Defense ahead early: Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Thursday the defense has been a little bit ahead of the offense so far in OTAs. That's to be expected with so much more continuity returning on that side of the ball with Kelvin Sheppard having been in the building and the meeting room the last two seasons. It's mostly a veteran defense in Detroit too, returning 10 starters from last season. The defense has looked pretty good throughout OTAs. We'll see if that continues heading into training camp.
Advantage Gibbs: Campbell talked a little bit about John Morton's offense before practice and how Morton is really focused on isolating certain players with the focal point this spring being on wide receiver Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta. In one team period Thursday, Gibbs found himself isolated in space against rookie edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein. That is certainly advantage Gibbs and the offense.
Rodriguez update: Veteran linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez tore his ACL last November, and Campbell said Thursday a conservative timeframe for him to return to action would be sometime this November. The Lions view Rodriguez as the fourth starter, and not having him for the first couple months of the season will be a blow to Detroit's linebacker depth and special teams.
O-line grouping: With Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow not taking part in Thursday's optional final OTA practice, the first-team offensive line consisted of Giovanni Manu (left tackle), Christian Mahogany (left guard), Tate Ratledge (center), Kayode Awosika (right guard) and Dan Skipper (right tackle). It gave us a good idea what the depth at tackle looks like heading into camp. Ratledge played only center Thursday.
Opportunity knocks: With Terrion Arnold not taking part in OTA practices this spring, it's been a great opportunity for fellow second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to step in and get a ton of reps with the first-team defense. Campbell said Rakestraw is one of the players who has stood out this spring. He also said the best players are ultimately going to play.
We'll see if Rakestraw can push Arnold on the outside come training camp. At the very least, he's hoping to do enough where coaches are forced to create some packages to get him on the field. It's a good sign he's had such a great spring.
View photos from Day 5 of Detroit Lions OTA practice on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (97) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Ronnie Bell (10) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James (80) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Grant Stuard (15) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein (61) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Roy Lopez (51) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Dominic Lovett (19) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes (55) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Shane Zylstra (84) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Mitchell Agude (50) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates (39) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Myles Adams (66) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Erick Hallett (36) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Dan Jackson (28) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Hall of Fame sighting: Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson attended Lions practice Thursday. I swear he still looks like he could go out tomorrow and drop 100 receiving yards on a defense.
Veteran presence: One player who's stood out to me among the second group of defenders has been nickel/safety Avonte Maddox. He's just a player who always seems to be in the right spot. The Lions signed him in free agency to be their No. 3 safety and No. 2 nickel, and he so far has looked like a great fit and a good depth piece. Versatile, tough and experienced. I've liked his play on those second units so far.
