The Pads Came On and Everything Changed at Allen Park
The first padded practice of training camp hit the Meijer Performance Center and it was exactly what you’d expect from a Dan Campbell-coached team. Except it wasn’t. More on that in a second.
Monday brought contact, competition, and a few reality checks for guys who thought they had this thing figured out. Some rookies learned what the NFL actually feels like. Some vets reminded everyone why Brad Holmes brought them here. And somewhere in the middle of it all, an undrafted running back might have just punched his ticket to the 53-man roster.
Let’s get into it.
Christian Mahogany and Miles Frazier Are Fighting for Left Guard
The left guard battle is real and it’s happening now. Christian Mahogany and Miles Frazier are splitting first-team reps while Ben Bartsch stood off to the side without pads doing individual work. That’s usually not a great sign for your chances.
The competition looks like it’s down to Mahogany, Frazier, and possibly Scruggs, though Scruggs didn’t get any time with the ones on Monday. This is the kind of position battle that will get sorted out fast once the contact ramps up. One guy is going to separate. We just don’t know who yet.
Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph Are Coming Back Soon
Brian Branch was off to the side in full uniform running with trainers and he looked good. Not just jogging in a straight line good. He was cutting, changing direction, exploding out of breaks. Everything you want to see from a safety working his way back.
Kerby Joseph was also doing side work. Stretches, calisthenics, some light running. Nothing about his movements suggested he won’t be ready when it matters. Both safeties are trending the right way and that’s a damn relief because this defense needs them both.
This Was the Least Violent First Day in Pads I’ve Ever Seen
Here’s the weird part. The Lions have built their reputation on practicing hard. They hit. They don’t pull punches. Dan Campbell’s teams don’t do soft.
But Monday was surprisingly tame. Very little contact until the 11-on-11 periods. No big collisions in 7-on-7s. No crowd-gasping hits during positional drills. For a first day in pads, it felt like they were saving the violence for later in the week. Maybe that’s smart. Maybe it’s just the new normal. Either way, it was not what we’ve come to expect from this staff.
Jacob Saylors Had the Best Day of His Lions Career
Jacob Saylors might have just saved his roster spot. He got a ton of opportunities on Monday and cashed in every single one. First 11-on-11 period, he ripped off a big run. Second 11-on-11, he caught a short pass from Teddy Bridgewater and took it to the house.
Saylors has a legitimate shot at winning that third running back job. If he keeps this up, Brad Holmes is going to have a tough decision to make. And honestly, that’s exactly the kind of problem you want to have.
Blake Miller Had a Rough First Day in Pads
Look, it’s not a disaster. It’s just reality. Blake Miller got juked out of his shoes by D.J. Wonnum on a swim move. Tyler Lacy overpowered him and pushed him back on another rep. Small stuff, but noticeable.
This is his first padded practice in the NFL. Of course there’s going to be room to grow. Of course there are going to be moments where a vet makes him look like a rookie. That’s how this works. The question is whether he learns from it or lets it snowball. My money is on the former, but yeah, it was a little rough.
11-on-11s Were Where the Real Work Happened
Rock Ya-Sin continues to turn heads. The coaches are constantly yelling encouragement his way and it’s clear they love what he brings. Tyler Lacy recorded a sack on Jared Goff. Mehkii Wingo and Levi Onwuzurike teamed up to drop Teddy Bridgewater. On the other side, Lucky Jackson made a nice sideline grab against Amaris Brown with Hassaneen bearing down. That might have been the play of the day.
Oh, and Hassaneen keeps looking better every single practice. I’m starting to get legitimately impressed by what he’s showing.
DJ Reed broke up a pass intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown, but Amon-Ra came right back a couple plays later, caught a ball from Goff in a tight window, and took it to the house. That’s the kind of back-and-forth you want to see in camp. Elite players answering elite plays.
Cade Mays is looking like everything the Lions wanted at center. He was dominant in drills, held up well under pressure, and didn’t allow much penetration. Then there’s undrafted rookie Anthony Lucas, who hit Miles Frazier with a nice jerk move in one-on-ones, pulling him one way and then ripping around the edge. That’s how you make a roster as an UDFA.
Quick Hits and Leftover Notes
Kye Robichaux had a nice day. Lawrence Keys was looking good before he left with an injury. Speaking of injuries, Sione Vaki (eye), Lawrence Keys (leg), and Anthony Firsker (leg) are all being evaluated after Monday’s session. Hopefully nothing serious.
The return man battle looks like it’s coming down to Greg Dortch, Tom Kennedy, Lawrence Keys, Isiah Pacheco, or Dominic Lovett. Those are the guys consistently getting reps back there.
Malcolm Rodriguez and Devin White rotated with the first team at linebacker. Avonte Maddox had a really nice run stuff on Jabari Small that got some “woos” from the crowd. And there was very minimal scuffling, which is probably for the best considering how long this season is going to be.
The Moon Was Out
The moon was visible for basically the entire practice. Being that I’m the moon guy, I had to bring it up. No deeper meaning here. Just acknowledging celestial bodies doing their thing over Allen Park.
Is Jacob Saylors really about to earn a roster spot or are we setting ourselves up for another camp darling letdown? Drop your take below.
