ALLEN PARK — A few short weeks ago, it was easy to believe that Ben Johnson’s return to Ford Field would be a high-intensity slugfest between teams looking to establish dominance as the division’s top dog.

Instead, both teams are simply hoping to avoid starting 0-2 on the season and in the NFC North. The Lions lost at Green Bay, 27-13, on Sunday, and the Bears blew a second-half lead to fall, 27-24, to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

That certainly does not lessen the stakes in a matchup between the apprentice, Johnson, and his coaching master, Dan Campbell. If anything, it might amplify them.

“We’re going in, getting ready to play Chicago, we’re going to win this game, we have to,” Campbell said earlier this week. “We’ve got to find a way to clean things up and do what we’ve got to do and they’re going to try to do the same thing. It’s like every week.”

After three successful seasons guiding the Lions’ offense, Johnson took the next step in his career by becoming the coach of the Bears in January. From 2022-24, the Lions were first in points scored and net yards.

There doesn’t appear to be any bad blood about Johnson choosing to further his career in the same division as Detroit. But Lions general manager Brad Holmes did say on an episode of the Green Light Podcast that he wondered, “Why Chicago?” when Johnson initially departed.

Earlier this week, Campbell called Johnson “my friend” and said, “Nothing about that’s going to change.” The two go back even further than their time spent in Detroit (2021-24). Campbell and Johnson overlapped for four seasons (2012-15) in Miami, where Campbell was primarily the tight ends coach and Johnson was an assistant quarterbacks coach. When Campbell became Miami’s interim head coach in 2015, Johnson assumed his duties as the tight end coach.

“We texted back and forth a few weeks ago. We have been in touch. That friendship is always going to be there. I view him like family, and I think he would tell you the same thing. That’ll never change,” Johnson said this week. “We have fond memories of back when I was just a young snot-nosed computer punk, as he likes to call it, in Miami. I feel like we have both grown up in this profession of coaching.”

But while there might not be any bad blood between the two staffs, Johnson’s decision to continue his career in a place where he’d play the Lions twice a year — and stand directly in the way of the Lions achieving their goals — has left a bad taste in the mouth of some fans.

Johnson classified his choice to go to Chicago as “a tough decision.”

“Everything, last year, ran through my head. That was one of the unfortunate parts of making that decision, you were saying goodbye to a lot of friends and a great place. My family, myself, we have a lot of strong relationships there in that community,” Johnson said this week.

“Hopefully, that continues to stay that way, as well. But, we felt like this was the best opportunity for myself and my family, and we were really excited about coming to Chicago. At times, you have to make tough decisions, and that’s really how that one went down.”

From an on-the-field standpoint, Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said it’ll be just like training camp. Sheppard was the team’s linebackers coach when Johnson was engaging in those intense, daily battles against former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but he knows Johnson well all the same.

Asked what Johnson’s strengths are, Sheppard said, “Everything. Next question.”

“Listen, we all understand and respect Ben Johnson as a person, more importantly, but also as a play caller,” Sheppard said. “It’s why he got afforded the opportunity he’s in and we all understand this.”

Johnson was (and still is) a highly calculated man who pay the utmost attention to the details. Lions linebacker Jack Campbell provided proof of this.

He told reporters on Friday that he’d been asking guys on the offensive side of the ball about Johnson’s offense and what some potential points of emphasis would be.

Asked to elaborate, Campbell said, “I don’t know. I know Ben’s gonna read this, or some Chicago Bears person is gonna read this,” before moving on to the next question.

On the offensive side of the ball, several players spoke about what Johnson did for their careers.

“I love Ben. I’ll never really have anything bad to say about him because of what he did for me as a player, what he did for this team,” receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “I remember, when I first got here as a rookie, he was a tight ends coach. They promoted him, to I think pass game coordinator, my rookie year.

“I feel like ever since he stepped in that role, I got more catches, more opportunities. He believed in me. He trusted me. And just seeing the work ethic that he had, I respect him as a coach, as a man. I love Ben, but there’s two games out of the year where I want him to fail.”

Lions receiver Jameson Williams, who was with Johnson for the first three years of his career, called Johnson “a great guy.”

“He taught me a lot, how to approach the game, how to learn the game, we talked a lot. I talked to him a couple times this offseason, just checking up on my little guy over there, (Bears rookie receiver) Luther Burden III, my little brother. They got (former Lions receiver Maurice Alexander) over there, so I was just calling him and I end up talking to Ben somehow,” Williams said, laughing.

“But I appreciate everything he’s done for me. He’s helped me a lot.”

Ultimately, an intimate knowledge of each other’s tendencies is not likely to enhance either side’s chances of winning the game, Dan Campbell said. He’s not getting caught up in worrying about Johnson’s trick plays, or what he might do to throw the Lions off their game. Both coaches reiterated in some form, “This game is about us.”

“I think we’re on equal playing ground really. I think it’s the same thing. He knows what we’re about, we know what he’s about and because of that you’re going to play that game a little bit,” Campbell said. “But the game doesn’t matter if you don’t master the basics inside the game, and so that’s what we have to get back to.”

That might be true, but the familiarity will certainly make the contest a lot more enjoyable to watch.

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard admitted he was “pissed” after his defense gave up 27 points in Sunday’s opener against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

But like a lot of the chatter coming out of the team facility this week, Sheppard emphasized he’s not as discouraged after having some time to digest the performance. According to Sheppard, the metrics out of Sunday’s game were encouraging — even if the Lions‘ offense couldn’t match them, resulting in a 27-13 loss to begin the season.

Sheppard acknowledged some necessary areas of improvement while making the case his defense truly did buckle down in the second half of Sunday’s game.

“Coming off the field, you guys know, ultra-competitive nature of the game. My temperament and things, I was pissed,” Sheppard said. “And I’m ready to scowl at everybody, but then you sit back and look at it and after the second time and after the third time, you go, ‘There’s a lot of good football on this tape.’”

He started with the passing defense, which allowed 188 yards and two touchdowns from Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who went 16-for-22 through the air for a passer rating of 128.6. Love was efficient and hit on big plays when the Lions’ defense presented him with opportunities to do so. Sheppard said he’s more than happy to give up just 188 yards of passing, which tied for 18th among all quarterbacks in Week 1.

Sheppard was upset by the two-play drive that gave Green Bay a 17-3 lead in the second quarter. Cornerback Terrion Arnold was the closest defender on both a 48-yard completion to Romeo Doubs and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michigan State product Jayden Reed. Outside of that, he was satisfied by the passing defense — but it’s worth noting Green Bay threw the ball just six times in the second half.

“We went into the game saying, ‘You’ve got to make these guys beat us,’ Sheppard said. “You cannot give them things because that’s when they thrive. You have to make them beat us, and we did not do that on back-to-back plays. Inexcusable, and that’s been addressed.”

Asked about the team’s lack of consistent pass rush, Sheppard said the team wasn’t given many opportunities to get home, and also praised its ability to keep Love in the pocket.

It’s the second part that’s worth paying attention to: The Lions seemingly put more effort into containing Love as a rusher than disrupting his flow in the passing game. On second-and-9 in the red zone on the Packers’ opening drive, Aidan Hutchinson got the one-on-one he wanted after Roy Lopez stunted to eat a double team, only for Hutchinson to hover at the line of scrimmage like a point guard defending the perimeter as Love threw an incompletion to Doubs.

