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Detroit Lions training camp observations: 6 standouts from Day 10

2025-08-04T22:13:27-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some standouts from Detroit Lions’ Monday practice include Tyleik Williams, Marcus Davenport, and Isaac TeSlaa.

The Detroit Lions held their first night practice on Day 10 of 2025 training camp in an effort to shake things up a bit and get the players accustomed to a changing schedule.

Participation report

Ahead of practice, coach Dan Campbell updated the media on Ennis Rakestraw and Dan Jackson, who were both injured in Sunday’s practice. Rakestraw is still being evaluated, but Jackson was unfortunately placed on injured reserve.

Additionally, Terrion Arnold and Dan Skipper continue to miss practice, while Kenny Yeboah returned, all as expected. Brodric Martin was a surprise absence, and we did not receive an update from the team on his status.

With short yardage and goal line drills on the docket, we saw a very physical practice, and as a result, we saw a handful of players banged up, with three players needing to leave the field early. According to the team, Pat O’Connor is being evaluated for a leg injury, Dominic Lovett is being evaluated for an abdominal injury, and Jamarco Jones is being evaluated for an ankle injury.

Tyliek Williams is showing out in run defense

Erik - While Lions first-round pick Tyleik Williams is still developing his pass rushing skills (he lost his only one-on-one rep to Tate Ratledge), his run defense is showing up more and more in camp every day.

In third-and-short drills, Williams showed terrific strength and lateral movement by pushing the pocket against the first team offensive line and contributing to a stop on David Montgomery. In 11-on-11s, Williams again caught Montgomery in the hole and stopped him for a minimal or no gain. Then, in the second set of 11s, Williams made clean stops against Montgomery, limiting him to gains of just two and four yards.

It can be very difficult to identify who is making plays in the trenches while watching practice from field level, yet it was very easy to see Williams stand out on multiple plays, which illustrates how good a day he truly had.

Isaac TeSlaa makes block of the day

Jeremy - While TeSlaa struggled during 1-on-1s against a physical Avonte Maddox, TeSlaa shined with a heads-up play during team drills.

A play-action pass from Hendon Hooker to Tom Kennedy found the veteran receiver with a lot of room in front of him. Kennedy also had TeSlaa as essentially a lead blocker, and the rookie receiver went head-hunting. He absolutely crushed cornerback Nick Whiteside, springing Kennedy for the easy score. The block was so head-turning that TeSlaa was getting most of the celebrations with his teammate, not Kennedy—who scored.

During the most recent “Inside the Den” episode, we saw clips of TeSlaa turning and finding people to block during the Senior Bowl. Safe to say that aggressive mentality is still around.

Lions’ OT depth is being tested

Erik - The Lions have had a string of poor luck with injuries at offensive tackle, and the woes continued on Monday night.

Starting left tackle Taylor Decker started the season on PUP, and while he has returned to practice, he is still not participating in team drills. So far through camp, the Lions have turned to Dan Skipper to play opposite Penei Sewell, but Skipper was injured in the Lions’ preseason game and has been unable to practice (he’s expected to miss about a week).

In the practices since the game, the Lions have next turned to Jamarco Jones to fill in at left tackle with the starters, but he was injured and forced from practice on Monday. That meant the Lions needed to turn to Giovanni Manu to step up, but he struggled with the jump in competition.

The fallout from these injuries resulted in the Lions leaning on Justin Herron to take over at second- and third-team left tackle, with UDFA rookie Mason Miller taking over at right tackle on the second- and third-team. When Herron briefly exited with an apparent injury, the Lions moved Miller to left tackle and asked Colby Sorsdal to shift outside to right tackle for a stint. Fortunately, Herron was able to return and allow Sorsdal to shift back inside to guard.

With Sewell, Decker, and Skipper all expected to miss the Lions game in Atlanta, their depth at tackle heavily depends on the health of Jones and Herron. As of right now, the only fully healthy offensive tackles expected to play against the Falcons are Manu and Miller. That means, if either Jones or Herron are unable to play, the Lions will likely need to ask Sordal to step outside to fill the void.

