TIM AND MIKE: OTA Week 1 observations

Hutchinson impact: During a two-minute 11-on-11 team drill Thursday, No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson made his presence felt. It's no pads and limited contact in OTAs, but Hutchinson had a three-play sequence rushing from the interior where he would have recorded three straight sacks on quarterback David Blough had the drill been live. He was behind undrafted rookie guard Zein Obeid on the third play of the sequence before Obeid could even get out of his stance. – Tim Twentyman One-on-one fun: Wide receiver Quintez Cephus and cornerback Amani Oruwariye matched up for one last play before the team moved on to a different drill. Cephus made a quick cut over the middle to make the reception, with Oruwariye in good coverage. It was a good play, and it was obvious both players enjoyed the matchup. – Mike O’HaraBig flex: I think third-year running back D’Andre Swift hit the weight room pretty hard this offseason. Swift looks like he’s added muscle. He had his sleeves rolled up and was spotted flexing a couple times after nice plays. – Tim Twentyman Okudah sighting: Third-year cornerback Jeff Okudah has kept us pretty up to date on his recovery from Achilles surgery last year through his social media channels. It was good to see Okudah on the field taking part in team walkthrough periods and individual periods. It looks like he could be trending for an increase in his workload by the start of training camp. The Lions' defense will be much better in 2022 if the former No. 3 overall pick can get past the injuries that have plagued him his first two seasons. – Tim Twentyman On the corner: Will Harris was drafted as a safety in 2019 and has played safety and cornerback since then. He is strictly a cornerback this year, and he showed some ability to play the role with a diving interception near the sideline. – Mike O’HaraDouble duty: Second-year defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, who the Lions selected in the third round in last year’s NFL Draft, has been playing both safety and cornerback this offseason. Playing safety was something the team brought up to him this offseason, so he’s giving it a go. He played both safety and cornerback in Thursday’s open OTA practice. – Tim Twentyman Decker sits: Veteran left tackle Taylor Decker is dealing with a minor foot injury and didn’t take part in Thursday’s practice. Head coach Dan Campbell said if there was a game Sunday Decker would play, so it’s a minor thing he’s trying to get behind him before the start of training camp. Also at practice but not taking part Thursday were: WR Jameson Williams, CB Jerry Jacobs, TE James Mitchell and TE Derrick Deese Jr. – Tim TwentymanDefense wins: Campbell said he wanted more competitive periods in OTAs than he did last year. Thursday he ran a period where the offense started on their own 40-yard line with 45 seconds on the clock and one timeout. The first-team offense, led by quarterback Jared Goff, got into field goal range on a nice connection over the middle from Goff to wide receiver DJ Chark, but kicker Austin Seibert missed field a goal try. Quarterback Tim Boyle and the second-team offense lasted just one play after cornerback Mike Hughes stepped in front of a Boyle slant pass and took it to the house. Quarterback David Blough led the third-team offense into field goal range but kicker Riley Patterson missed the try. – Tim Twentyman Animated finish: The team did a ball carrier vs. two-hand tackler drill to finish practice with Duce Staley and Aaron Glenn getting pretty animated after each offensive or defensive victory. Glenn even hit the ground for a breakdance move after one defensive win. The drill finished with wide receiver Kalif Raymond juking out linebacker Jarrad Davis to thunderous celebration by the offensive players and coaches. – Tim Twentyman