“Go back with your stopwatch and turn on the pass plays, they weren’t going to allow it. But more importantly I thought — I want to give credit to our guys of not letting this guy out of the pocket. That’s things that we’ve struggled with in years past,” Sheppard said. “Jordan Love has burned us in years past with his legs. He had one run, I think, for four yards. So, I want to look at the positives in that.

“Yeah, we could’ve done things and things like that, but we had a specific gameplan and for the most part, the guys went out and executed the gameplan.”

Ultimately, Sheppard expects the pass rush to be better this weekend, especially from Hutchinson — but it’s worth noting the Lions’ opponent at quarterback, Caleb Williams, has a similar tendency to escape from the pocket and extend plays with his legs.

“When you’re the elite of the elite, people are going to plan for you and that’s why he’s the caliber player that he is. We will counter that and Hutch will counter that. He’s an ultra-aware player, he knows how to manipulate things and move himself around,” Sheppard said.

“We’re working off a one-game sample size, people.”

And, in fairness, the run defense was excellent — no caveats needed. The Lions gave up 78 yards on 25 carries, an average of 3.1 per carry.

“We should’ve been at 2.2 (per carry),” Sheppard said. “Why do I say that? Because one of those was a 15-yard explosive run that should’ve never happened. That’s been addressed as well.”

The Detroit Lions on Tuesday revealed their initial 53-man — or, should we say, 50-man — roster.

Here are our biggest takeaways from all of the Lions’ moves on cutdown day:

• The Lions waived rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein with an injury settlement, which was arguably the most shocking news of the day. Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury in the team’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins and is expected to miss significant time. However, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Hassanein was destined for injured reserve, whether it be before cutdown day (which would end his season) or on cutdown day (which would give him a chance to return later on this year).

It appears the Lions are somewhat scarred by the number of starters who went to injured reserve last season, as they chose not to use one of the eight IR-to-return spots on Hassanein, opting instead for an alternate (and somewhat risky) route that would, under the right circumstances, still allow him to return at some point this season.

The amount of the injury settlement is based on the player’s salary and the expected duration of recovery. Once the settlement is over, he is free to sign with any team. It’s extremely rare for teams to claim an injured player in this situation, which means the big hurdle will be Hassanein choosing to re-sign with the Lions once his settlement is over.

Hassanein, plus his family and former coaches, all believed Detroit was the best destination for him on draft day. Perhaps that strong connection between team and player gave the Lions confidence that there’s less risk than appears on the surface.

• The Lions cut edge rushers Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude and Nate Lynn. I thought Ukwu and Lynn had a chance to make the roster because injuries to Josh Paschal (undisclosed) and Hassanein depleted the team’s depth in the short term. Between Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad, the team now has just three healthy edge defenders.

Given the injury history of Davenport and the lengths Holmes had to go to acquire Za’Darius Smith in a deadline move last season, I figured there would be more of an attempt to stockpile as much depth at that position as possible.

It seems apparent that cutting those three players — and only keeping 50 on the initial roster — is an indication they’re working on bringing in outside help, which could include Smith. Their current situation allows them to add quickly.

• Cutting quarterback Hendon Hooker and defensive tackle Brodric Martin, two third-round picks from the 2023 draft, represents a new reality for the Lions: Not everybody can be along for the ride. Gone are the days when the Lions can afford to keep someone on the roster throughout their rookie deal with the hopes that they’ll have a massive uptick in performance and make the investment worth it.

Ultimately, neither of these moves is all that surprising. Martin never escaped the bottom of the depth chart throughout this year’s training camp, and Hooker performed poorly when the lights came on in games. Lions coach Dan Campbell telegraphed the possibility of moving on from Hooker for the last week, suggesting he could use a change of scenery.

• Many Lions fans were surprised and/or disappointed to learn that wide receiver Jackson Meeks was waived. Meeks’ 176 receiving yards ranked second among all receivers in the preseason, and if the Lions were going to keep a sixth receiver, many figured it’d be the uber-productive, 6-foot-2, 218-pound guy. Instead, it was Dominic Lovett, a seventh-round pick by Detroit who caught seven passes for just 45 yards over three preseason appearances, who made the cut.

There are at least a few logical reasons why Meeks didn’t. For starters, the Lions are loaded at receiver. All five players at the top of the depth chart could contribute on any team in the league, and at the top end, they have All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber players. With the Lions being in win-now mode, the only way Meeks was going to end up on the 53-man roster was if he could prove that he could contribute to winning in the here and now. With less proven experience on special teams, I’d guess that’s an area where Lovett — an excellent gunner in college with potential as a kick returner — gained an edge.

Plus, while Meeks’ numbers are impressive, they are somewhat misleading. More than one-third of his yardage came on a single 68-yard catch in the Atlanta game — which, to be fair, was a really nice catch. Another 47 yards came on the final drive of the game against Miami, when he caught four passes as the checkdown outlet for Hooker against a prevent defense. Those two things accounted for 65.3% of his preseason production; he had just one catch for 5 yards in the Hall of Fame Game and was shut out entirely in the finale against Houston. Meeks did some of the small things right throughout his tenure, but if you’re looking for a reason why the production wasn’t enough, that probably explains it.

• Another move that surprised fans was the decision to release beloved offensive tackle Dan Skipper. With Giovanni Manu still not ready for action, it seems they’re more comfortable with Jamarco Jones filling the backup tackle role in the here and now. I’d expect Skipper, who’s set to turn 31 next month, to be a prime candidate for the practice squad.

• Second-year offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun has officially won the backup center job. He was the lone interior lineman to make the roster with actual center experience outside of Graham Glasgow, who’s going to be the starter. Many wondered if the Lions would simply rely on rookie Tate Ratledge to be the fill-in if Glasgow ever had to miss time, but it seems they’re more comfortable with having a true center to be the backup. Eguakun beat out Trystan Colon and Michael Niese for the job.

• The Lions will not have a “true” safety backing up Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. The team instead opted to keep six cornerbacks, some of whom possess hybrid abilities. Veterans Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox both played a healthy amount of safety in training camp and preseason, so those are the current stand-ins at that position.

However, I’d expect the Lions to keep a few of their young safeties on the practice squad with the chance to be permanently elevated later on down the line.

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions will have a tough decision to make on third-string quarterback Hendon Hooker when compiling their 53-man roster early next week.

Hooker turned in another poor performance while playing the final three quarters of Detroit’s preseason finale, finishing 6-for-11 passing for 70 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans at Ford Field on Saturday.

Hooker entered the game on the third drive, after backup quarterback Kyle Allen started 5-for-5 for 66 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Hooker completed his first pass — a 14-yard checkdown to running back Jacob Saylors — and didn’t complete another pass until 6:44 remained in the third quarter on another checkdown to Saylors.

Hooker finally got in a minor groove near the end of the game, completing a pair of 18-yard passes to wide receiver Ronnie Bell and running back Deon Jackson. He finished that drive with four completions, the latter two being a screen and a checkdown. He was sacked on fourth down while trying to escape the pocket.

Over four preseason appearances, Hooker went 22-for-40 passing for 187 yards, three interceptions and two fumbles. Not only did he not throw a passing touchdown all preseason, the Lions did not score a touchdown of any kind with him at quarterback over four games.

Hooker’s ineffectiveness in Saturday’s game was to the detriment of a couple receivers who are on the bubble entering cutdown day (Tuesday at 4 p.m.). Neither Jackson Meeks nor Dominic Lovett, both of who are sitting firmly on the fence, ended up with a reception.

