Winners and Losers From Day 8 of 2026 Detroit Lions Training Camp

The Detroit Lions wrapped up another week of training camp with Friday's practice.

It was a showcase of the team's talent that had scrimmage elements, as the Lions upped the snap count for some of their starters in an effort to simulate game action.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has drawn solid reviews early, as he has been praised for his efforts to build his scheme around the team's talent. He has also had his initial impression of the team's talents confirmed by what he saw on film while coaching at Arizona.

“I think you see the talent. Elite quarterback play, the skill talent is unbelievable, Penei Sewell at tackle is one of the best in the league," Petzing told ESPN's Kevin Clark. "The attitude and the culture that Dan’s built here over the last however many years is impressive. We played against them in ’24, it was a boxing match. It was the most physical game we probably played all season. I think that shows up throughout the tape.”

Here are winners and losers, as well as what we're learning, from the Lions' eighth training camp practice, with some insights provided by the team website.

Attendance report

The Lions were down several key players again on Friday. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, fresh off his contract extension, was continuing his acclimation work with tight end Tyler Conklin on the side.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and cornerback D.J. Reed were among the key players out for Detroit's defense. On the offensive side, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Isiah Pacheco were both sidelined for the second consecutive day.

Scrimmage format

The Lions conducted a de facto scrimmage for Friday's practice, wrapping up a physical week. This pitted the offense against the defense for several segments.

It was scored, with the offense getting points for field goals and touchdowns, while the defense got six points for a takeaway and prorated points for a stop, contingent on where the stop occurred.

The first team offense got some work against the first team defense, while at other points they would work against the second team defense. This in turn would pit the first team defense against the second team offense.

Hunter makes early statement

The Lions got things going with the starting offense against the backup defense. Quarterback Jared Goff kept the team on schedule with three third-down conversions, with one to Isaac TeSlaa being an encouraging development for the slow-starting second-year wideout.

The offense got into the red-zone quickly, but it was the defense who would get on the board first. Goff was looking for tight end Sam LaPorta in the end zone, but undrafted rookie linebacker Erick Hunter had other plans.

Hunter recovered after initially getting beat, and picked off Goff with a well-timed leap to end the drive. The Morgan State product received praise from special teams coordinator Dave Fipp on Thursday, and appears to be a player to watch entering the preseason opener next week.

Hutchinson in midseason form

Aidan Hutchinson is one of the top EDGE rushers in the league. After a 14.5-sack season last year, the hype surrounding the Michigan product has reached a fever pitch. Though it has been a relatively quiet start in terms of coverage, that can be attributed to Hutchinson being steady every day.

On Friday, reports indicate that Hutchinson was dominant. He had multiple sacks and at least one tackle for loss, with the TFL coming to start a good on good drive against the first team offense. One of his sacks came against rookie Blake Miller, where he reportedly bulldozed him into the pocket.

His biggest play was one that didn't count. He came free off the edge with the offense backed up inside its own 10-yard line, and was in position for a sack. However, the coaches let the play go, and Goff ended up hitting Jameson Williams for a 94-yard touchdown.

On the play before, the Lions' offense was whistled for pass interference after Williams shoved Ennis Rakestraw down. Rakestraw was in good coverage on the speedy wideout, an indication that he belongs in competition for the second starting cornerback spot.

St. Brown shines

Amon-Ra St. Brown, much like Hutchinson, has brought a seemingly workmanlike approach to this year's training camp. While he hasn't dominated the headlines, the reviews surrounding his performance clearly indicate another big year on the horizon.

On Friday, St. Brown had several big plays. He caught a touchdown during a red-zone segment, which came on a fourth-and-goal to convert working against Rakestraw in coverage. He would complete the drive's scoring with a two-point onversion in the back corner of the end-zone.

Offensive line struggles

It was a bit of a choppy practice for both the first and second team offensive line units. Campbell has noted the defensive line's strong start to camp, and that appeared to be the case yet again on Friday.

Hutchinson and Alim McNeill were forces, with Tyler Lacy also having another strong day. There were also some procedural issues, such as pre-snap penalties when the offense was backed up at its own 1-yard line.

Another undrafted free agent made a big statement, as Rutgers product Eric O'Neill notched a safety after getting bast veteran offensive tackle Larry Borom.

This resulted in some frustration for the offense, with Hank Fraley at one point becoming animated with the group.

Backup QB update

With Bridgewater sidelined, Luke Altmyer got the remainder of reps that weren't claimed by Goff for the second consecutive day. It was a bit of an up-and-down showing for the undrafted free agent, who is still acclimating to life in the NFL.

Fellow UDFA Anthony Lucas forced Altmyer into an intentional grounding after he came unblocked off the edge at one point. Altmyer did have a first-down completion to Cedrick Wilson, but his drive ended when his deep ball to Tay Martin fell incomplete.

Situational work

The Lions closed practice with a situation, with the offense being down three starting from their own 31-yard line. Goff connected with St. Brown twice, moving the offense across midfield. It would be added to thanks to a penalty on Nick Whiteside, who was reportedly whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct on Jameson Williams.

Another defensive penalty put the Lions inside the 15-yard line. Goff would have an incompletion, followed by another connection with St. Brown to get down to the 1-yard line. The drive ended with a touchdown from Jacob Saylors, who ran through Roger McCreary into the end zone.

Quick hitters

1.) Kicker Jake Bates booted three makes from beyond 50 yards, with a long of 58.

2.) NFL Network was present at practice on Friday, with hosts Stacey Dales and Brian Baldinger conducting interviews with Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

3.) Celebrity attendees of Friday's practice included Detroit rapper SadaBaby and comedian Haha Davis. Both spoke with ESPN following the conclusion of the session.

4.) The Lions will have a day off Saturday, followed by a return to practice Sunday which will officially begin their first week of preparations for a game. They take on the Cincinnati Bengals Thursday at Paycor Stadium.

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