The Detroit Lions held their third day of 2025 training camp, and while they’re still in the acclimation process, the intensity gradually increased throughout the day’s practice. While that resulted in some really good football on the field, it also led to coach Dan Campbell sending the team a warning, and eventually needing to remove a player from the practice field.
Participation Report
Only a couple of new minor injuries to report after Day 3 of training camp, but Campbell disclosed the timeline for return on several
players on injury lists at this morning's presser. For all the information, make sure to check out our Day 3 injury news and participation report.
Intensity ramps up on Day 3
The Lions opened practice with positional drills, rolled into 11-on-11s, and performed a head-to-head WR-DB battle. Next, they worked on punt return/coverage drills, followed by another set of 11s, and then one-on-one gunner vs. blocker special teams drills. As things progressed, it became apparent that the one-on-one competitions were gradually intensifying in nature. When the Lions began a third session of 11-on-11 drills, focusing on converting/stopping third-down and short-yardage situations, both sides of the ball were building up their physicality.
Halfway through the 20-minute drill, Campbell called a halt to the action in order to slow the growing intensity, and for the next seven minutes, things were tempered. Unfortunately, with around three minutes remaining in the drill, defensive back Morice Norris attacked a pass over the middle too aggressively, arriving slightly early and high, resulting in a collision. Campbell immediately shut down the drill and sent Norris to the locker room after not adhering to his warning.
With the Lions turning to their final special teams drill to close out the day, Kerby Joseph ran to Norris’ side to deliver some advice to the young player as he made his way off the field.
While there didn’t appear to be any ill intention from Norris, the Lions are not allowed to have contact during the acclimation process, and his eagerness to make a play forced Campbell’s decision-making. The Lions have Wednesday off, but they’ll return to the practice field on Thursday, and on Friday, they’ll wear pads—when a ramped-up intensity level will be welcomed.
Quality QBs
In Monday’s observations, we discussed Hendon Hooker seizing the opportunity as QB2 and installing the things he’s been working on over the summer. Today, it was Kyle Allen's turn at QB2, and he had his sharpest day in Allen Park. Allen looked calmer in his decisions, and despite the defensive sending blitzes on a regular basis, he did a quality job of handling the pressure. For what it’s worth, despite being with the third team, Hooker continued to look good on Day 3. There wasn’t any regression during this shift, and he had another solid showing.
Having both backups deliver quality days is encouraging, but it’s important to remember that the Lions are still playing with limited contact. When the pads are put on this Friday, it’ll be noteworthy to see which quarterbacks are able to maintain their quality play.
The offensive play of the day came from Jared Goff, threading a 25-yard rope down the seam to Brock Wright, who made a spectacular juggling catch despite smothering coverage from Jack Campbell.
Blitz pick up
With no pads on, the running backs often get overlooked, as the majority of their value is only evident when there is contact. However, the Lions' defense sent numerous blitzes, including those with two linebackers or a linebacker and a defensive back, which required the running backs to perform blitz pickups.
It’s not always easy to see the backs blocking in the wash, but there were a few clear wins from both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery is known for being an excellent pass blocker, but this was an area Gibbs has been developing, and it appears he’s taken a positive step.
Rookie WRs showing out
With third down being a primary focus of the day, there were a lot of team drills and offensive passing opportunities. While Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, and Kalif Raymond regularly cycled with the first team, we’re beginning to see all four of the Lions’ rookie receivers get worked in higher in the rotation.
Isaac TeSlaa saw mainly second-team reps, but did get a few first-team as well. While Dominic Lovett continued to split time between the second and third teams. The big change came among the UDFA rookies, Jakobie Keeny-James and Jackson Meeks, who were regularly getting second-team looks, while also mixing in third-team reps.
Keeney-James' speed and YAC ability showed up in Tuesday’s practice, as he quickly won over the middle and made a quality reception on a deep shot from Hooker. During third-down drills, Keeney-James executed a quick slant in front of the linebackers, and despite running laterally across the field, he was able to clear the defenders and turn it upfield for a big gain.
Meeks took early reps with the second team offense but didn’t make too big of an impact. However, he showed very well in special teams blocking drills, illustrating that his technique is translatable to the NFL level.
The fact that the majority of second-team reps went to rookies is a significant development in the competition for depth roles at the wide receiver position. The Lions have invested a lot of capital in these four rookies, and while we may only see one or two on the active roster, if they keep playing this well, there’s a good chance the remaining rookies find their way to the practice squad.