Houston took a 3-0 lead with 7:12 left in the first quarter. Lions defensive tackle Myles Adams came up with a critical stop on third-and-1, and Ka’imi Fairbairn put home a 53-yard field goal after the Texans took a false-start penalty before fourth down.

The Lions took their first and only lead of the game on TeSlaa’s third touchdown of the preseason. After TeSlaa moved the chains by crossing up a Texans defensive back on a slant route, he ran a go down the sideline and Allen put it right in the bread basket for a 33-yard connection to put Detroit up, 7-3, with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

The Texans regained the lead on running back Woody Marks’ score with 12:22 left in the second quarter. Lions lineman Keith Cooper Jr. got penetration but couldn’t get hands on the ball carrier, as Marks ran right by Cooper and edge defender Nate Lynn on his way to a 9-yard touchdown.

Ex-Lions receiver Quintez Cephus added to the Texans’ lead. He hauled in a fade route over Lions cornerback D.J. Miller Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown reception. Fairbairn whiffed on the ensuing point-after attempt, resulting in a 16-7 Texans lead with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter. Cephus had four catches for 51 yards.

Lions cornerback Tyson Russell came up with the team’s first pass defense of the day with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter. As Cephus struggled to haul in a throw with his helmet, Russell was in the right place at the right time to steal the ball off the bobble.

But Hooker gave it right back on the next play from scrimmage, overshooting Lovett on a ball that landed right in the hands of Texans defensive back Jalen Mills.

The Texans took a commanding 23-7 lead with 12:58 to go. After Cooper and Anthony Pittman teamed up for a 2-yard loss near the goal line, Texans receiver Daniel Jackson got lost in a sea of bodies and ended up wide open for a 3-yard touchdown reception.

Houston added a 48-yard field goal to make it 26-7 with 6:35 left in the game.

Starting lineup

• Offensive starters: QB Kyle Allen, RB Craig Reynolds, WRs Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy, TE Zach Horton, LT Giovanni Manu, LG Netane Muti, C Kingsley Eguakun, RG Kayode Awosika, RT Dan Skipper

• Defensive starters: DL Pat O’Connor, Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Al-Quadin Muhammad; LBs Trevor Nowaske, Zach Cunningham and Grant Stuard; CBs Nick Whiteside and Allan George; S Rock Ya-Sin and Erick Hallett II

Key takeaways from Detroit Lions’ loss against Texans

More observations

• At least three reserve players who would otherwise be expected to play were absent from the contest: Running back Sione Vaki, cornerback Luq Barcoo and offensive tackle Jamarco Jones. Vaki and Jones both suffered undisclosed injuries during Detroit’s joint practice against the Texans on Thursday.

• Eguakun, a bubble player who’s fighting for the reserve center job, started the game. He was knocked back on third down during Detroit’s opening possession, leading to a sack of Allen, but was relatively solid the rest of the way on first watch.

• Hooker’s biggest gain of the preseason, a 30-yard completion to receiver Bell in the third quarter, was called back for a holding penalty on offensive guard Zack Johnson. With Hooker turning in another poor performance over three full quarters, the wide receiver production struggled, too.

• Still, the Lions made a significant improvement in their discipline. Detroit was called for just five accepted penalties (47 yards) after being called for 13 penalties the week prior.

• Stuard reprised his role as the team’s kick returner to start the game and returned the opening kickoff 44 yards to Detroit’s 45-yard line. He was replaced by Lovett after the opening kick.

• The final impression from cornerback Nick Whiteside, one of the darlings of training camp, was underwhelming. He was the nearest defender on at least four big chunk plays and was later flagged for defensive holding on third-and-11 on the Texans’ final drive of the second quarter.

Photo gallery from the Lions’ 26-7 loss to Texans in preseason finale

• With plenty of jobs available on the defensive line, the Lions’ pass rush was relatively nonexistent outside of a two-play sequence near the end of the first half. Lynn registered a quarterback hit on a play that was ultimately called back for offensive pass interference. On the very next play, Muhammad sacked Texans quarterback Graham Mertz to end the half.

• Lions safety Loren Strickland, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season, was all over the place in the second half. He finished with a team-high nine tackles, including one for loss. Nowaske also had nine tackles.

• With Vaki out of the lineup, none of the Lions’ running backs ran the ball particularly well. Reynolds had five rushes for 12 yards, Saylors had nine for 32 yards, and Jackson had two for 3 yards.

• In addition to his tackle-for-loss near the goal line, Pittman came up with another tackle-for-loss in the fourth quarter, stopping Texans running back British Brooks for a loss of 3 yards.

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions will add another name to the Pride of the Lions during the 2025 season, announcing Saturday that former defensive end Robert Porcher will join the team’s ring of honor.

Porcher, a three-time Pro Bowler who played 12 seasons in Detroit (1992-2003), is still the team’s all-time leader in single-season (15) and career sacks (95.5).

The team plans to do Porcher’s Pride of the Lions ceremony at halftime of the Week 2 game against the Chicago Bears.

“We are thrilled to cement Robert Porcher’s legacy as one of the all-time Lions greats,” Lions president & CEO Rod Wood said in a statement. “As someone who spent his entire 13-year career in Detroit and holds our franchise record for career sacks, he is incredibly deserving of this honor. He was a model of stability and tenacity as a player and will always be someone our fans and even current players can look up to.

“We look forward to welcoming Robert back to Ford Field for what will be an extra special celebration when we take on the Chicago Bears for our home opener.”

Porcher, 56, was a first-round pick (26th overall) out of South Carolina State by the Lions in the 1992 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl in 1997, 1999 (when he had a franchise-record 15 sacks) and 2001. He played 14 or more games in every season and played all 16 games in eight of his 12 NFL seasons.

Porcher started 158 games, the second-most by a defensive player in Lions history and the third-most of any player in franchise history. Porcher also holds the record for the most double-digit sack seasons (five) in Lions history. He played in 12 seasons but is officially recognized as having played 13; in 2004, he retired midseason after not appearing in the team’s first seven games.

Recent Pride of the Lions inductees include wide receiver Calvin Johnson (2024), offensive tackle Lomas Brown (2023) and linebacker Chris Spielman (2021).

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions center Graham Glasgow left Thursday’s practice in Allen Park to be evaluated for a lower leg injury, according to an announcement from the team.

Glasgow, who answered a major question mark by winning the starting center job after Frank Ragnow’s retirement, was injured during the final period of the day. It was unclear how, exactly, he suffered the injury, but he was slow to get up after a completion to wide receiver Kalif Raymond and was later helped off the field by a pair of trainers.

Should Glasgow have to miss extended time, it would be a major blow to the rhythm Detroit’s offense has established throughout camp. No other projected starter has any sort of meaningful center experience, which means the team would likely have to turn to a reserve — Kingsley Eguakun filled in after Glasgow was hurt — in the here and now, or throw rookie Tate Ratledge into the fire. Ratledge spent the first three days of camp at center but has not repped there since.

More injury updates

• S Kerby Joseph: Joseph returned to practice after missing the last three sessions with a minor knee injury that also caused him to miss time earlier in camp. He was spotted wearing a left leg sleeve on Thursday and was a full participant.

• RB Sione Vaki: Vaki, who has missed time over two separate stints in camp, also left practice with what was presumed to be an injury, but the team did not provide an update. It’s unclear why he left practice.

• DE Josh Paschal: Lions coach Dan Campbell said the return of Paschal (undisclosed) will be later than originally thought after he said earlier in camp that he expected Paschal to start practicing in early September.

