The Detroit Lions are quite settled in a few positional battles headed into their first preseason game next week. Iron sharpens iron, of course, so the more battles we're getting between veterans, rookies or even between tenured Lions players, the better.
It's also nice and early in training camp, so a lot can change in a week. It's easy to read a bit more into who is getting first team reps or not, but we're only one week in, and a lot of those choices by coaches could just have to do with injury, or wanting to get different looks and matchups each day.
With that said, here we'll take a look at the battles that already seem to be settled upon through one week, and which battles seem to just be getting started for the Lions.
2 Lions position battles that are over, and 4 raging on
Right tackle: raging on
While rookie Blake Miller was seen as one of the most pro-ready tackles in this year's draft, that doesn't necessarily mean he's ready to go out there and block the likes of Micah Parsons, or Andrew Van Ginkel, or Montez Sweat twice a year. That said, the Lions did their due diligence and signed Larry Borom in free agency to help smooth out that transition for Miller.
So far, it sounds like Borom has been pacing Miller in camp. ESPN's Eric Woodyard shared his observations of the battle so far through Lions camp recently:
"There is an open competition for the Lions' starting job at right tackle which probably will be between rookie Blake Miller and veteran Larry Borom, who was acquired via free agency. After releasing veteran left tackle Taylor Decker during this offseason, the Lions switched Penei Sewell, an All-Pro right tackle to the left, which will make room for a new starter. Miller was selected No. 17 out of Clemson and will have a strong chance to start, but Borom has experience, making 38 starts in 63 career games, including 11 starts for the Miami Dolphins last season."
Pride of Detroit's Al Karsten shared his observations of Borom recently, as well, naming him a standout:
"Borom continued to show why the Lions value him, seamlessly rotating between left tackle, right tackle, and the sixth offensive lineman role. He also finished a perfect 4-0 during one-on-one pass rush drills."
This is going to be a fun back and forth to watch, especially as Miller grows more and more comfortable. Worst case scenario: the Lions have some much better depth to work with in 2026 at tackle than they did in 2025.
CB2: raging on
D.J. Reed is obviously the Lions' starting CB1 headed into this year, but they have an ongoing cornerback battle to figure out a replacement for Terrion Arnold. Rock Ya-Sin seems like the current frontrunner, but Nick Whiteside has been earning some major praise for making plays almost every single day of camp so far. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is also in the mix, and he has at least one highlight-worthy turnover against Jameson Williams worth writing home about.
We haven't heard much about Roger McCreary's impact so far in camp, so it might be safe to assume he's not in the running for anything outside of the open slot corner position. Rookie Keith Abney II has been getting looks at both outside corner and in the slot, but like Miller, likely needs more time to acclimate to NFL speed before really making noise outside of third or second team reps.
So far, it seems like a two-man race between Ya-Sin and Whiteside for that starting job next to Reed.
EDGE2: raging on
Aidan Hutchinson is super secure as the teams' lead edge rusher, but the Lions seem to be experimenting a ton with their healthy defensive line so far in camp.
Tyler Lacy has been seeing snaps with the first time both inside the line and on the edge, with good results. Ahmed Hassanein is another option for the Lions, who sounds to be very motivated this year after missing his rookie season due to injury. Payton Turner also remains an option, as well as DJ Wonnum. Alim McNeill is also a threat as a sack artist, who has been having a great camp so far, per team reporter Tim Twentyman:
"McNeill looks to be back to his 2023 and 2024 form before the ACL injury."
Rookie Derrick Moore is out for the next week or so with a minor strain, per The Athletic's Colton Pouncy, so he's out of the conversation for the time being. Detroit's first two preseason games might shed some more light on what's working for them at the edge, because right now, things feel very up in the air for that job opening.
READ MORE: Detroit Lions rookie stock report as training camp hits another gear
Defensive tackle: raging on
It feels like McNeill will certainly earn his starting job back on the Lions' defensive line if he's playing like himself pre-ACL tear, but the job opposite him feels up for grabs. Tyleik Williams sounds to have undergone a physical transformation this offseason in order to become a better run stopper and pocket disruptor, and so far, he's earned some props because of it.
"Williams has looked stronger and quicker on his feet to start camp and has provided some early pass rush from the interior of Detroit's defensive front that's been a nice development," per team reporter Tim Twentyman.
Of course, he's fighting to stave off a returning Levi Onwuzurike and Mekhi Wingo, two players that were seriously impacted by the injury bug last season. This is going to be a battle where, no matter who wins out the starting job, we'll still have some really great depth for Detroit's defensive line headed into the season. That's a win.
Left guard: over
Christian Mahogany had to have a great start to camp in order to cement his starting role on the Lions' new-look offensive line.
Despite starting the program off with an injury, he's done just that.
Mahogany seems to be winning a ton of 1-on-1 drills against first team opponents, with The Athletic's Pouncy taking note of that dominance:
"Mahogany has been excellent in these drills. He overpowered McNeill twice, and I believe McNeill was a bit frustrated the second time around. I’m starting to believe Mahogany is set up to have a better year, but we’ll need to see more."
To Pouncy's point, it feels too early to declare him the starting left guard with so much camp left. Miles Frazier is battling to steal the job from him, and he's looked good as a versatile swing lineman throughout camp so far. Ben Bartch is another option for the team as he works his way back from a foot injury, and newly acquired Juice Scruggs can also battle Mahogany for the job.
But, it feels hard to imagine a world where an enlightened Mahogany doesn't just keep improving, barring further injury, and just keeps this job. That's why we've got him pegged as a player who feels firm in his spot on the depth chart.
Safety: over
At least one starting safety spot feels firmly won over thanks to the camp that Chuck Clark has had so far for the Lions. We still don't really know what the timeline for a return looks like for either Brian Branch or Kerby Joseph, so one of them could theoretically come back and push Clark back down the depth chart sooner rather than later. But for now, Clark looks like a great addition by the Lions.
Per Pouncy in his latest camp writeup:
"Chuck Clark nearly picked off Jared Goff on a post route intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown. He’s earned virtually every first-team rep at safety with Branch and Joseph out. Lions fans should learn his name. He’s going to start."
Christian Izien, Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper, Dan Jackson, and Loren Strickland are all still fighting for the other open safety spot, but it's obvious that Clark is going to be an injection of life to a struggling Lions secondary.
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