An offseason position change might be just what second-year edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein needed to put himself in a better position to make an impact for the Detroit Lions in 2026.

He switched from the rush end to the big end in Kelvin Sheppard's defense after the team signed DJ Wonnum in free agency and drafted Derrick Moore Jr. in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. After eight training camp practices - four in full pads - the move seems to be a better fit for Hassanein's skillset.

"I'm grateful for the coaches first of all to put me in that position to be successful," Hassanein said after Friday's practice. "I feel like it worked out big time for me because it's all I did (in college) at Boise State. I was really successful at Boise.

"I feel like I'm the guy (who) can play dirty, can talk smack and it fits my position better. It fits my style of play a little better, taking hard (double teams) and I can do the dirty work. I just never stop."

Hassanein (6-2, 275) recorded 22.0 sacks and 33.0 tackles for loss combined in his final two seasons at Boise State as a full-time starter in that big end role.

After getting hurt in training camp in 2025 and being released with an injury settlement, he re-signed with Detroit midseason and spent the last half of the year on the practice squad. That gave him a good foundation going into Year 2.

He's done a nice job being an early playmaker on defense, especially during the last four padded practices. That kind of consistency is what it takes for a young player like him to potentially make the initial 53-man roster.

"I worked my butt off this offseason and I'm grateful for (Aidan Hutchinson), he put me on the same trainer as him, David Lawrence," Hassanein said. "I think I started at 35 percent body fat and finished with 18 percent body fat. I added so much muscle and dropped so much fat, and it's helped me with movement and agility and my speed."

It's shown at practice. Hassanein has been a consistent winner in one-on-one drills against the offensive line and been in the backfield in team periods, earning him second-team reps in recent practices.

There's still a long way to go in training camp, including three important preseason games for young players like him, but Hassanein's play early in camp has been a pleasant surprise for the Lions.

GRITTY CAMP

Detroit has conducted eight training camp practices so far. We've seen some veterans, like wide receiver Jameson Williams, take the next step in their development. We've seen youngsters, like cornerback Nick Whiteside, show off playmaking ability and earn more opportunities.

With 90 players on the roster, training camp is all about standing out and making the most of opportunities. As the team wrapped up the second week of camp Friday ahead of a player's day off on Saturday, assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery had an interesting perspective of why this point in camp is make or break for so many players.

"The second week of camp is when we start to see the separation, not just between skill, but it's also the mental separation that starts to happen," he said.

Who has picked up the scheme allowing them to play just that little bit faster? Who learns from their mistakes and doesn't make them again? Which players avoid the missed assignments? That's just as important as making the catch or the tackle for some of the players on the back of the roster hoping to make the team.

"This has been, for us, coming off of what we came off of last year, accepting it, acknowledging it. It feels really, really gritty out there right now," Montgomery said. "There's a lot of competition between groups, inside of the groups, offensive side of the ball, defensive side of the ball."

EXTRA POINTS

• The Lions waived (injured) cornerback De'Shawn Rucker and signed defensive lineman Ben Stille.
• Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Tyler Conklin (calf) and guard Ben Bartch were limited participants in practice Friday.
• The players not taking part in Friday's practice included: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, running back Isiah Pacheco, running back Sione Vaki, guard Juice Scruggs, edge rusher Derrick Moore, edge rusher Payton Turner, defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo, defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, linebacker Jimmy Rolder and cornerback D.J. Reed.