Paschal began training camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list and will not count against the roster limit if he remains on NFI through cutdown day.

“I think Paschal could be a little later than we had hoped,” Campbell said Thursday. “That could sting a little bit. It also cleans (the roster construction) up, too. At least you’re not hoping and waiting and whatever else.”

• DE Ahmed Hassanein: The Lions already are set to be without rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, who suffered a pectoral injury that will require significant time missed. Hassanein posted on his Instagram that he didn’t need surgery, but Campbell was hesitant to update his long-term outlook.

“I’ve got nothing else on him, to be honest with you,” Campbell said.

• C Trystan Colon: Colon, who suffered an elbow injury in a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, was spotted running on the side with a large elbow brace on his arm.

• S Morice Norris: Norris, who suffered a severe concussion in the preseason game at Atlanta, was also doing some light work on the side in a practice jersey. Campbell said earlier this week that his timetable is to be determined.

Injury designations

• Injured reserve (season-ending): CB Dicaprio Bootle (lower leg), OL Keaton Sutherland (knee), S Dan Jackson (leg), CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (shoulder), TE Kenny Yeboah (knee), OL Colby Sorsdal (lower body), Justin Herron (arm)

• Non-Football Injury (NFI): DE Josh Paschal

• Active/PUP: LB Malcolm Rodriguez (knee), DL Alim McNeill (knee), OL Miles Frazier (knee)

• Reserve/PUP: DL Levi Onwuzurike (knee)

The Detroit Lions on Thursday put cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Rakestraw, a second-round pick in 2024, posted an Instagram story on Thursday morning that showed him either pre- or post-surgery with the caption, “Road to Be back starts soon.” The injury occurred on the first drill of Sunday’s training-camp practice in Allen Park. He went down on the very first rep of a one-on-one tackling drill and did not return.

Rakestraw wrote a message on his TikTok account on Thursday afternoon.

“I’ll be back soon. Been a rough 2 years (b)ut I’ll never question (G)od. Just want to play the game I love dearly. And show my people who I am and the kids who grew up like me it’s possible,” Rakestraw wrote. “So I’ll win in the end(,) just been a blurry road I’ve been on(,) just have to keep pushing.”

Lions coach Dan Campbell delivered a message of support when asked about the young cornerback on Monday.

“You hate it for the kid,” he said. “You hate it. It’s not his fault, just one of those tough deals. All you can do is try to get it better and rehab and come back stronger and move on. That’s all you can do.”

It’s yet another devastating blow to Rakestraw’s development and fortune since he entered the league.

Last season, Rakestraw appeared in just eight games and spent time on injured reserve with a hamstring issue. Cornerbacks Terrion Arnold, who should be returning from a hamstring injury soon, and Khalil Dorsey, who’s still rehabbing from a broken leg suffered at the end of last season, are also not currently practicing.

While Rakestraw’s indefinite absence is a blow to the team’s depth, it has gotten strong performances from veteran additions like Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox; the latter has played more safety this camp but carries ample experience as a nickel cornerback.

As of now, the Lions are still in good shape with their cornerback room.

Lions add tight end

In a corresponding move, the Lions added some competition to the tight end room, agreeing to terms with free-agent tight end Steven Stilianos, his management team announced Thursday.

Stilianos, 25, most recently appeared with the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL. He caught 15 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown in nine games. He finished his college career with two seasons at Iowa, where he crossed over with Lions tight end Sam LaPorta during the 2022 season, after transferring from Lafayette (FCS).

In his final season with the Hawkeyes (2023), Stilianos caught eight passes for 96 yards. He was not drafted but briefly spent time with the Tennessee Titans, for whom he made three preseason appearances in 2024.

Ultimately, he has a steep hill to climb if he’s going to contribute for the Lions’ tight end room. LaPorta and Brock Wright are firmly entrenched as the top two choices. Shane Zylstra, who’s been with the team for multiple years, has impressed with his given opportunities thus far.

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell on Sunday issued updates on several players who suffered injuries last week.

The group was headlined by cornerback Terrion Arnold, who left a team scrimmage last Tuesday and is dealing with a hamstring injury, according to Campbell. It doesn’t appear to be serious, and he’s expected to return sooner rather than later.

“He’ll be down for a little bit. It’s not a major hamstring. This is a low-grade (injury), but we’re trying to be smart with it,” Campbell said. “We’re hoping to have him back by the middle of the week.”

• S Kerby Joseph: Joseph returned to practice Sunday and was full-go. He’s been dealing with a knee injury for the last week.

• CB Amik Robertson: Robertson returned to practice after missing the last two. The reason for his absence was not known.

• OT Taylor Decker: Decker returned to practice on Sunday for the first time this year. Decker is dealing with a shoulder injury stemming from an offseason surgery. While Decker won’t be a full-go right away, it’s expected he’ll be a full participant soon.

“He will be out there, individual (drills). Don’t see him doing any team (drills) right now, but he will be back out moving around, which is good,” Campbell said.

• CB Ennis Rakestraw: Rakestraw, who has missed several practices due to various injuries, suffered another one Sunday. He landed on his shoulder in a one-on-one tackling drill — the first rep of any kind for the team — and couldn’t get up. He is being evaluated for a shoulder injury.

• S Dan Jackson: Jackson, a rookie safety, left practice and is being evaluated for a leg injury. The source of his injury is not currently known.

• OT Dan Skipper: Skipper will miss “about a week” after he suffered an ankle injury in Detroit’s 34-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game. Detroit signed offensive tackle Justin Herron on Monday to take over some offensive tackle reps in the meantime.

“Got his ankle a little bit. Shouldn’t be long term, but he’s going to need to lay off it for a little bit here,” Campbell said of Skipper.

• TE Kenny Yeboah: Rounding out the list of updates was Yeboah, who got rolled up on during a run play in Thursday night’s game and did not return. He won’t practice Sunday, but Campbell said it was for “something personal, in a good way. He’ll be back tonight. He won’t practice today. He’ll be back tonight.”

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions’ hole at the center position was its most significant question mark entering camp, but some clarity has been provided after the first week of practice.

Lions veteran Graham Glasgow has been playing center for the last four practices — after rookie Tate Ratledge handled responsibilities for the first three practices — and reading between the lines on comments from Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, it seems that might be the team’s preferred course of action going forward.

Morton told reporters Monday that Glasgow is “at the center now” because “I think that’s more natural for him.” He noted the importance of trust between the center and quarterback, which is worth paying attention to since Glasgow has actually played center for quarterback Jared Goff in regular-season games.

“We’ve been in pads, what, for (three) days now. So that’s the real, true reading of where we’re going to be. I do like where we’re at right now,” Morton said Monday morning. “I think Ratledge has done a good job. I mean, we had him at center first and now we moved him to guard. Glasgow is at the center now; I think that’s more natural for him because that center and quarterback, that needs to be right.”

Campbell echoed those feelings Tuesday morning.

“Look, we just finished two days with Graham back at center in pads, and it’s looked pretty good. It’s looked pretty dang good,” Campbell said. “I think every day that it looks pretty dang good, it looks a little clearer. So it’s good to have him in there and it’s good for Tate, too, to get those right guard reps, so we’re holding tight right now.”

Over his nine-year career, Glasgow has primarily played guard. He has ample experience at center, though, having played center for an entire season in 2018 (Frank Ragnow’s rookie year), half of 2022 (with the Denver Broncos), and a few spot starts in Ragnow’s absence since returning to Detroit in 2023.

