The Detroit Lions have banked three training camp practices so far in 2026, and after a day off on Saturday, they’ll stack another six practices in consecutive days while welcoming fans into their Allen Park training facility starting on Sunday.
For the most part, things have gone pretty much as expected, but despite being very early in camp, there have been a few surprises (both good and bad) that have resulted from unexpected performances/circumstances.
Here are a few examples that have stood out
to me.
- Blake Miller essentially locking up the RT spot from the jump
- Jahmyr Gibbs holding out for a new contract
- Sione Vaki getting RB1 snaps
- UDFA rookie Miles Kitselman running with the first-team as TE3
- Tyler Lacy continuing to start at Big End
- Ahmed Hassanein’s transformation has led to more opportunities
- Jimmy Rolder taking on the second-team MIKE role
- Ennis Rakestraw and Rock Ya-Sin splitting starting CB reps
- Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark starting at safety over Thomas Harper
- Greg Dortch looks like the leader for BOTH returner roles
Which leans us to today’s question of the day:
Which Lions player has been the biggest surprise in camp?
My answer: CB Nick Whiteside leveling up his game.
On Day one of training camp, Whiteside was arguably the most impactful player on the field, forcing three pass breakups while showing great range and closing burst in coverage.
“He’s improved,” coach Dan Campbell said at the following morning’s press conferecne. “And what you like about Ironsides (Whiteside) is that when we brought him in, gave him an opportunity, he fought, made some plays, man earned the right to stay, pulled him up, needed him, did some good things for us. We get him back with us here and look, he’s all about business. It’s not too big for him, he’s all about business and he’s going to maximize everything he’s got. And he looks like he wants a spot and he wants a job, that’s what he looks like. I mean, I know it’s day one, but he made more plays than anybody out there. So that’s encouraging, it’s good to see.”
On Day 3, Whiteside managed to not only break up a pass during practice, but he also hauled in an interception as well. While it’s still very early in camp, and we should be cautious in getting over excited, making five impactful plays through just three days of camp is noteworthy.
At this time, I feel pretty solid about my CB rankings, but Whiteside’s performance has me wondering if I could make room for him on my next 53-man roster projection.
So what do you think? Which player storyline has surprised you and caught your attention? Let us know why in the comments below.