OL updates and changes
The Lions’ offensive line appears to have settled in, and multiple players are playing at the same position in consecutive practices. Here’s how the starters continue to look while Decker remains out:
LT Dan Skipper
LG Christian Mahogany
C Tate Ratledge
RG Graham Glasgow
RT Penei Sewell
The second team tackles and guards also remained the same; however, the second-team center rotation is now up to three players. Kingsley Eguakun, Michael Niese, and Trystan Colon continue to cycle through C2, C3, and LG3 positions, with each taking a full day's reps at each of those spots. Here’s how things look on Day 3, with the previous positions being shown in parentheses.
LT Giovanni Manu (LT2/3)
LG Netane Muti/Michael Niese (C2/3, LG3)
C Trystan Colon (C2/3, LG3)/Kingsley Eguakun (C2/3, LG3)
RG Kayode Awosika/Colby Sorsdal (RT3)
RT Jamarco Jones/Mason Miller (RT 2/3, LT3, LG3)
Essentially, the Lions have a three-way competition for their reserve center spot, and several reserve players are being cross-trained at multiple positions, even beyond what is visible on the practice field. That point was solidified after practice, when Sorsdal spoke with Pride of Detroit and acknowledged that he was being trained at all five offensive line positions.
Opportunities on the DL
With the Lions' defensive line dealing with a few injuries, it’s opened the door for depth players to seize the opportunities in front of them. We’ve previously discussed how Pat O’Connor is stepping up in Levi Onwuzurike’s absence, but another surprise player has begun to step into the light: UDFA rookie Keith Cooper.
Cooper played some defensive tackle early in his college days, but was primarily an edge defender the past few seasons. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Cooper is a bit of a tweener, but has been earning snaps on the second-team at both the 3T and 4i roles. With Mekhi Wingo expected to be out until September, this is a big opportunity for the rookie hybrid to garner attention.
We’ve also seen some unexpected production out of a few returning edge rushers, with Nate Lynn drawing the most attention on several plays behind the line of scrimmage. On Tuesday, Lynn made a tackle for loss on a screen pass to Craig Reynolds and destroyed UDFA rookie right tackle Mason Miller, with a flawless cross-step rip to secure a sack. Lynn also made quick work of Ahmed Hassanein during a gunner vs. blocker special teams drill, dispatching the rookie immediately and creating a clear path in his pursuit.
Tight coverage from DBs
Terrion Arnold is off to a great start to camp. The Lions’ starting corner is playing with loads of confidence and swagger. Arnold is looking strong in team drills, and even picked off a Goff pass headed for Amon-Ra St. Brown during one-on-ones.
During our PODD recap, I teased a Terrion Arnold one-handed INT during 1-on-1s.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) July 22, 2025
The Lions just posted it—along with most the 1-on-1 drills—to their Instagram page.
Here’s that, plus a nice PBU from Arnold.
Nice day for him. pic.twitter.com/eqNujTnba9
D.J. Reed returned from a day off to witness the birth of his third child, and didn’t miss a beat. It’s unclear if he was still living off endorphins, but he showed off some serious speed, even hanging with Kalif Raymond down the field.
Amik Robertson showcased his coverage versatility, lining up across from smaller receivers like Raymond and Lovett, as well as larger targets, such as Tim Patrick. His fearless style of play enables him to excel in both scenarios, making him a valuable defensive back. I also credited him with a sack on Tuesday.
While Norris was pulled from practice, it’s worth noting that he had a very solid day leading up to his removal. Taking reps at both second-team nickel and at safety, he showed up in tight coverage on multiple occasions and even made run stops at the line of scrimmage.
Special teams standouts
I’m in danger of turning this section into a daily Grant Stuard love letter, but I’ll do my best to keep things in check. Stuard’s special teams play is as advertised, and he’s taking key roles, including as the personal protector (PP) in the punt game, as well as being the green dot play relayer on these plays.
However, my favorite play from Stuard on Tuesday came during the gunner-blocker drills, when he was matched up with UDFA rookie receiver Jackson Meeks. Stuard easily won both reps as a blocker and pursuer, but when they repped a third time with Meeks as a pursuer, the rookie used a slick push-pull move to win off the line. Unfortunately for Meeks, as he made his way towards the ball carrier, he learned a valuable lesson: Even when you’ve beaten Stuard, you’ve never really beat him.
Once beaten, Stuard immediately put his head down and sprinted to get back in the play, and right as Meeks reached his target, Stuard flew in and put himself in his way to block his path. He simply never stops.
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