Marcus Davenport still showing up strong

Jeremy - Granted, Davenport was up against developmental tackle Giovanni Manu for most of practice after Jamarco Jones suffered an early ankle injury, but the veteran defensive end had one of his best practices to date. I had him with at least two sacks during team drills and another pressure that forced a throwaway from Jared Goff.

Davenport also won in several ways. On one rep, he just bullrushed through Manu. On another, he beat him inside before the young offensive tackle could catch him.

Sione Vaki looking strong in return from injury

Erik - The Lions like to rotate two running backs through each of their offensive units, using Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs with the first team, followed by Craig Reynold and Sione Vaki with the second team.

Vaki injured his hamstring on Day 2 of training camp and was only able to return on Day 9. After practice, he told Pride of Detroit that the team was just taking precautions with him, and while it was hard watching his teammates play in the Hall-of-Fame game, he expects to be a full go in Atlanta and is excited for the opportunity to show how he has progressed.

The improvements are noticeable. He appears very comfortable with the playbook and scheme, and is being used in a lot more situations than we’ve seen previously. His cuts are sharper and his power is impressive.

In third-and-short drills, Vaki ran straight forward on a dive play and dug deep to power to the first down. In 11-on-11s, we saw more successful power dive plays, sweeping run plays, multiple of which picked up first downs. Vaki did fumble on a dive play, but he never let the ball get too far away and recovered the ball immediately.

Look for Vaki to get a lot of opportunities in the Lions' next preseason game, and could even potentially start if the Lions opt to rest Reynolds.

A rare Jared Goff interception

Jeremy - While the defense has been steadily ahead of the offense for most of camp, they still haven’t been able to pick off Jared Goff very often. During team drills, Goff may have thrown just a single interception through nine practices. But on Monday, the defense was finally able to force a turnover from the quarterback.

Goff initially had to escape pressure to his left and nimbly found some extra room. With the extra time, he directed Sam LaPorta to continue his crossing route across the field. At first, it looked like LaPorta was open, but after Goff tried to rifle the ball in, safety Kerby Joseph closed in from the safety spot, having read Goff the entire way.

Joseph arrived at the exact right time to disrupt the pass, and the ball bounced high into the air. That gave linebacker Alex Anzalone the time to get under it for the pick, and the end of the offensive drive.

It’s worth noting that Goff was intercepted again on the final play of practice, but that was essentially a desperation heave during an end-of-game scenario. Goff tried to find Jameson Williams from 29 yards out, but the two weren’t on the same page, and Amik Robertson made an impressive, uncontested over-the-shoulder catch.

Detroit Lions injury update: Ennis Rakestraw will be out for ‘a while’

2025-08-04T17:43:13-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw is believed to have suffered a long-term injury per Dan Campbell.

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed the suspected bad news regarding cornerback Ennis Rakestraw’s injury. Per Campbell, Rakestraw is expected to be out for some time.

“It’s a shoulder,” Campbell said. “I think it’s going to be a while. At best, I think it’s going to be a while.”

Campbell noted that they’re still doing tests for Rakestraw, so they aren’t ready to commit to any specific diagnosis or timeline.

“I hate it for the kid. You hate it,” Campbell said. “It’s not his fault. Just one of those tough deals. All you can do is try to get it better, rehab, come back stronger, and move on.”

It’s a tough blow to Rakestraw, who has dealt with several injuries since entering the NFL as the Lions’ second-round pick in 2024. He was limited to just one preseason game with an ankle injury. His regular season was shortened to just eight games after dealing with a hamstring injury—eventually landing on injured reserve in November. Just this camp, he was dealing with an early chest injury, and now this shoulder injury will sideline him long-term.

Earlier on Monday, the Lions added former Michigan Panthers cornerback D.J. Miller to help out with depth. He’ll join Rock Ya-Sin, Dicaprio Bootle, Tyson Russell, and Nick Whiteside as depth behind Detroit’s starters: Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, and Amik Robertson.

