Three Guys Who Showed Up When The Pads Went On
The first padded practice at Allen Park hit different. It always does. Suddenly the reps matter more, the blocks land harder, and the guys who have been getting hyped all offseason either show it or they don’t.
Three Lions stood out above the rest. One caught a break from somebody else’s injury and ran with it. One veteran keeps proving he’s got gas left in the tank. And one guy keeps being loud in all the right ways.
Jacob Saylors Made a Hell of a Statement
Sione Vaki left practice early with an injury. That meant Saylors got bumped up to first-team reps next to Isiah Pacheco, and he took full advantage immediately.
First 11-on-11 session, Saylors ripped off what would have been a near 50-yard touchdown run. Credit to Christian Mahogany for a monster block that sprung him loose. That alone is a nice moment.
But then he did it again. Later in practice, Saylors caught a floater from Teddy Bridgewater and took it 40-50 yards the other way for a touchdown. Not a broken play. Not a busted coverage. Just a guy making plays when given the opportunity.
Saylors has made a case to be on the 53-man roster for weeks now. But after this practice, he made a case to be the RB3. That’s a different conversation, and a hell of a lot more interesting.
D.J. Reed Keeps Looking Like Himself Again
It is safe to say at this point that D.J. Reed is back. Like, fully back.
He had two interceptions on Sunday. Then on Monday, he was sticky in coverage all day and broke up a pass intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown. When you’re winning reps against St. Brown in camp, you’re doing something right.
This is the guy the Lions were hoping for when they signed him after Carlton Davis left. And right now, Reed is proving that faith was earned.
Ahmed Hassanien Keeps Being Intense and Good at Football
If you walked into camp not understanding the hype around Ahmed Hassanien, you probably get it now. Five days in and the guy is relentless.
After a one-on-one rep with Brock Wright, Hassanien let out a primal scream loud enough to turn heads across the practice field. That’s not showboating, that’s just how the man operates.
Beyond the noise, he’s showing up on the field too. He brought pressure in 11-on-11s and displayed some finesse in one-on-ones. He’s still learning, still growing, but you can see it starting to come together.
And that’s the kind of development that makes you feel a little better about the defensive line depth heading into 2026.
Is Jacob Saylors actually about to steal the RB3 spot or are we getting ahead of ourselves? Drop your take below.
