Biggest Position Battle That Will Define 2026 Detroit Lions Minicamp

The Detroit Lions are entering the final stretch of their offseason workout program.

After three rounds of organized team activities, the Lions will embark on a two-day mandatory minicamp to finish their slate before breaking for the summer. Spanning Tuesday and Wednesday, minicamp will be the last time the team works out together before training camp.

The Lions will get the opportunity to evaluate players throughout the two-day process, as even though it's non-contact it will allow players to display their knowledge of the scheme and get reps in a walkthrough element.

One position battle that will take center stage in minicamp as well as into training camp will be the battle for the right tackle spot. The top two competitors are on opposite ends of their career, with the veteran Larry Borom taking on the first-round draft pick Blake Miller.

The Lions are in need of a replacement for Taylor Decker, who departed this offseason after 10 seasons of stability and consistency. Detroit appears to be set on moving Penei Sewell to the left side, which creates the vacancy on the right.

In Borom, the Lions have a five-year veteran with starting experience who they believe is capable of steady production if needed in a starting role. However, they also invested a first-round pick in Miller, who logged over 50 starts in his four college seasons at Clemson.

With the fact that Detroit's first-round pick will be in the mix for the battle, this will carry plenty of attention throughout minicamp. A winner likely won't be decided until training camp when pads come on, but this experience will allow players to make a firm impression going into that phase of the offseason.

Detroit has high hopes for Miller, but will clearly make him earn the job as opposed to simply making him the starter. Borom has plenty of time logged in his career as a starter, both for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.

Miller doesn't have the NFL experience working to his advantage, but his IQ and durability shown in Clemson should be able to translate nicely. He can't show off his physicality in minicamp, so a lot of his evaluation will come from how well he handles his assignments pre- and post-snap.

Detroit's identity has relied on strong performances up front, and last year there were some struggles that led to setbacks in productivity. As a result, there is a heightened level of importance surrounding this position battle and what comes of it.

Ultimately, the Lions are also set when it comes to starter-level talent in many other areas. With how vital the offensive line has been to Detroit's success in the past, there will be a lot of attention surrounding whether or not Miller can out-perform Borom in his first opportunity to win a starting job.

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