The Lions’ secondary took another blow on Sunday, with seventh-round rookie Dan Jackson suffering a leg injury that landed him on injured reserve. After placing Jackson on IR, cutting running back Kye Robichaux, and signing Miller, the Lions have an open spot on their 90-man roster.

Detroit Lions place rookie safety on IR, add new cornerback

2025-08-04T16:36:09-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions announced that rookie Dan Jackson has been placed on injured reserve, and they have signed a former Michigan Panthers cornerback.

The Detroit Lions announced on Monday evening that they have placed rookie safety Dan Jackson on injured reserve.

Jackson suffered a leg injury during Sunday’s practice and did not return.

Jackson was in contention for one of the Lions’ reserve safety spots behind starters Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. A seventh-round pick this year, Jackson came from the Georgia Bulldogs with a ton of special teams experience and a great story. He was a walk-on at Georgia, and despite opportunities to transfer, he stuck with the program for five years, eventually earning a starting job on defense his senior year.

If the Lions opt to keep Jackson on injured reserve, his season is over. However, the Lions could opt to cut him with an injury settlement, and he could theoretically re-sign with the team whenever he is healthy again (plus an additional three weeks). That said, there is a risk that another team could sign him if they go that route.

Jackson’s injury drastically shifts the Lions' secondary outlook. Players like Morice Norris, Loren Strickland, and Ian Kennelly now have a greater shot at making the final roster.

The Lions also announced that they’ve signed cornerback D.J. Miller. The former Kent State defensive back initially signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2024. After failing to make the team, Miller signed with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers. In this past season, he played 10 games, made 29 total tackles, and picked off two passes.

INTERCEPTION ‼️

HAVE A DAY D.J. MILLER pic.twitter.com/wCRzgNTwii
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) April 5, 2025

Additionally, the Lions waived running back Kye Robichaux with an injury designation. Robichaux has missed the past week of training camp with an undisclosed injury.

Notes: Lions’ WR hosting back to school giveaway in Detroit

2025-08-04T13:30:00-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is hosting a backpack giveaway in Detroit ahead of back to school time.

Since being drafted by the Detroit Lions at 12th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, receiver Jameson Williams has quickly earned himself a positive reputation in the city. While many athletes contribute to various charities across the state of Michigan, Williams is seemingly always doing things for the folks living within Detroit’s city limits. From his youth football camp he hosted in 2023, to convincing other teammates to join him at the Downtown Boxing Gym on the city’s east side for a winter coat drive—there is a reason the city has so much love for Waymo.

Now, ahead of back to school season and the 2025 regular season, Williams is hosting a backpack giveaway for students. There was a link to register in Williams’ instagram bio, but I am assuming the event filled up quickly, as registration is now closed. To keep up with all Williams is doing in both the Detroit and St. Louis communities, be sure to check out the Jameson Williams Foundation website right here.

Whether it is grabbing a late night snack from L George’s Coney on the west side, or popping up at local high school football games with teammates, Williams has shown time and time again that he is all in on the city of Detroit. And ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the biggest years of his young career in the NFL, Williams could see his population amongst Lions fans grow even more once the season begins.

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And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:

Somehow the fit between Old Spice and Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff just makes sense.

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Happy birthday to former Lions running back and Wayne State University legend Joique Bell.

Happy birthday, @JoiqueBell! pic.twitter.com/GSs8KAuBki
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 4, 2025

The ongoing saga between Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs over their preference in numbers is hilarious.

JINX! pic.twitter.com/XOKIbMQ4Bg
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 3, 2025

It’s almost football time, and with that comes the annual debate over Madden ratings. Full list of Lions Madden ratings here.

.@EAMaddenNFL is slowly revealing their player ratings.

Here are the Lions ratings that have been made public so far. pic.twitter.com/FjMvEQvM9U
— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) July 31, 2025

Lions All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is both a family man, and a man of the people.

