The Detroit Lions’ sixth practice of training camp—and their second in pads—had a bit of a red carpet feel for what they call “Back Together Weekend.” The session included the welcome return of several key players, including linebacker Alex Anzalone, first-round pick Tyleik Williams, and a handful of others who had been nursing minor injuries. The energy was high, the pace intense, and outside of a couple brief post-play moments where things got a little chippy, the practice remained controlled. It was a well-oiled machine moving together with purpose and on a mission.
In this piece, I’ll walk you through a set of additional positional observations and lingering opinionated themes — with an eye toward complementing, not duplicating, the coverage from Pride of Detroit’s two titans, Jeremy Reisman and Erik Schlitt. But before diving in, be sure to check out Erik’s Day 6 observations and catch Erik and Jeremy’s Day 6 video recap on Pride of Detroit Direct.
Defensive line
There’s a growing sense of something formidable brewing up front on the interior—a vibe somewhere between the John Henderson–Marcus Stroud Jaguars (2002–2007) and the Vikings’ Wall of Williams duo (Kevin and Pat, 2005–2010). The svelte DJ Reader and rookie Tyleik Williams are starting to resemble that kind of interior pairing: light on their feet, immovable in the run game, and disruptive enough to command six to eight hands on a given play.
They’re not just space-eaters either. If solo-blocked, they can collapse things quickly. That duo might help unlock more one-on-one opportunities for Aidan Hutchinson, and just as intriguingly, they could serve as vision-blocking wreckers when Kelvin Sheppard dials up Steve Spagnuolo- or Lou Anarumo-style pressure packages.
Reader and Williams, along with a few other stalwarts, completely bottled up the first-team run game on Saturday. Those two had a few rendezvous in the background before the run play could even get going. There were also several instant-pressure blitz calls—six or seven defenders flying in at once—that immediately overwhelmed protection and eroded the pocket. One particularly fun look featured Williams as a stand-up edge rusher before running a defensive line stunt
Speaking of Hutchinson—I’m getting Terminator 2: Judgment Day vibes from that Cyborg. He blew up plays at the point of attack and on backside blow-ups in the run game (you simply can’t leave him unblocked), and registered a few nearly untouched pass rush wins that would’ve resulted in sacks or QB hits in a real game. Hutchinson also capped off practice by running down-backs the width of the field, which turned into a number of other defensive linemen following suit.
Then there’s Marcus Davenport, one of the few players who doesn’t make Hutchinson look physically imposing by comparison. He had a few pass rush reps where he bench-pressed Dan Skipper straight into the pocket. His power is real and gives the Lions true optionality, whether aligned as a big defensive end or kicked further inside.
The group behind them may be tested until reinforcements arrive in the form of Alim McNeill, Josh Paschal, and Mekhi Wingo, but Pat O’Connor, Chris Smith, Keith Cooper Jr., and especially Nate Lynn each flashed Saturday against the backup offensive line.
Offensive line
It’s now three straight days with Tate Ratledge at right guard and Graham Glasgow at center—and with 43 days until the Lions head to Lambeau, I’ve come around to this being their most optimal starting combination. While Glasgow may be slightly better and more experienced at right guard, and Ratledge might be more valuable projecting as the team’s long-term center, the priority should be stability and manageable expectations. There’s already plenty on Ratledge’s plate without also making him a Day 1 defensive coordinator target as a rookie center.
Saturday offered a snapshot of the learning curve: Ratledge drove Tyleik Williams well in the run game on one play, then committed a false start on the next. There will be growing pains. But letting Ratledge settle into his natural right guard spot, next to Penei Sewell, without added responsibilities, could accelerate his development while giving the line its best shot early on.
Ideally, Ratledge will still pick up some center reps in practice or preseason, potentially positioning himself as Glasgow’s backup depending on how the deep and competitive interior depth chart shakes out. Kayode Awosika, Netane Muti, Trystan Colon, Kingsley Eguakun, Michael Niese, and Colby Sorsdal are battling for one or two spots on the initial 53-man roster—and it’s a real fight. Awosika, Muti, and Colon each had solid moments pulling or climbing to the second level with the second-team offense today, while Eguakun held up well in several 1-on-1 pass protection reps. The Lions appear well-insulated on the interior if injuries strike.
The same can’t be said for the tackle depth at the moment. If Taylor Decker were to miss time, there’s reason for concern. Dan Skipper struggled mightily Saturday, particularly in pass protection against Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. It’s a tough ask—those are top-tier edge threats—but the drop-off was notable. Meanwhile, Giovanni Manu remains very much a project, which is understandable considering his stiffest competition prior to last season was probably a University of Saskatchewan Huskies pass rusher. It’s fair to wonder whether the Lions will be able to stash Jamarco Jones on the practice squad. While Skipper brings real value as a sledge-hammer sixth OL and extra blocker, Jones may be better suited to fill in as a full-time tackle with some chip help in pass protection if needed.
Linebacker
This was my first good look at the Frankenstein’s Monster that is Year 3 Jack Campbell—and he’s moving and hitting like a different dude. It’s just one practice, but he flashed repeatedly in the backfield against the run and even as a blitzer, arriving quicker than expected.
It was also a boost to see Alex Anzalone back in a limited role, and equally encouraging to watch Derrick Barnes slide into the Will linebacker spot. The SAM role is built for Barnes, but this was a reminder that he still offers downhill burst and coverage instincts as a traditional off-ball linebacker. On one standout play, he timed up a blitz and jolted Jahmyr Gibbs before letting up and allowing Jared Goff to complete the play.
Zach Cunningham and Grant Stuard both continued strong camps. Cunningham’s football IQ and size stood out, and he made a few splash plays in run support, including one toss of a back that showed a level of lateral quickness he hadn’t flashed much in recent stops with the Titans, Eagles, and Broncos. Stuard, meanwhile, strikes like a viper—slithering past blockers and fearlessly throwing his body into contact. He’s not just a special teams tone-setter. Together, he and Cunningham made a strong, synchronized, pairing on the second-team defense.
Tight end
Sam LaPorta is moving well and had one “smooth as butter” first down—snagging a pass over the middle and turning what looked like a 10-yard gain into a 20+ yard YAC showcase.
The bigger storyline at the position, though, might be Shane Zylstra’s usage. He appears to have a solid grip on the TE3 spot, working with both the first- and second-team offenses. Offensive coordinator John Morton is getting creative with him, and Zylstra rewarded that trust with several catches—most of them short, near the sideline—where he showed he can be a dependable asset in the passing game.
Defensive back
Terrion Arnold continues to look like the real deal. He tracked Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond step-for-step on deep routes, comebacks, and crossers, and was rarely targeted during team drills—a strong sign of growing respect.
On the opposite side, Amik Robertson saw plenty of run as the outside CB2 once D.J. Reed exited. Robertson rotated between the outside, slot, and lined up as a third second-level defender in the box. Rock Ya-Sin also took reps outside.
Recent addition Dicaprio Bootle had a standout day. He blew up a swing pass in the flat after demolishing Tim Patrick’s screen block and brought heat on multiple other tackles, showing a level of physicality that will make him hard to ignore.
Versatile safety Erik Hallett drew a very NSFW burst of praise from Kelvin Sheppard after knifing through a blocker and dropping a back in the backfield for a loss. And rookie Loren Strickland strung together two tone-setting plays in a row: a sideline thump and a strong run fit that stood a ballcarrier upright at the line.
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