Roundtable: What We Learned About 2026 Detroit Lions at Minicamp

The Detroit Lions On SI staff recaps mandatory minicamp and looks ahead to the position battles that will be most hotly contested in training camp.

What was your biggest takeaway from Lions minicamp?

Christian Booher: My biggest takeaway was how turnover-happy the defense was. It was an encouraging sign for the defense to get its hands on the football throughout workouts, even in the non-padded setting. It shows that the team is desiring to be opportunistic for the 2026 season, which is always a good sign.

Vito Chirco: My biggest takeaway is that there looks to be increased depth on both sides of the ball, plus a variety of position battles that will be hotly contested in the coming weeks. From my standpoint, this will only increase the level of competition that we will see from Dan Campbell’s squad during training camp. Plus, I believe it will make the Lions a stronger team headed into the 2026 regular season.

Emmett Matasovsky: The biggest takeaway remains that the defensive back room has a lot of uncertainty between injury recovery timelines and the new additions to inspire competition. Beyond that, it is hard to put much stock into takeaways before the pads come out.

The staff has lots of confidence in Chuck Clark, based on recent comments. Meanwhile, Terrion Arnold is not walking into a guaranteed starter role. It will be an interesting summer to watch, for sure.

Have your expectations for linebacker Jimmy Rolder increased for the 2026 season?

Booher: Since the Lions drafted Rolder, I've had the expectation that he will come in and compete for a starting job. It's a fortunate situation for him coming in with Alex Anzalone departing, as there is an opening for him to battle for a starting job.

I'll have a more concrete opinion on his outlook once the pads come on and he's able to showcase his physicality, but there's a lot to like about the fact that he rarely missed a tackle in college. If this translates to the NFL level, Rolder will have an important role for Detroit in 2026.

Chirco: Yes, they have a bit. I believe Rolder will be in contention for a significant amount of snaps during the 2026 season. And if Malcolm Rodriguez were to suffer an injury, I think Rolder would be the next man up at WILL linebacker. I think the former Wolverines linebacker will play an important role in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense this upcoming season.

Matasovsky: As someone who watched Jimmy Rolder live for Michigan vs. Michigan State and called him the best defensive player on the field, I am not increasing my expectations. They were already sky high. Rolder has a sneaky amount of athleticism and an ability to show up big in big time games and make plays.

He is a player that Lions fans are going to love.

Do you think the Lions are sending a message to Terrion Arnold by stating in public he needs to earn his spot?

Booher: I think it's absolutely a challenge from Dan Campbell to Terrion Arnold. There were comments from Kelvin Sheppard earlier in the offseason about how Arnold is in a competition with himself, and this is the latest indication that the cornerback will need to earn his spot.

I think Arnold said the right things about this during his media availability at minicamp, as he noted that he embraces the competition and the challenge. He needs to ensure that he's healthy and available for camp, because it certainly appears as though he'll be in a position battle.

Chirco: Sure, and I think it’s certainly warranted. Arnold has underachieved up to this point in his NFL career, while also struggling to stay healthy and experiencing some off-the-field issues. He should have to earn every single snap he garners, and he definitely should not just be handed a starting job. Consequently, I’m a fan of the Lions challenging Arnold to step up his play in order to maintain his spot in the team’s secondary.

Matasovsky: Arnold, when healthy, failed to meet the lofty expectations of the Lions in 2025. Publicly stating he has no assurances of a starting role is not a big surprise, especially adding in a, shall we politely say, interesting offseason.

I would say the message has been sent. Arnold is a player that has social media presence, he is well aware of the comments. That said, I do think there will be some natural progression for Arnold based on experience in the league and being in the second season of Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.

Which position battle do you think will be hotly contested in training camp?

Booher: I think the left guard competition will be one of the toughest on the roster. Detroit has three top options who have all started games in Christian Mahogany, Ben Bartch and Juice Scruggs, as well as a dark-horse in Miles Frazier.

I'm really intrigued to see who ultimately wins the job in the fall, as it'll be a battle that likely comes down to the late stages in training camp. My pick has been Scruggs throughout the offseason, but I'm very intrigued by Bartch and am excited to see what he looks like in padded practices.

Chirco: While I like the looming EDGE battle between Derrick Moore and D.J. Wonnum, I’m going to go with the battle at WILL linebacker between Malcolm Rodriguez and Jimmy Rolder. I think Rodriguez will emerge as the winner, but I still believe that Rolder will give the Lions fan favorite a run for his money in training camp.

Matasovsky: There are three spots that need to be open competition. Every defensive back spot besides DJ Reed’s role, the opposite EDGE of Aidan Hutchinson, and left guard.

The defensive backs all have expectations and injury recoveries, as mentioned by myself multiple times during these round tables. The second EDGE spot is a battle of DJ Wonnum, rookie Derrick Moore, big end option Tyler Lacy, and former first round pick Payton Turner, among others.

Wonnum is the expected starter, but Moore should earn his own fair share of reps. Lacy has quietly impressed at multiple roles this minicamp.

Meanwhile, the interior of the offensive line has its center and right guard set with free-agent acquisition Cade Mays and second-year pro Tate Ratledge. Left guard, however, offers no reassurances for Christian Mahogany. Juice Scruggs is a player that can make a push in the fall.

If you could invite one current Lions player for a summer BBQ, who would you invite?

Booher: I'm going to go with Jack Campbell. The linebacker is an ascending player who signed a lucrative contract extension to remain with the organization, and seems to be a low-maintenance individual who goes about his business. While he may not be the most outspoken individual on the Lions' roster, he seems to be someone who could bring good energy and have good insights to share about football, as well as stories about his high school basketball days and experiences hunting.

Chirco: I’m going to go with Aidan Hutchinson. I would love to pick his brain and hear his stories about being a local product and playing at Michigan. Plus, I would love to hear what he’d have to say about his new EDGE running mates. And I also wouldn’t mind having a drink and a hot dog or burger with him while watching a Tigers game. With that said, I think it’d be great having Hutch over for a BBQ.

Matasovsky: The caveat of it being a player makes it tricky here. Dan Campbell is a born-and-raised Texan, and they know how to do barbeque right.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is the first name that comes to mind, with his ability to create and maintain conversations on his podcast sounding perfect for a day of relaxing around the barbeque.

Additionally, based on his culinary notoriety, the last name coming to mind is Jameson Williams. At the very least, do not put him in charge of the menu.

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