“I think things are going pretty well right now, to be honest,” Glasgow said after his fourth day of center work. “There’s a couple of little things to work out out there. I probably could’ve changed the protection today a couple times, maybe in the two-minute (drill), but other than that, today was a good day.”

Plus, Glasgow said that he actually likes playing center. If the Lions were to make him the starting right guard but still give him some center responsibilities to take a load off Ratledge, he’d rather just be the full-time starting center.

“I do like playing center. Center’s fun,” Glasgow told reporters. “I like the mental load that comes with it. I think there’s — it’s a challenge, but I think that’s something that I’m pretty good at, so I like to do it. If it came to me having to play center and make the calls or me be a guard and then think about the calls anyways just to make sure that the calls were right, I’d probably rather just play center.”

Asked how Ratledge had been doing late last week (the first day with Glasgow repping at center), Goff said, “It’s been great. Tate, I thought, was doing a good job, and Graham was in there today. I’ve been comfortable with Graham for quite some time. So whoever it ends up being, I’ll be good with.”

Of course, as it pertains to Morton’s comments, there’s still plenty of time for things to change. This time last week, it seemed the Lions believed Ratledge could be the guy — why else would they have put him there to begin training camp?

“I do like the way it’s going right now,” Morton said of the offensive line’s progress. “It’s still early, the more we do it, the better we’re going to get.”

ALLEN PARK — Here are some observations from Day 6 of Detroit Lions training camp.

• Saturday marked the first practice of the year with fans in attendance, and per usual, there was a noticeable change in the energy. Supporters in attendance gave Lions owner Sheila Hamp a standing ovation when she arrived, and later started a chant for linebacker Alex Anzalone, who returned to practice amid a contract dispute with the team.

• Ultimately, Anzalone didn’t partake much in team activities while continuing to work through rehabbing his hamstring. Neither did edge defender Al-Quadin Muhammad, who was spotted running the hill near the practice field alongside cornerback D.J. Reed. UDFA safety Ian Kennelly, who missed Friday’s practice with an undisclosed injury, did not practice again Saturday but was spotted working off to the side with trainers.

• Saturday was also the second day with pads, and the defense was feasting early on. Linebacker Jack Campbell dropped running back Jahmyr Gibbs for a loss on the second play of the day. Two plays later, edge defender Aidan Hutchinson brought down running back David Montgomery for no gain.

Defensive linemen Keith Cooper Jr. and Ahmed Hassanein immediately got a stop for the second team, and Roy Lopez, who returned to practice for the first time since suffering a foot injury on Monday, stuffed running back Jabari Small for no gain.

UDFA running back Kye Robichaux eventually snapped the drought for the offense, breaking off an explosive run after being sprung by UDFA tackle Mason Miller in the open field. Two plays later, Robichaux had another run of 10-plus yards.

• Rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams returned to practice on Saturday after missing Friday for personal reasons. On the first team’s second session of 11-on-11 reps, he and veteran DJ Reader teamed up to stuff Gibbs on a run. And on the very next play, Williams was at the front of another run stop for minimal or no gain. Hutchinson ended the set with a tackle-for-loss on Montgomery. A few plays later, Grant Stuard dropped Craig Reynolds for a loss, and Cooper and Chris Smith also teamed up for a stop for no gain.

• Fans hoping to see some plays from third-round receiver Isaac TeSlaa were treated to big plays from multiple rookie receivers.

UDFA Jackson Meeks ran a slot fade down the left sideline and got perfect placement on a ball from quarterback Kyle Allen, hauling the pass in with one hand while going to the ground. Seventh-rounder Dominic Lovett caught a tight-windowed pass between two defenders on another great throw from Allen for a touchdown in a 7-on-7 red-zone drill.

“I love being able to sit back and watch those guys work,” veteran receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said of the rookie class. “It’s a lot of fun cheering them on. They make big plays. I mean, Meeks had a one-hand catch today, Dom had one the other day, Isaac’s ending practice with touchdowns, so it’s awesome to see.”

Between TeSlaa, Lovett and the rest of the veteran receiving core, the Lions have about six receivers who have a pretty good shot of making the roster. But if Lovett can uphold his production while remaining a factor on special teams, he’s going to have a huge opportunity to be a weekly contributor come this fall.

“You guys know, and they know, they’ve been told, ‘Man, if you can help on special teams and continue to develop at your role in your position, there’s a place for you,’” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.

TeSlaa closed the practice with one of the plays of the day. He ran a slot fade to the end zone against cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and went up to haul in a throw from Jared Goff, going down at the 1-yard line and electrifying the crowd one last time.

“I would say, Lovett has…popped more early out on the field, but I thought TeSlaa had a really good day yesterday,” Campbell said before Saturday’s practice. “I can see the uptick now with him. He’s got to stack another good day, but that was good to see yesterday. And that’s the first day of pads, by the way.”

• For the third straight practice, veteran Graham Glasgow took reps at center while rookie Tate Ratledge played left guard. In addition to struggling with the interior defensive line on run plays, Ratledge also registered a false start early in the practice.

• Hutchinson’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign is officially on. He had another standout practice, sacking Goff in team period off a nasty spin move to beat offensive tackle Dan Skipper. Hutchinson also had another highlight-reel spin on Skipper during one-on-one drills.

“I see a player that is very confident in his abilities. I see a player that appears to bend even better than last year, and I see a player who was hungry that’s even hungrier,” Campbell told NFL Network after practice. “He’s gonna have a hell of a season for us.”

• Linebacker Zach Cunningham was the most noticeable player on the field Friday, but he got off to a rough start on Saturday. He bit on play-action on the first pass attempt of the day and got torched by tight end Sam LaPorta, who ran wild after making a catch to give the offense an early explosive play.

• The best reps from the offense came in 7-on-7 red-zone drills, with all three strings making light work of the defense.

The first team got things rolling with a first-play touchdown to receiver Jameson Williams, as Goff fed the ball into a tight window for the connection. Goff then had two really nice passes to receiver Kalif Raymond and fed the ball to tight end Shane Zylstra for a completion near the sideline. Goff finished things off with a dart to receiver Tom Kennedy in the end zone.

Kennedy connected with quarterback Hendon Hooker two plays later, going up to high-point a ball on a fade route and getting two feet down in the end zone while working against cornerback Tyson Russell.

Allen, meanwhile, went 5-for-6 on red-zone attempts, with his only incompletion coming on a ball to Lovett in the end zone where the receiver could only get one foot in.

• The first-team defense got its revenge after the 7-on-7 period during full-team red-zone drills. Cornerback Terrion Arnold defended a throw to St. Brown on the first play, followed by a sack in which Reader pressured first before the whole line converged on Goff.

• During the final 11-on-11 period of the day, Raymond caught a crosser from Goff and took it 45 yards to the house for a score. Shortly after, Hassanein pressured Hooker for a near-sack after beating tackle Giovanni Manu. TeSlaa ended the day with his phenomenal catch over Bootle.

• Manu had a tough day. He got beat cleanly twice in a one-on-one pass-rush drill, losing to edge defender Mitchell Agude on a speed rush and getting beat by defensive lineman Pat O’Connor on a swim move. He was almost beaten by Hassanein on a bull rush but recovered in time to anchor and stave off the rush.

Hassanein continues to stand out in a positive way. In addition to the win over Manu during one-on-ones, he used a Hutchinson-esque spin move to beat Miller. Cooper also had a terrific rep, using a push-pull move to beat veteran Trystan Colon.