Rolling out to the car and could not believe my eyes! There was Penei Sewell out the front door of the Lions training facility! He had come out to help load the kids into the car (what a gent!), and the fans who had gathered waited patiently at a discrete distance to allow him… pic.twitter.com/B97zgKI09R
— Clemmie (@LadyClemmieUDL) August 3, 2025

Lions Bubble Watch, Week 3: Rock Ya-Sin changes secondary makeup

2025-08-04T11:12:20-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How did the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener change positional battles on defense? Our staff make some roster predictions.

The Detroit Lions defense faces a lot of questions in 2025. And after the Lions’ preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, not many of them have been answered.

However, the emergence of Rock Ya-Sin has provided some clarity at cornerback, but could make the safety position look a little more muddied. Let’s take a look at every player on the roster bubble on defense, and see who our staff thinks is currently IN the 53-man roster, and who still has work to do.

See our latest predictions on offense here.

Edge defender:

Assumed in: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport

Voting:

Ahmed Hassanein: 11 votes (no change)
Josh Paschal: 11 votes (up 3)
Al-Quadin Muhammad: 10 “IN” votes (down 1)
Nate Lynn: 1 votes (up 1)
Mitchell Agude: 0 votes (no change)
Isaac Ukwu: 0 votes (no change)

The EDGE room is fairly straightforward, but the tipping point may be what the Lions decide to do with Josh Paschal, who currently remains on the NFI list. This past week, coach Dan Campbell gave an update that convinced the last of our staffers to put him in the initial 53-man roster.

“I think we’re hoping early September we get him in practice and I think he’s going to need a couple of weeks to practice before we can expect him to play for us. So, I don’t really know then, but right now he’s still on schedule to hopefully be ready. He’s on schedule to be ready for early September to start practicing.”

Do the Lions activate him prior to the season in order to get those practices in? Or do they keep him on NFI, essentially preventing him from practicing and playing during all of September?

Elsewhere, Nate Lynn picked up a vote after a strong preseason game that included a team-leading three quarterback pressures.

Defensive tackle:

Assumed in: DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez
Assumed out: Alim McNeill (PUP), Levi Onwuzurike (PUP)
Removed from Bubble Watch: DT Raequan Williams (cut)

Voting:

Pat O’Connor: 11 votes (no change)
Mekhi Wingo: 10 votes (no change)
Keith Cooper Jr.: 0 vote (down 1)
Brodric Martin: 0 votes
Chris Smith: 0 votes

Wingo is in a similar situation to Paschal, so it’s entirely possible he starts the year on PUP. If so, someone is going to have to step up because our staff is buying into the team’s depth right now.

Linebacker

Assumed in: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Grant Stuard
Assumed out: Malcolm Rodriguez (PUP)
Trevor Nowaske: 11 votes (no change)
Zach Cunningham: 11 (up 1)
Ezekiel Turner: 0 votes (down 1)
Anthony Pittman: 0 votes (no change)

It was a night to forget for pretty much every Lions linebacker against the Chargers in the preseason opener. Despite that, we’re sticking with Nowaske and Cunningham for the fifth and sixth spots on the roster. Nowaske is Detroit’s best SAM linebacker depth and can bring it on special teams. Cunningham has the veteran experience to help cover while Malcolm Rodriguez rehabs from injury.

Cornerbacks:

Assumed in: Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw

Voting:

Khalil Dorsey: 11 votes (no change)
Rock Ya-Sin: 11 votes (up 5)
Erick Hallett: 0 votes (no change)

Ya-Sin sees the biggest jump of any defensive player, and it isn’t much of a surprise. He was excellent in the preseason game, notching two big open field tackles while remaining sound in coverage. Additionally, he’s been playing so well that the Lions are putting more on his plate.

“We all like Rock. His work ethic, man. He’s pretty tough, he’s physical, he’s headsy, and he’s versatile,” Campbell said Sunday. “There’s a number of things he can do. We’d like to start working him at some safety, too”

Ya-Sin got that extra work Sunday afternoon, and seems like he’s getting closer and closer to being a roster lock.

