5 Lions Storylines to Watch during Minicamp
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With mandatory minicamp beginning for the Detroit Lions, there’s plenty to look out for on Dan Campbell’s squad.
The second-year head coach is looking to meet increased expectations that have been placed upon his group. This emphasis on improvement from last season’s 3-13-1 team is one of many storylines following the group as it prepares for training camp.
Here are five of those storylines to follow as the Lions go through mandatory minicamp.
New offensive firepower
The Lions have added a pair of new pieces at wide receiver in free agent DJ Chark and rookie Jameson Williams. With those in tow, many believe Jared Goff will have an improved season.
Williams won’t be doing much during minicamp, as he’s still rehabbing an ACL injury. But, Chark will be on full display. He’s already catching eyes for his speed during organized team activities, and should have fans excited with his deep-threat abilities.
This tandem joins Amon-Ra St. Brown, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift as the top skill players the Lions will have at their disposal in 2022. This group could potentially do exciting things this season.
Defensive scheme changes
Campbell told reporters at the scouting combine that the Lions would be trending toward becoming a team that deploys more four-down defensive linemen looks. Because of this, there will be some personnel changes coming to coordinator Aaron Glenn’s unit.
The group affected predominantly will be the defensive line, as an extra body will join the fray. It’s likely that rookie Aidan Hutchinson will play a big role alongside some combination of second-year players Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, as well as brothers Romeo and Julian Okwara.
It’s likely that the defense will deploy two linebackers in the middle and roll with five defensive backs. How Glenn distributes his talent amongst those positions will be paramount, as the defense has been historically bad in recent years and will have many of the same pieces from last year’s team.
Injured players recovering
There are plenty of eyes on the collection of injured Lions set to return after missing time last season. Several suffered season-ending setbacks early in the 2021 season, and are looking to get back on the field sooner rather than later.
Among those players are Jeff Okudah, Romeo Okwara and Quintez Cephus. All three were dealt injury blows in Week 5 or earlier, meaning that they’re ahead of other recovering players.
Okudah has the largest audience, as he is a former top-three pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. How he recovers as he enters his third season will determine whether the Lions will decide to pick up his fifth-year option.
Kirthmon F. Dozier, USA TODAY NETWORK
Okwara is in an interesting predicament of his own, as the Lions drafted Hutchinson No. 2 overall to play at his position. How the veteran compares to his counterpart will say a lot about both Hutchinson’s NFL readiness and Okwara’s role this upcoming season.
With the influx of young talent on this year’s team, the clock is ticking on the injured veterans.
Positional changes on defense
With the schematic changes, the Lions have made some changes to positions during the offseason.
Will Harris, a safety by trade, finished last season as a cornerback, with his teammates suffering injuries. Now, he’s defined by Campbell as a “cafety,” or a player with the ability to seamlessly play both spots.
In addition to the versatile Harris, the Lions have begun experimenting with second-year cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu at safety. Hampered by injuries in his rookie year, Melifonwu is still light on experience, but has plenty of athleticism and talent.
Standing in at 6-foot-3, he’s longer than the prototypical cornerback, and has traits that fit well at safety. There’s also the chance that instead of moving fully to safety, he simply slides to inside cornerback.
On another note, Okudah said there’s been no mention of him sliding to safety. With his length and struggles on the outside, some wondered whether he’d be a candidate to switch positions.
Either way, changes are coming to the Lions' defense.
Linebacker competition
The Lions are far from set in their ways at the linebacker position. Alex Anzalone, who was the defensive signal-caller while he was active, returns for his second year with the team. He’s not guaranteed anything, at least from the outside, because Detroit has so much to choose from.
For starters, there’s free-agent signing Chris Board and draftee Malcolm Rodriguez. Additionally, Derrick Barnes is entering his second year as a pro, and is looking to make strides.
Who knows? There could even be surprises at the position.
Jarrad Davis is back for a second stint with the team, while Shaun Dion Hamilton will get another crack at making the roster after being waived and being on injured reserve throughout all of last season.
Don't forget about Anthony Pittman and Josh Woods, who carved out roles late in the year as the team was hit by injuries.
Campbell has said the competition in the linebackers room will be a “bloodbath.” His hope is that the winners will come out swinging and attempting to lead the Lions to victory.