ALLEN PARK— Kingsley Eguakun, one of the dark-horse candidates to win the Detroit Lions’ starting center job in training camp, underwent an NFL rite of passage this summer.

He lost “20, 30 pounds from the season” in hopes of improving his strength, speed and endurance.

Eguakun gained “15 or 20 of those pounds” back — pure muscle, he said — and after merely holding on for dear life as a UDFA rookie last year, is hoping to earn himself a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster.

“I did it slowly, the right way,” Eguakun told The Detroit News. “Really, it was just me, something I wanted to just do to feel better. … I don’t know if I’ve had fast food in the last eight months, I would say. I’ve been really focused on eating whole foods and stuff, just trying to keep it real clean, not only for my weight and stuff, but just for my own health.”

Eguakun, who played his entire college career at Florida, was signed by the Lions as a UDFA last offseason. He hung around on the practice squad throughout the 2024 season. Back in the spring, Lions coach Dan Campbell mentioned him as a player who has a major opportunity in the wake of Frank Ragnow’s retirement. Monday, he explained why.

“(He’s had) a lot of scout-team reps,” Campbell said. “Man, him on Sunday, just watching him get better and better and better. The way he competes, man, he’s tough, he’s physical. He is a smart, really good athlete, man, he can move.

“And he knows this, so much about him is going to be the anchor. We put pads on, the size, and those things. Just being able to sit some guys down, anchor, things of that nature. I like Kingsley; he’s improved. He’s improved a lot.”

The new physique, combined with a full year of experience under his belt, has Eguakun playing faster than ever.

“(I’m) just playing faster. Just (identifying the middle linebacker) faster, getting on the ball quicker, being able to help guys who might be confused, not having to think as much,” Eguakun said.

“The game slowed down a lot for me.”

‘Be quiet, be a sponge’

Rookie receiver and seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett faces an uphill battle in the Lions’ wide receiver room. With at least five receivers in front of him on the depth chart — and no guarantees that Detroit will keep a sixth on the 53-man roster — training camp is more critical for Lovett than it is for, say, third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa.

But he appears to be developing good chemistry with both reserve quarterbacks, Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen, and has popped on a few occasions during 11-on-11 periods in practice. Lovett said developing a connection with his throwers has been a point of emphasis as he begins to navigate life in the NFL, and it’s apparent.

“(I’ve been) just asking the QBs, like, do they want to get catches after practice, whether it be any of them, you know?” Lovett said. “Anybody I can get chemistry with, I want to, because you never know who you may end up in the game with,” Lovett said. “So I feel like whenever a quarterback pulls you to the side and asks if you want to get catches, the answer should be ‘yes’ automatically.”

While the number of quality receivers in Detroit’s receiving room might make it tougher for him to secure a spot on the roster, it should also aid his development.

“Honestly, just be quiet, be a sponge. I don’t know everything and that’s totally OK,” Lovett said of how he’s approaching the opportunity to learn from guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond. “From them, I might learn different things. I might steal a release from him, I might steal a second release lever from him, I might steal a piece of his IQ. Just always picking.”

Raising the standard

Lions safety Kerby Joseph is now a veteran on Detroit’s defense, part of a budding core that has grown together over the last few seasons. On the field, he’s known for his mastery of taking the football away. Off it, he’s helping raise the standard for the entire unit following the installation of Kelvin Sheppard as the team’s new defensive coordinator this offseason.

“It’s a lot more expectations. When (former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) was here, we were still … in that stage of getting guys right,” Joseph said. “But now I feel like there’s a lot of things that we know what to expect, and not even with the coaches, but Shep is putting a lot on the players to make calls and understand certain situations.”

Joseph’s position is unique in that all 21 other players on the field are generally in front of his line of sight, which gives him a duty to correctly position his teammates and ensure the defense is prepared for the ball to be snapped.

“A lot of young guys grew up (in this defense) — like myself, I’m going into my fourth year — so there’s a lot on my plate to understand what’s going on and get guys right,” Joseph said.

The Detroit Lions have filled out their roster ahead of the start of training camp, signing running back Jabari Small, and cornerbacks DiCaprio Bootle and Tyson Russell, the team announced Friday.

Small, who went undrafted in 2024 after a four-year college career with the Tennessee Volunteers, replaces the roster spot previously occupied by undrafted running back Anthony Tyus III, who was waived Thursday with a non-football illness. Bootle and Russell, meanwhile, give the Lions some added depth at cornerback.

Terms of the deals with Small, Russell and Bootle were not announced.

The Lions picked up three roster spots this week (now all filled), due to the waiving of Tyus, the placing of defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and the retirement of former center Frank Ragnow becoming official.

Small was a reliable contributor for the Volunteers over his final three seasons in Knoxville, totaling 2,005 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns following a quiet freshman season. He signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent and spent the entire season on Tennessee’s practice squad after being waived on cutdown day.

Bootle went undrafted out of Nebraska in 2021 before making stops with the Kansas City Chiefs (2021-22), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Los Angeles Chargers (2024). Most of his defensive opportunities in the NFL came in 2023, when he started two games and played 183 total snaps as a member of the Panthers. He was used mostly on special teams last season, logging 85 snaps across seven games.

Russell, an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt, was in Allen Park earlier this year for a tryout during rookie minicamp. He spent four seasons with the Commodores, posting 92 tackles, five pass deflections and an interception in 44 total games.

ALLEN PARK — After a strong showing in his rookie year, the Detroit Lions made Brian Branch a full-time safety to pair alongside budding star Kerby Joseph.

Fast forward just one year, and the two have a strong case as the best safety tandem in the NFL. Joseph just received the most lucrative safety contract in NFL history, while Branch is sure to command a similar deal starting next offseason.

For as good as the two have been, their youth suggests there’s an even higher level of play that’s attainable.

“They definitely had a great year, but we’re expecting even more from them this year,” Lions safeties coach Jim O’Neil said.

Branch, 23, and Joseph both received honors during the 2024 season, with Branch making his first Pro Bowl and Joseph, 24, earning First Team All-Pro after leading the league with nine interceptions.

Offseason growth isn’t just rooted in getting bigger, faster and stronger. It begins with a self-scout, aided by O’Neil, who creates a series of cut-ups for each player so they can study their games and approach their goals for the summer with nuance and deliberation.

“It’s always good to kind of go back (and) watch the whole year,” O’Neil said. “They’ve both been outstanding. I made tapes for each guy that pulled the critical things that they need to see, but also all the different techniques so they can go back and study themselves. It’s been pretty cool.

“Like, ‘Hey, BB, watch all your blitzes. I’ll watch them, and then let’s talk about it the next morning.’ I think when they watch it instead of you just telling them, I think you get more out of it. If they’re seeing the same thing that you’re seeing, instead of you just saying, ‘Hey, this is what I saw, you need to bet better at this (and) this,’ they come back to you and say, ‘Hey, coach, I saw I was doing this.’ (Then I say), ‘I agree. Let’s work on it this way.’”

The Lions deploy Branch as a do-it-all weapon who defenses have to account for on every play, whether he be coming off the edge as a blitzer, crashing down on a run to make one of his 109 tackles, or lurking in the secondary to come down with an interception, of which he had four in his second season.

Branch and Joseph combined for 13 of Detroit’s 16 interceptions, tied for sixth in the league.

One area Branch does need to clean up, though, is his tendency to hit players high. While head coach Dan Campbell has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to take away the player’s “stinger,” Branch was fined seven times for a total of $70,896, including several for either hitting a defenseless receiver or impermissible use of the helmet.

