passing-down packages kicked further inside — a role where he quietly thrived in 2024.
When healthy, Onwuzurike remains one of the defense’s more disruptive chess pieces on the defensive front because of his alignment versatility and interior quickness.
It will also be helpful to gather early intel on who else is working in that hybrid five-technique/three-technique role among Tyler Lacy, Payton Turner, Mekhi Wingo, and rookies Skyler Gill-Howard and Tyre West.
Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein
From the draft process through training camp last season, Ahmed Hassanein almost evolved into a Lions folklore figure among portions of the fan base. His story was unique, he was easy to root for, and there was understandable desperation for additional pass-rush juice opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Unfortunately, his rookie season did not unfold as hoped. Hassanein was waived with an injury settlement during final roster cutdowns before eventually returning to the practice squad in November — not exactly an uncommon path for a sixth-round pick.
OTAs will offer Hassanein an opportunity to prove he is healthy and capable of earning a spot within the active defensive end rotation behind Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, and Derrick Moore.
With Alex Anzalone gone, there is real mystery surrounding how the Lions plan to structure and utilize their base and nickel personnel groupings, and Derrick Barnes may be the skeleton key to it all.
Last season, Barnes was often deployed more as a fifth defender on the line of scrimmage in a Sam linebacker role rather than as a traditional stacked off-ball linebacker.
Now, it remains unclear how much the Sam linebacker role will truly exist moving forward and where Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Damone Clark, Jimmy Rolder, Trevor Nowaske, Joe Bachie, and Erick Hunter mix-and-match around centerpiece Jack Campbell in both the Will and Sam roles.
Nickel defense 11th defender
The Lions’ defensive back room is quietly loaded with roughly a dozen rosterable players, many of whom are capable of handling multiple responsibilities.
Whoever eventually claims the nickel role — and how effective they prove to be there — could directly influence how frequently Detroit uses seven-man fronts, including heavier Sam linebacker usage.
One of the few relatively safe assumptions regarding the position entering OTAs is that Roger McCreary will likely receive the first opportunity with the starting nickel group, while Keith Abney II appears poised to transition inside after spending most of his Arizona State career aligned outside.
Beyond that, there are still plenty of moving parts. It will be interesting to monitor whether Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Thomas Harper, or Avonte Maddox also receive opportunities there, especially within more evolved three-safety nickel packages.
