The Detroit Lions were back on the practice field on Tuesday, strapping on the pads for Day 6 of 2026 training camp. The team practiced a bit longer than on Monday, roughly two hours, working through individual drills, kickoffs and punt coverage/blocking drills, four sets of 11-on-11s, and a full team situational drill to close out the day.
Injury updates
Jeremy Reisman wrote a full report on Tuesday’s injury updates, with the cliff notes being that RB Sione Vaki will miss some time after getting poked in the eye
and breaking his nose, TE Anthony Firkser broke his fibula and was placed on injured reserve (the team re-signed Zach Horton as a replacement), and WR Lawrence Keys will be out for a bit with a hamstring injury. At practice, Malcolm Rodriguez exited a few minutes early with what the team is calling an ankle injury, but it’s worth noting he did return to the field after practice to spend time with his family.
Starting DL making an impact
The offensive line looked great on Monday, but it was the defensive line that was flying around on Tuesday, most notably their starters. With individual drills and the first set of 11’s focusing on rushing, the defensive line was able to show its physicality early in practice and carry that momentum throughout the day.
Aidan Hutchinson continues to find ways to get pressure, the power elements to Tyleik Williams’ game look improved, but the play of Alim McNeill and Tyler Lacy have been positive developments. McNeill got two tackles-for-loss (TFL) in the first team period, added another a period later, and forced a pressure on Jared Goff to force a throwaway in the final session. He looks like he has put his injury behind him and is back to being an impact player in the trenches.
“Alim is a great player,” left guard Christian Mahogany told Pride of Detroit after practice. “I’ve faced him at all stages; before he got paid, after he got hurt, and now that he’s fully back, he’s himself again. Alim’s a hell of a player, an All-Pro level player, and it’s good to go against him every day, and then talk to him after to see what he sees on the field, and it’s a good experience for someone like me.”
Lacy is one of the biggest surprises in camp so far. The Lions appear to want to still deploy a lot of base defensive sets (three linebackers), and in those formations, Lacy has started at the “Big End” role, lining up at the 4i or 5-technique. Then with the reserves, Lacy will kick inside at the 3-technique, showing his positional range.
“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s stout, he’s physical. And, so for that big end, especially big end in base, he’s like the perfect big end in base,” coach Dan Campbell said on Day 3 of training camp. “I mean, that’s the way you want him to look, the way you want him to play. And, so the next step for him will be some of this stuff where, okay, now we transition to nickel, slide to the three technique.”
In practice on Tuesday, he secured a TFL on the first play of 11s, then followed that up by pancaking a blocker and opening an alley for Jack Campbell to make a run stop. In the next series, he forced a pressure that may have been credited as a sack, then made a key run stop in the third set of team drills. He’s taken some big steps to improve from the player we saw last season.
Christian Mahogany earning more LG starter reps
Since returning from injury, Mahogany has been slowly acclimating back into practice and has seen a steady increase in snaps with the starter at left guard. On Tuesday, Mahogany still rotated with Juice Scruggs, but the pendulum has shifted toward Mahogany, as he earned starting reps in individual drills, two of the four 11s, and the situational drill to close practice.
While he’s still working his way back and battling to retain his starting left guard job, you can see he’s made an effort to add even more power elements to his game, while also maintaining his athleticism so that he can fully operate in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme.
“I just feel a lot stronger and a lot more confident in myself at the position,” Mahogany told Pride of Detroit after practice. “Just trying to make sure we all gel well—Hank (Fraley) said it to us yesterday, ‘the five (that start) the first game may not be the five at Week 18, or come playoff time. Getting that continuity with everyone is huge for confidence. Seeing how Cade (Mays) and Penei (Sewell) like everything done, and I’m working my way back so I can meet that standard as well.”
Mahogany certainly looks comfortable in Petzing’s scheme, as he can put his power on display, and his ability to pull, locate, and block targets in space is something that separates him from his competition.
“Coach Petzing is a mastermind when it comes to the (offensive scheme),” Mahogany continued. “He’s involved in the run game a lot, and I feel like I really fit his scheme.[…] Pulling is a big thing here—it was a big thing in school too; we pulled a lot at Boston College. […] I’ve been pulling my whole life, and I’ve always been told ‘pulling guards win championships,’ so that’s what we have to do (here).”
Stepping up at RB
With Jahmyr Gibbs holding out and Sione Vaki injured, the Lions have leaned on their remaining four running backs to carry the load. Let’s take a quick look at how they’re performing.
Isiah Pacheco has shown more burst to his game now that the pads have come on, has delivered some yards after the catch in the flat, as well as presenting himself as a reliable check-down option for Goff.
Next up has been Jacob Saylors, who has gotten some run with the first-team (backing up Pacheco) as well as starting with the second team. On Tuesday, he once again produced two 10+ yard runs, and routinely is able to pinball off one-handed tackle attempts.
“He knows the system, and he’s a smart guy,” Campbell said at his morning presser. “He’s conscientious. And, so that’s always going to help when you come into camp. [..] He looks much more comfortable. And he’s got ability. I mean, you see it.
Jabari Small has stepped into an RB3 role, and he continues to show impressive agility in multiple phases. He also drew unprompted praise from Campbell on Tuesday morning.
“Small is doing some things, and he’s doing some things on special teams too,” Campbell explained. “Low to the ground, center of gravity, he’s stout, he’s strong. He’s got lateral quicks. Pretty good, man. You guys are going to get a pretty good look here.”
Small has taken advantage of his opportunity, and while it looks like he’ll have a hard time cracking the top four, there could still be a path for him to stick around in Allen Park.
Quick hitters
- Dominic Lovett executed a pretty double move, catching a 50-yard bomb from Teddy Bridgewater that resulted in an 80-yard TD.
- Jackson Meeks made two big 16-yard catches during situationals to help the second team set up the game-winner to end practice.
- Ahmed Hassanein had a pressure that led to a “sack”, another TFL on a running back.
- Levi Onwuzurike is making plays with the third team, but much less when he is with the second team, which has raised some questions on his status.
- Mekhi Wingo, working with the first team, pressured Goff and forced a throwaway.
- Trevor Nowaske delivered a beautiful tackle for loss on Saylors, where the hit was so physical that Nowaske’s helmet flew off. Nowaske followed that series up with a sack, blowing right by Devin Cochran (who otherwise had a decent day).
- Keith Abney secured another clean pass breakup and continues to look physical on special teams.
- Chuck Clark and Amaris Brown each added pass breakups to their practice highlight reels.
- Jake Bates went 8 for 8 on the day, connecting from 39, 41, 44, 46, 46, 51, 51, and 59 yards.