O’Neil said the team bought a custom tackling dummy to help Branch aim lower, but defended the intentions of his Pro-Bowl safety.

“We’re going to live on that post-practice and save some of his money,” O’Neil said, adding, “He’s not trying to hurt guys out there. A lot of times … those are bang-bang plays. If I’m a DB, I have my aiming point of where I’m about to strike a guy, and then if a guy catches and his aiming point drops, it ends up helmet to helmet or shoulder to helmet or shoulder to neck.

“That stuff is a lot easier to coach in slow motion than it is full-speed. The answer is you just go lower, but now you’re hurting guys. We’ll work it.”

Conversely, one of the things that impressed O’Neil about Joseph was his growth as an open-field tackler. Joseph, who finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, had a career-high 83 tackles, just one more than he achieved in each of his last two seasons.

“One of the things that I’m most proud of with him is I thought he did an unbelievable job in open-field tackling last year. It was even more impressive than I thought when I went back and watched the cut-ups,” O’Neil said.

“You’re really known for two things as a post safety: Obviously, a guy who can go get the ball, and a guy that can erase mistakes when the ball pops, and I thought he did an outstanding job of that.”

Last season, Joseph’s third in the league, also saw him take on the role of a locker room (and position room) leader. He hired a private chef and hosted the rest of the defensive backs for dinner on Thursday nights and has taken seriously the example he sets for younger players.

“Just his leadership in the meeting room, like, ‘Hey, make sure you write that down,’” O’Neil said.

“Or (he will) reemphasize a coaching point that he might know for a player that’s hard on the grass, or, ‘I didn’t get that the fist time around,’ so looking at a younger guy, ‘Hey, did you get that? Coach, can you go over that again?’ Or he might ask questions that he knows the answers to that other guys might need to hear the answer again or in a different way.”

Joseph and Branch earned some of the highest honors a player can achieve last season, but with so much room to grow, one can’t help but wonder what another year of growth looks like for those two players — especially when you put them side by side.

ALLEN PARK — Some people were born to be Detroit Lions. Isaac TeSlaa is one of them.

The Lions traded up twice on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, using their second move to go up 32 spots in Round 3 and grab TeSlaa, a wide receiver from Arkansas who grew up in Hudsonville and has been a fan of the Lions since he was in diapers.

Detroit sent multiple Day 2 picks to get TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) on Friday night, giving up both of next year’s third-round picks and this year’s third-rounder (102 overall). In return, the Lions received pick Nos. 70 and 182 in this year’s draft and a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft.

“I don’t know if I have words … I’m still processing it right now. Obviously, it’s been not only a dream to play in the NFL, but to play for my hometown team, the team I’ve been rooting for since I was a baby, so, it’s just an incredible feeling,” TeSlaa told reporters via Zoom.

TeSlaa, 23, attended Unity Christian in Hudsonville. He began his college career at Hillsdale (Great Midwest Athletic Conference) before transferring to Arkansas in 2023. Over 25 games for the Razorbacks, he caught 62 passes for 896 yards (14.5 average) and five touchdowns.

He first got on the radar of Lions general manager Brad Holmes during the Senior Bowl. Holmes immediately noticed TeSlaa’s blocking, saying he “was just being a pest and he was pissing off the (defensive backs).”

“Obviously, it made me just want to completely watch the tape when you see a guy that’s just big, long, smooth strider, can accelerate, can run, he’s a hands catcher, can play special teams, can block,” Holmes said. “He can do a lot of things.”

He’s an uber-athletic receiver with inside-outside ability and said he models his game after Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua. Based on NFL Combine measurements, TeSlaa ranked No. 1 in athleticism score, per Next Gen Stats. He received a 9.97 Relative Athletic Score, which ranks 11th out of 3,441 receivers from 1987 to 2025.

“He’s gonna need to develop, but he’s got the tools to play outside and win outside. He’s gonna have to learn getting off press (coverage) and all that stuff, just like they all do, but he’s got all the physical tools,” Holmes said. “He’s got the intangible makeup to be able to overcome that.”

The Lions hosted TeSlaa on a top-30 visit — and TeSlaa showed up in a customized Lions jersey (No. 10) with his name on the back. Holmes thought it was a bit “cheesy” until TeSlaa told him he’s owned the gear since eighth grade.

Just how deep does TeSlaa’s fandom go? He was in attendance at Ford Field when Lions Hall-of-Famer Calvin Johnson set the single-season receiving record in 2012.

“I remember growing up watching Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, all those guys,” TeSlaa said. “It’s cool to be a part of that team now.”

Two of the picks used to move up for TeSlaa were compensatory picks awarded to the Lions after former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was hired as head coach of the New York Jets. Detroit also moved up three spots in Round 2 to draft Georgia guard Tate Ratledge, sending pick Nos. 60 and 130 to the Denver Broncos for Nos. 57 and 230.

Following the pair of trades, the Lions are set to have four picks on the final day of the draft: Two in Round 6 (Nos. 182; 196, via Tampa Bay) and three in Round 7 (Nos. 228, via Dallas; 230, via Denver; and 244). With still one day remaining, Holmes has now traded up in the draft 11 times since 2021.

Entering Day 3, the Lions have yet to address edge rusher, their biggest position of need entering the weekend and arguably one of the deepest positions of the entire draft.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a disappointment (to not add an edge rusher) because we got all guys that we love,” Holmes said. “Like I told you guys before the draft, we could have drafted an edge rusher that plays that position. We could have done it, and y’all would have been happy, right?”

Holmes continued, “All I hear is ‘Edge rusher, draft an edge rusher.’ So I’m like, ‘Well, are you assuming that the guy’s really good?’ Well, that’s a whole different story. Can you get in a position to get one of those? I don’t need to get into specifics, but there’s times where we made attempts to get one, and (he) just got picked before, we couldn’t get up (in a trade). It takes two to trade. Or we just had another player higher, but we did the same thing that we do every draft. We picked the highest-rated player regardless of position.”

At Hillsdale, TeSlaa was named the 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference offensive player of the year and was First Team All-G-MAC after hauling in 68 catches for 1,325 yards (19.5 average) and 13 touchdowns.

TeSlaa joins a receiving room that features two-time All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Ronnie Bell, Tom Kennedy and Kalif Raymond.

ALLEN PARK — As the first round of the NFL Draft rolled on, Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph was busy making his own dreams come true on the second floor of the team’s facility in Allen Park.

He officially put pen to paper on a contract that made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history. Naturally, he couldn’t stop smiling.

“It’s a great day,” Joseph said while strolling to the podium in Detroit’s media room, donning a custom suit with his nickname, “Zuper,” on the lining.

Three years ago this weekend, Joseph heard his name called as a third-round pick out of Illinois. All he’s done since then is lead the NFL with 17 interceptions, the most in the league during that span. The lucrative four-year, $86 million deal, which keeps Joseph in Detroit through 2029, is well deserved.

But while he tends to make those interceptions look easy, getting here was anything but.

“It didn’t happen quick. It wasn’t quick. I would say it took its time, but it was perfect timing, honestly. I knew it was going to take a minute, but I knew I just had to stay the course like how I’ve been doing all my life,” Joseph said. “Just staying down, being humble, keeping my faith. As I always said, God got me. So whenever I have hard times, I just pray, man. And I just keep my faith. Me doing that got me to this opportunity right here.”

