Which Lions Storylines Are Worth Paying Attention To at OTAs (And Which Aren't)

The Detroit Lions are set to begin organized team activities this week.

After electing not to hold a rookie minicamp, the team will take the field in an organized practice setting for the first time this week. It offers an intriguing first glance at what the team will be under sixth-year head coach Dan Campbell.

Here's a look at which of the storylines are worth paying attention to as the Lions open OTAs this week.

Reshaped offensive line

The Lions have had to make moves to refurbish their offensive line this offseason. Gone are Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow, but the Lions have made several additions to elevate the overall level of competition in the room.

Penei Sewell is expected to move from right to left tackle, and this week will presumably be the first week where he can be observed playing the position. Along with him, the Lions have Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge competing with newcomers like Ben Bartch and Juice Scruggs for playing time at guard.

At center, the Lions will have former Carolina Panther Cade Mays. He signed a three-year deal this offseason and is expected to be a steadying force for the group in 2026 and beyond.

Overall, the Lions will have a new look up front, and there will be plenty of competition for snaps that likely extends to the fall.

New deal, with more on the way?

The Lions locked up linebacker Jack Campbell by signing him to a four-year deal worth a maximum of $81 million. He's the first member of the 2023 draft class to sign an extension, and more is expected to be on the way.

In addition to Campbell, the Lions also drafted Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta in this same draft. Detroit had the luxury of the fifth-year option with Gibbs, meaning there isn't as much urgency to get a deal done other than to potentially beat the market.

They don't have that same benefit with Branch and LaPorta as second-year picks. As a result, there is a little more pressure on the team to get a deal done, but both players are dealing with injuries and may not participate in the initial round of OTAs.

Still, the Lions' books are quickly filling up with all the extensions they done with their draftees over the last three years. It will be interesting to see how the team navigates this next round of anticipated spending.

Injury updates

The Lions will likely provide some sort of injury updates for multiple players who had their seasons cut short last year. Among that group is Branch, LaPorta, former All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback Terrion Arnold.

If healthy, all four are pivotal pieces of the roster and as a result the Lions are hopeful they can get them back sooner rather than later. Arnold has spoken on record about planning to be back for training camp, while updates have been somewhat slower on the others.

New offensive leadership

This week offers a first glimpse at the offense under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. He takes over for John Morton, who was let go after one season at the helm. Detroit was unable to replicate the magic of Ben Johnson last year, and the hope is that Petzing will provide some of that fire.

Detroit's offense had some struggles last season despite their high statistical output, namely in third down situations. As a result, this could be a big point of emphasis for the new coordinator, who does have plenty of returning talent at his disposal.

Offseason losses

The Lions were active this offseason in bringing in new faces, but they lost plenty of leadership. Because of this, this first round of OTAs will provide a glimpse of who is stepping up to fill some of the voids left by players like Decker and Alex Anzalone.

There's hope that first-round pick Blake Miller can acclimate quickly and start right away opposite of Sewell, but this could take time. Additionally, Anzalone was a multi-year captain who leaves a big leadership void in addition to the production lost by his departure.

Not worth paying attention to

The Lions will have plenty of competition for spots across their roster, namely the interior offensive line and in the secondary. However, these OTAs will feature non-padded practices and as a result nothing will be decided until training camp.

Detroit has allowed competitions to go on for weeks into camp in the past, and as a result battles such as the tackle position between Miller and Larry Borom won't have a winner until the pads come on.

The first glimpse at Detroit's rookies will be intriguing, but they won't truly be able to show off their physicality until training camp when they're allowed to match up 1-on-1 with defenders in a contact situation.

Additionally, the Lions will likely have some of its anticipated starters out due to injury at least early in OTAs. This includes Branch and Joseph, meaning the Lions will likely operate defensively without their top two safeties. While it provides a look at their depth, the full defense likely won't be in action.

While OTAs will certainly answer some questions about depth and provide an intriguing look at where the team stands, there will still be plenty to be decided when training camp rolls around.

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