Safeties:

Assumed in: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Avonte Maddox

Voting:

Dan Jackson: 11 votes (up 1)
Morice Norris: 0 votes (down 3)
Loren Strickland: 0 votes (no change)
Ian Kennelly: 0 votes (no change)

Of note, votes were tallied before Jackson’s injury at training camp on Sunday—the severity of which is currently unknown.

However, it appears Ya-Sin’s success, plus his testing out at safety, has come at the expense of Morice Norris’ roster spot, according to our staff. Loren Strickland got early work in the preseason game, but struggled at time. Ian Kennelly was a standout in the game, but it’s going to be tough for any undrafted rookie to crack the roster.

Training camp highlights: The St. Brown, Goff connection is unreal

2025-08-04T09:00:00-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Video highlights from Detroit Lions training camp, and some analysis of each play.

Sunday’s practice was nearly 2.5 hours for the Detroit Lions, as training camp continues to ramp up for the regular season. With so much content at their disposal, the team offered a ton of highlights from practice for those who weren’t in attendance.

Let’s break down the highlights, adding my own commentary based on my personal viewpoint of practice.

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff are on another level

Amon-Ra working the sideline pic.twitter.com/xrmoISLNuM
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 3, 2025

In general, I thought the defense was doing a great job during the one-on-one drills between receivers and defensive backs. Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, and Tim Patrick all struggled to win their individual reps.

However, Amon-Ra St. Brown was unstoppable, and it wasn’t because of poor defense. St. Brown’s relationship and chemistry with Jared Goff are unmatched. In the two reps above, safety Brian Branch is in solid position, but thanks to ideal ball placement (and maybe a little push-off on the out-route), St. Brown is able to come down with the catch.

But what’s particularly incredible is the first replay on the deep shot. Branch is in such a good position that he actually gets a hand on the ball, breaking the spiral and making it a tougher catch for St. Brown. But you wouldn’t even know unless you slowed the video down, because the Lions receiver still catches it with complete ease.

1-on-1 highlights

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Over on the team’s Instagram, they offered a bunch of one-on-one drills from every position. Here are the most interesting reps:

Isaac TeSlaa uses his size to create a ton of separation from new Lions cornerback Nick Whiteside
Aidan Hutchinson tries the spin move that worked against Penei Sewell on the opening day of padded practice. But this time, Sewell is ready for it and shuts it down.
Derrick Barnes has a fantastic coverage rep against David Montgomery—timing his tackle perfectly for the pass breakup
Rookie on rookie crime! First-round pick Tyleik Williams runs second-round pick Tate Ratledge a few yards back, but the rookie offensive lineman never loses his anchor.
In the last clip, Jahmyr Gibbs runs full speed downfield, giving linebacker Alex Anzalone no real chance to keep up. A perfect ball from Goff hits Gibbs in stride for the touchdown.

Overall highlights:

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The full highlights from practice offer a little more insight into Sunday’s session. Notably, as I mentioned in our observations post, Kalif Raymond had a couple of big plays on the day.

Lions Bubble Watch, Week 3: Offensive line roster battle tightening up

2025-08-04T08:00:00-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Our staff makes their predictions for the players on the roster bubble after the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener.

Preseason games can make all the difference for players on the roster bubble. Displaying to a coaching staff that when the lights come on, you can ball out can be one of the most valuable parts of the evaluation process.

And while the Detroit Lions, as a team, did not play well against the Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday’s preseason opener, there were a few players on offense who saw their stock rise and their roster chances increase.

Let’s go through them all in this week’s version of Bubble Watch: Offense.

Quarterback:

Assumed in: Jared Goff
Hendon Hooker: 11 “IN” votes (no change)
Kyle Allen: 0 votes (no change)

Despite poor showings from both quarterbacks—and Hooker having a far worse statistical day—our view of the backup quarterback battles remains the same. With Hooker expected to start on Friday against the Atlanta Falcons, the third-year quarterback has an opportunity to either create distance between him and Kyle Allen or have our staff reconsider where things currently stand.