Joseph was drafted when the Lions were coming off a 3-13-1 season. Over the last three years, he’s been a pivotal piece of two division titles and an NFC Championship appearance. His timely turnovers have swung many games over his career, particularly last season, when he led the league with nine picks and earned First Team All-Pro honors.

As he fielded questions Thursday night, he proved once again that he is a Lion through and through.

“Honestly, the money never motivated me. I do this because I love it,” Joseph said. “Of course, it’s a bonus. Don’t get me wrong. It comes with it, but I really play this game because I love it, man. I just have a certain passion for this game. I feel like I could never let go.”

Dating back to last offseason, the Lions have inked several homegrown talents to top-of-market deals (or close to it): Offensive tackle Penei Sewell (four years, $112 million), wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120 million) and defensive tackle Alim McNeill (four years, $97 million).

Now, Joseph turns his attention to bigger goals, both personal and team-oriented. If the Lions do achieve the ultimate prize during Joseph’s tenure, he’s going to be a big reason why.

“I want to be the best. I need to be the best. I need to put on that gold (Hall of Fame) jacket. I feel like it’s just everything I’ve worked for all my life,” Joseph said. “I just feel like that gold jacket, you mix that with a Super Bowl … that’s just a great little mix right there. You can never take that away from me. So that’s just two things that I really want to go for.

“The Super Bowl for my team, as a teammate, and as a player for the Lions, and just to put on that gold jacket one day and be recognized for all my talent.”

He’s certainly off to a good start.

Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft (April 24-26 in Green Bay), we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions‘ roster and how the team’s needs can be met on draft weekend. Today: Secondary.

Current roster outlook

The Lions have steadily fixed their secondary over the last few seasons. After years of it being a deficiency, the safety tandem of All-Pro Kerby Joseph and Pro Bowler Brian Branch proved to be one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL last season.

Joseph became eligible for a contract extension this offseason and is entering the final year of his deal; next offseason, Branch will be in the same position. Should Detroit bring them both back, it’s possible that the duo will end up as some of the highest-paid safeties in the league (with each deal worth upward of $20 million annually).

Though that position looks strong, Detroit bid farewell to Ifeatu Melifonwu in free agency. When healthy, Melifonwu’s combination of size and speed made him a dangerous player in three-safety looks, with his blitzing ability among the best on the team, so there’s a role up for grabs there. Entering the draft, the Lions’ safety depth is comprised of Loren Strickland, Erick Hallett II and Morice Norris. It’d be prudent to start backfilling at this position at the draft to make some decisions down the road a bit easier.

At cornerback, the team is in good shape. Terrion Arnold, the No. 24 pick in last year’s draft, steadily improved over his rookie season and is a top candidate to take the biggest leap in 2025. Opposite of Arnold, the team ensured the departure of Carlton Davis III wouldn’t sting too badly by signing veteran DJ Reed, a player of similar caliber, from the New York Jets in free agency.

The Lions added another cornerback in last year’s draft, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., with the 60th pick. He was a standout in training camp but dealt with injuries all of last season and missed out on a starting opportunity in Week 2 that could have led to a prominent role in the defense for the rest of his rookie campaign. Rakestraw is expected to challenge Amik Robertson, who’s entering the final season of his two-year agreement, for the starting nickel cornerback job next season.

Khalil Dorsey, one of the team’s best gunners on punt coverage, is also back for another season and will serve as a reliable depth option alongside returning defensive back Stantley Thomas-Oliver and two free agency signings, Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin.

Level of need: Low-medium

Detroit has up-and-coming talent all over its secondary, but will face some extreme financial commitments because of it in the next few seasons. If the Lions hope to get cheaper in the defensive backfield, it’d be wise to start adding that talent in the near future. Given the track record of Lions general manager Brad Holmes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions add a cornerback or safety (or both) early in this draft.

At the top

This year’s cornerback group features the draft’s most tantalizing prospect, two-way star and reigning Heisman winner Travis Hunter (Colorado). It’s expected that he’ll be gone within the first few picks, most likely to the Cleveland Browns at No. 2. Behind him, Jahdae Barron (Texas), who picked off five passes last year, and Will Johnson (Michigan) are projected to be the next two cornerbacks off the board, with both of those guys having the potential to be top-15 picks.

From there, the top of the board has a lot of variance. West Bloomfield’s Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky) has been climbing up draft boards since the NFL Combine and could sneak into the back half of the first round. Shavon Revel (East Carolina), who had his 2024 season ended by a torn ACL, is also a late climber with first-round potential. Other potential first-rounders include Trey Amos (Ole Miss), Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State) and Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame).

At safety, there are really only two prospects with first-round buzz entering next week: Malaki Starks (Georgia), who fits the do-it-all mold of a player like Branch, and Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina). Most mock drafts have Starks as the first safety off the board, with some even believing he could be a top-10 pick. But as we’ve seen with top safeties over the years, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see him slip to the end of the first round, making him available for the Lions, or into Day 2 altogether. Emmanwori (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) is one of the draft’s best athletes; he recorded a 4.38 in the 40, a 43-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-6 broad jump and makes good use of it in his versatile game.

Teams who could be after a DB in Round 1

Cleveland Browns (No. 2), New York Jets (7), Carolina Panthers (8), New Orleans Saints (9), San Francisco 49ers (11), Miami Dolphins (13), Arizona Cardinals (16), Cincinnati Bengals (17), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19), Green Bay Packers (23), Minnesota Vikings (24), Los Angeles Rams (26), Baltimore Ravens (27), Washington Commanders (29), Buffalo Bills (30)

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Down the board

If the Lions happen to address other positions on the field during the draft’s early stages, there will be several intriguing options to help aid the defensive backfield in Days 2 and 3.

The consensus is that Xavier Watts (Notre Dame), tied for second in interceptions (six) last year, is the third-best safety in the draft; he’s an option for the Lions on Day 2. Penn State has a pair of safeties that are expected to be gone by the middle rounds, Kevin Winston Jr. and Detroit native Jaylen Reed (Detroit King). Andrew Mukuba (Texas) was one of the best coverage safeties in the nation last season (tied-fourth with five interceptions) and has Day 2 potential. Lathan Ransom (Ohio State) and Malachi Moore (Alabama), two other middle-round guys, were solid run defenders and could help fill the void left by Melifonwu (not that Detroit will be trying to find a one-for-one replacement for that “need”). R.J. Mickens (Clemson) is an attractive late-round option with good coverage ability.

Among the cornerbacks expected to be available on Days 2 and 3, Cobee Bryant (Kansas) stands out as a player with the mental makeup Detroit is looking for; he’s a willing run defender and snagged four interceptions last season. Nohl Williams (Cal), who led the nation in interceptions (seven), and Jacob Parrish (Kansas State) could easily find their way to Detroit in the earlier rounds.

Denzel Burke (Ohio State) was at one time thought of as a possible first- or second-rounder in last year’s draft, but after returning for a title-winning season with the Buckeyes, his stock has slipped; he enters the draft as a late-Day 2, early-Day 3 guy. Western Michigan is putting a lengthy cornerback into the draft in Bilhal Kone (6-foot-2), who had six pass breakups and an interception last year.

Time to target

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions grab a falling safety at the back end of the first round, but if Detroit does add to the secondary, our best guess is that it’ll come on Day 3 (or even late on Day 2), when there will be plenty of gems to mine. Cornerbacks (and to a lesser extent, safeties) tend to be similar to receivers in the sense that there’s always a “voluminous” (as Holmes would put it) supply of potential contributors down the board.