The Detroit Lions rookie class took the sector on Friday morning for the primary of three rookie minicamp practices. This was the one of the three that will probably be opened to the media, so I took as detailed notes as I presumably might.
Listed below are my greatest takeaways from follow, notably with Detroit’s seven 2025 draft picks.
Word: For a full listing of contributors, take a look at this earlier story on the UDFA signings and tryout gamers.
DT Tyleik Williams
As identified in an earlier article, Williams was fairly restricted in his time on the sector resulting from a plan laid out by the Lions. He solely participated in a handful of sped-up walkthrough reps earlier than working with a coach on the hill in the back of the follow discipline.
In what restricted motion we noticed, Williams did stand out due to his measurement. Listed at 334 kilos on the Lions’ roster, nobody else on the sector seemed even near matching his measurement. He did line up at each nostril and three tech from what I noticed.
G Tate Ratledge
Most notably, Ratledge was the first middle when the group started practices with full-team walkthroughs. It was arduous to inform definitively, however I’d say he got here near splitting these reps with undrafted rookie Leif Fautanu. Throughout the different half of his time, Ratledge performed proper guard.
Listed below are the 2 offensive line lineups I observed through the opening walkthrough—the one time the offensive line did full-team work:
Staff 1:
LT: Bryce BenhartLG: Leif FautanuC: Tate RatledgeRG: Miles Frazier RT: Mason Miller
Staff 2:
LT: Bryce BenhartLG: Kingsley Eguakun C: Leif FautanuRG: Tate RatledgeRT: Miles Frazier
WR Isaac TeSlaa
Whereas TeSlaa did get some work within the slot, the excessive majority of his taking part in time was spent on the skin throughout Friday’s follow. Throughout walkthroughs, the Lions didn’t throw the ball, however he was closely featured when Detroit went to 7-on-7 drills.
Actually, all three of the primary passes of follow went to him, with the rookie catching two. The primary catch was a pleasant adjustment from TeSlaa, coming again on a ball that was thrown again shoulder on the sidelines. On the opposite, he cleanly beat the cornerback on an out route, the place he took a stab inside that slowed the nook down. The one incomplete go was damaged up by the defender, though there was a fairly clear jersey tug throughout TeSlaa’s break.
What was most attention-grabbing was how the Lions challenged him defensively. For many of follow, they lined up six-year NFL veteran Duke Shelley reverse him, and it’s clear the Lions teaching workers wished him to play press-man protection on TeSlaa—one thing he didn’t take care of a lot in school.
It was a robust begin to follow for TeSlaa, however it was total an up-and-down day for him. He had one other go his manner damaged up after not creating separation, and he fell down on a few routes as effectively. That stated, there have been a few cases the place he was capable of beat his press protection and flash his pace, despite the fact that the ball didn’t essentially come his manner.
G Miles Frazier
As identified above, Frazier performed each proper guard and proper deal with. That’s nothing new for Frazier, who backed up each deal with spots at LSU whereas beginning (largely) at proper guard. Based mostly on restricted reps on Friday, he was extra profitable inside. Frazier admitted there are some issues he’s already studying at deal with.
“At deal with, you must have much more endurance and simply extra learn and react than begin the struggle. Right here, now I’m studying to modify up my units as a substitute of going at a vertical angle. Bounce set, flash set, simply have totally different units at deal with, so I really feel like that’s undoubtedly going to assist me play deal with right here, as effectively,” Frazier stated.
EDGE Ahmed Hassanein
Whereas Hassanein seemed noticeably small for what the Lions usually like in an EDGE (he’s 6-foot-2 in comparison with Marcus Davenport’s 6-foot-4), it was additionally simple to see the motor that endeared him to Detroit. A number of occasions, he made his manner into the backfield throughout walkthroughs, and he even displayed a fairly spectacular long-arm in opposition to an inside lineman—regardless of comparatively brief arms.
Maybe essentially the most Hassnein-like second occurred throughout particular person drills, the place gamers have been engaged on an edge bending drill that finishes with a tackling of a dummy. The horn sounded to rotate to the following drill, however Hassanein pleaded to coaches to provide him yet another shot. They obliged, and Hassanein completed the drill.
S Dan Jackson
It was arduous to provide any insightful evaluation of Jackson when a lot of follow was centered on run suits. Jackson did blitz as soon as and get to the quarterback, however the play I observed him most was when he was close to the field, lined up in man protection in opposition to tight finish Zach Horton.
Horton ran a tough path to match, reducing all the best way throughout the sector on a shallow crosser. Jackson instantly acknowledged the route and labored by all the site visitors to remain on him. Had the go been thrown (this was walkthroughs), Jackson would’ve been throughout it. That matches a number of the intelligence and instincts which are on his faculty tape.
WR Dominic Lovett
Lovett is the one draft choose I didn’t have any notes on.
Different standouts:
Undrafted rookie WR Jackson Meeks made the offensive play of the day, catching a deep ball—with tryout cornerback Tavian Montgomery draped throughout him—for a formidable contested catch. He high-pointed the ball completely. In an early battle between the 2, Meeks additionally got here away with the contested catch in tight protection.
One other UDFA who stood out was Vanderbilt cornerback Tyson Russell, who logged back-to-back go breakups within the remaining classes of 7-on-7s. On one, he confirmed robust closing pace, aggressively attacking the palms of a receiver on a comeback route.
Friday was our first alternative to see a number of new Lions coaches in motion, and none stood out greater than working backs coach Tashard Selection. He was the loudest and most energetic coach on the sector, and was equally intense and playful.