Running back:

Assumed in: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki

Craig Reynolds’ solid preseason performance only further establishes that there isn’t much of a competition in this room.

Wide receiver:

Assumed in: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Isaac TeSlaa
Dominic Lovett: 11 votes (no change)
Ronnie Bell: 0 votes (no change)
Tom Kennedy: 0 votes (no change)
Jackson Meeks: 0 votes (no change)
Jakobie Keeney-James: 0 votes (no change)

Dominic Lovett’s preseason game was a mixed bag. He caught five passes, but had a drop, gave away a ball for an interception, and looked hesitant on kick return. But all of that is more than you could say for Detroit’s depth behind him. The other four receivers on Bubble Watch all combined for a single catch, taking some gas out of the hype machine.

Tight end:

Assumed in: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra: 10 votes (no change)
Kenny Yeboah: 1 votes (no change)
Zach Horton: 1 votes (up 1)

While Zylstra got the first looks in the preseason game, the other two tight ends had solid showings against the Chargers. Yeboah, while suffering a minor injury, looked sound in his blocking assignments and earned a 71.4 PFF run blocking grade. Horton showed off his versatility as both an in-line tight end and fullback, and didn’t look out of place in either spot.

I think Zylstra came into the game with a healthy lead on the TE3 job, but I sense it’s tightening up.

Offensive tackle:

Assumed in: Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Giovanni Manu
Dan Skipper: 11 votes (no change)
Jamarco Jones: 1 votes (up 1)

Interestingly, Dan Skipper played nearly the entire first half of the preseason opener, perhaps seeding some doubt about his roster safety. It certainly doesn’t help that he suffered an injury, but coach Dan Campbell said on Sunday that he’s only expected to be out a week. For that reason, we’ve still got him in.

That said, Jamarco Jones earned a vote this week. He had some good moments as the starting right tackle on Thursday, and he has taken over for Skipper as the first-team left tackle in practice while Taylor Decker eases his way into team drills.

Interior offensive line:

Assumed in: Graham Glasgow, Tate Ratledge, Christian Mahogany
Kayode Awosika: 11 votes (up 3)
Trystan Colon: 5 votes (up 5)
Kingsley Eguakun: 2 votes (down 4)
Miles Frazier: 2 votes (no change)
Colby Sorsdal: 1 vote (up 1)
Netane Muti: 0 votes (down 5)
Michael Niese: 0 votes (down 1)

The Lions’ offensive roster bubble saw its biggest changes on the offensive line. After a fantastic showing as the team’s starting right guard, Kayode Awosika is now a unanimous “IN.” Conversely, that has plummeted Netane Muti—the other veteran guard who is arguably fighting Awosika for a roster spot—to zero votes. Muti was actually solid in the game, too, but he was clearly overshadowed by Awosika.

We also saw a significant shift in the backup center battle. Kingsley Eguakun struggled mightily against the Chargers, so he lost four votes this week. Meanwhile, it appears Trystan Colon may have jumped a spot on the depth chart after serving as the backup center in the preseason game and then again in Sunday’s practice. Michael Niese, on the other hand, was down to third-string center during Sunday’s practice—although that may have just been part of their daily rotation.

Finally, Colby Sorsdal—now repping as a full-time guard—was one of the better players on the field against the Chargers. Our staff rewarded him with one vote this week, but the third-year developmental guard has a long way to go to make his case for the 53-man roster.

Detroit Lions rookie review: Receivers, safety stand out in HOF Game

2025-08-04T07:15:00-04:00

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Breaking down every rookie performance from the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener vs. the Chargers.

The Hall of Fame Game provided a great opportunity for the Detroit Lions to give their 2025 rookie class some extra experience on the field. In the Thursday night matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers, several first-year players made strong impressions.

