5 biggest things to watch when Detroit Lions open training camp next week
Detroit Lions open training camp next week with several major questions still unanswered. These are the five biggest storylines that could shape the rest of the summer.
The Detroit Lions open training camp next Monday, and while this roster doesn’t have a ton of position battles, the ones that exist carry real weight. From the left guard competition to a revamped cornerback room to new schemes on both sides of the ball, Detroit has plenty to sort out before the regular season. Here are the five biggest things we’re watching when the Lions hit the field.
Who wins the left guard job?
This is the only true starting job up for grabs, and the competition is deep. You’ve got the incumbent, Christian Mahogany, who has started at left guard for this team before and comes in healthy. You’ve got Juice Scruggs, who the Lions acquired in the David Montgomery trade. You’ve got veteran Ben Bartch, the only guy on this roster who has logged significant time at left guard in the NFL. Michael Neese has been with the Lions for five seasons and has bounced around the interior in camp and the preseason. Giovanni Manu is getting his first look at the position. And then there’s Miles Frazier, who Detroit drafted last year and can play both guard spots and both tackle spots.
If you ask me right now, I’d lean toward Bartch winning the job. But my opinion on this changes weekly, and Mahogany has the upper hand of experience in the system. He’s done it before. Let’s see what he looks like when he’s fully healthy.
Is Kerby Joseph going to be on the field day 1?
This is going to be one of the very first things we learn. The Lions have not told anyone what Joseph’s actual injury is, so ignore the internet when people try to tell you it’s career-ending or that he won’t play this season. We flat out do not know. What we do know is that day 1 of camp will tell us more than we’ve known since last season. If he’s out there practicing with everybody, that tells us a world of things.
Who replaces Terrion Arnold at cornerback?
The Lions were dealt a difficult hand when Terrion Arnold was arrested and is reportedly going to trial for a kidnapping and armed robbery case in Florida. Detroit wasted no time releasing him, and now the team needs to find a new starting cornerback opposite DJ Reed.
The easy answer is to slot in Rock Ya-Sin, and I think that’s what most people expect. But this is a moment for a lot of guys. This is where Ennis Rakestraw can step up and say he’s not a bust, that the Lions drafted him in the second round for a reason. Nick Whiteside can prove he wasn’t just a flash in the pan. Khalil Dorsey can show that he’s more than a gunner. Keith Abney, the rookie, can come out and be the steal everyone keeps calling him.
The Lions could also make a trade, sign someone in free agency, or claim a player who gets cut at final roster cuts. There are plenty of options. But it feels a little reckless if they stand still and do nothing.
How different will Drew Petzing’s offense look?
We’ve talked about Petzing’s Arizona offense and how much it leaned on gap scheme and heavy personnel with 12 and 13 personnel groupings. The Lions have talked about wanting to throw deep and do different things. The question is whether we’re going to see an offense that looks similar to what Detroit ran under Ben Johnson and Dan Campbell, a blend of old and new, or something entirely different.
We probably won’t know the full picture until pads come on and 11-on-11 drills start in earnest. But we’re going to get a feel for it early. And if Petzing installs everything I think he’s going to install, Jahmyr Gibbs could be in for a career season. That’s all I’ll say.
How much nickel defense will Kelvin Sheppard add?
Sheppard has talked a lot about incorporating more nickel packages, and the Lions have been one of the teams that played the fewest snaps of nickel in the NFL under both Aaron Glenn and Sheppard himself. Now is their chance to evolve that defense.
I still think the core identity stays the same. The Lions are going to be about stopping the run, making teams one-dimensional. That’s who they want to be. But adding more nickel to the mix should help, and I think it could be the solve this defense has needed. You have to hope they can keep guys healthy enough to sustain it for an entire season. We’ll see where it goes when camp opens next week.
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