Rookie receivers Dominic Lovett and Isaac TeSlaa both had strong showings in the first half of the game.

Lovett, one of Detroit’s seventh-round picks, dropped his first target of the game on a pass from Kyle Allen on second-and-18 that would have converted for a first down. The rookie later redeemed himself by bringing in five receptions for 31 yards over the rest of the half. He also contributed on special teams as a returner. Lovett took one punt return for 19 yards that—if not for tripping and stumbling to the sideline—he could have taken for a good amount of extra yards.

Overall, the former Mizzou Tiger and Georgia Bulldog seemed comfortable in his roles and moved quickly on short routes from the slot. He also did the work as a blocker in the run game when asked to. Lovett is currently battling for a role on the roster as the team’s sixth receiver.

Third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa doesn’t have as much to worry about when it comes to securing a roster spot, and his play on Thursday night showed just why he’s a lock for this team. TeSlaa pulled in back-to-back receptions at the end of the first quarter, the first for 24 yards and the next for 22.

TeSlaa’s most impressive play of the day, however, was not one you’d find on the stat sheet. Lining up at the gunner spot on a punt in the first half of the game, the third-round receiver outran the blockers on the return team and forced the return man to waive for a fair catch. It’s a good thing that fair catch was called, because TeSlaa seemed ready to take the man’s head off.

pic.twitter.com/zawp7EO0mV
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) August 1, 2025

The unsung rookie hero of this game was undrafted safety Ian Kennelly, a Michigan native who played at Grand Valley. Kennelly tied with the second-most tackles on the team for this game despite only really playing in the second half. In my notes for this game, I wrote “Kennelly is everywhere,” as the rookie defensive back took reps as both a box safety and free safety and played especially well in zone looks.

Former Laker Ian Kennelly making his mark for the @Lions. pic.twitter.com/H6bJp1ZJcG
— GVSU Football (@gvsufootball) August 1, 2025

Kennelly had six total tackles, most of which were against the run. He does a great job as a run defender, making his read quickly and meeting the rusher near the line. While he only had one solo tackle, it does go to show that he plays the safety position correctly, coming down from his drop to assist the front-seven against inside runs.

Here’s how the rest of the Lions’ rookie class performed in their first taste of NFL football:

Fan-favorite Ahmed Hassanein did not disappoint in his debut. The late-round defensive lineman showed off a variety of pass rush moves and was able to be disruptive on the line throughout the entire game. The rookie totaled four tackles on the day, but some of his best contributions were from the pressure he put on the opposing offense. He almost came away with a sack on the second drive of the game, but still managed to disrupt the play enough to force a fourth down.

Hassanein pic.twitter.com/MdjMG2ZF00
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) August 1, 2025

Fellow defensive lineman Keith Cooper had a fairly quiet outing despite garnering some hype in training camp recently. He came away with two tackles, one of them being a combo with Hassanein to close out the first half.
Undrafted tight end Zach Horton served as the team’s fullback for the entirety of the game. He exceeded expectations as a run blocker and was the one clearing the way for several of Craig Reynolds’ big runs.

.@13_CJR gets loose for 13#PFHOF25 | NBC pic.twitter.com/UQMqR9tLSv
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 1, 2025

Seventh-round pick Dan Jackson played safety for a good chunk of the game and also repped on every phase of special teams. He had six total tackles on the day.
Receiver Jackson Meeks had a quiet day on offense but did make a small contribution on special teams. The undrafted rookie made the tackle on the kickoff to open the second half.
Jakobie Keeney-James had a rough night. The undrafted receiver muffed a punt in the second half and put the Chargers inside the 10-yard line. He was also targeted once on offense but did not record any stats. As a kick returner, he averaged 24 yards per return on three attempts.
No news is good news for former North Dakota State tackle Mason Miller. He took reps on the right side of the line near the end of the game and didn’t draw any negative attention to himself.
Undrafted cornerback Tyson Russell quietly had himself a strong game against the Chargers. He came away with three tackles, including one TFL, and broke up one pass attempt.