3 winners (and 3 losers) through one week of Lions training camp

Through one week of Detroit Lions training camp, we know one thing's for sure: the teams' depth is not going to be an issue in 2026.

Along either of their trenches, or in their secondary, or even within their receiving corps, the Lions have done a great job to add meaningful and competitive depth to try and stave off the kind of drop-off they experienced repeatedly in 2025.

Every time a starter got hurt, a player you've never heard of had to step up to the plate to try and keep the Lions in the contention conversation. It was just an unbelievable, and unsustainable, ask.

That likely will not be the case this year. We've already seen some talent rise to the top, with some sinking a bit. Here, we'll dive into some winners and losers for the Lions as the second week of camp kicks off this morning.

3 winners and 3 losers from Lions' first week of training camp

Loser: Sione Vaki

Vaki was handed a fantastic opportunity to prove that he could be a reliable RB2 for the Lions this year once news of Jahmyr Gibbs' hold-in came out. With just Isiah Pacheco and Jacob Saylors as his competition, he could stand out quickly in camp with some great first and second team reps.

...And then, someone broke his nose.

It's a brutal break for Vaki, who is vying to prove that the entire 2024 draft class wasn't a total wash. Hopefully, he can get back and hit the ground running, but Gibbs might be back on the field by then, and then life will be made even harder for Vaki and his chances to stand out in the pack.

Winner: Nick Whiteside

It might be too early for the team to anoint their starting CB2. But, we're not the team. I'm just a person.

And, in my personal opinion, Whiteside has proven to be a legitimate threat to the potential starting cornerback room of D.J. Reed-Rock Ya-Sin-[insert nickel back here].

If you don't care for my opinion (ouch!), hear it right from head coach Dan Campbell's mouth:

"Whiteside has made plays everyday — special teams and on defense. Everyday. There’s not been a day yet, we’ve had four practices, where he has not made plays. So, this is about to get interesting. It’s going to be really interesting."

This is a huge development for Detroit, as they came into camp with a major question mark hovering over their secondary. Whiteside has been putting in work all offseason, and it is paying off.

Loser: Lions rookie class (aside from Blake Miller)

Miller is still getting his bearings as he battles Larry Borom for the Lions' starting right tackle job, but so far, you've heard nothing but positive things about his work ethic and development. Campbell told reporters recently of Miller's day to day improvement:

"Blake (Miller) has gotten better every single day...But Larry (Borom) has played in this league. Anybody's got a shot."

Outside of him, the Lions' rookie class isn't making noise. Derrick Moore is already hurt, and so is Jimmy Rolder. Keith Abney II is getting third team reps and looking great here and there in those reps, but that's it. The Lions' rookie defensive tackle class of Skylar Gill-Howard and Tyre West aren't looking very spry.

It's too soon to worry, especially since the Lions did add a lot of veteran depth on defense that could help spare those rookies some serious Welcome to the NFL suffering. But, it doesn't seem like the team has really hit a home run on these picks just yet, either.

Winner: Jameson Williams

Williams came into camp seeking to work on his hands, and his route running. So far, it sounds like he's been passing both self-assigned exams, and looking like a very dangerous WR2 next to Amon-Ra St. Brown. This sort of leap is one that fans have been clamoring for from Williams since he shook off the ghosts of his suspensions early on in his career.

Every day, it feels like someone's raving about a ridiculous grab that Williams had in camp, or about his speed, or about his combination of the two. If this is any indication of his season to come, we could be in for a really potent Lions offense once again following a quieter year from them in 2025.

Loser: Isaac TeSlaa

On the other end of the receiver spectrum, it doesn't sound like TeSlaa is having a grand training camp so far. The same acrobatic catching provided by TeSlaa in training camp and throughout the regular season seems to be missing in camp this year, which isn't great for the second-year receiver's chances of beating out a veteran like Greg Dortch for the WR3 spot.

There's still plenty of time for him to get back into the race for the job, but if he can't beat out more physical defenders like D.J. Reed or Chuck Clark in coverage, it's unlikely that Detroit seeks to insert him in many first team reps in the regular season.

Winner: Ahmed Hassanein

Hassanein's energy has reportedly been infectious throughout training camp, with the second year edge rusher yelling in player's faces, using everything he's got on each drill, and sharing how much he loves the Lions with reporters:

Hassanein put in a lot of work in the offseason to come into camp physically and mentally prepared to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster, with The Athletic's Colton Pouncy writing of Hassanein's preparation:

"He worked with Aidan Hutchinson’s trainer, who taught him about inflammation and proper body-fat percentage, which Hassanein said has helped his ability to bend. He deleted most of his social media to stay focused on the season. He said he’s trying to read tackles and guards pre-snap better than he did as a rookie. And he switched from rush end to big end in Detroit’s defense, unlocking more opportunities for him to take the field."

Pouncy added that Hassanein is already earning first team reps, which is a huge accomplishment for the former 5th-rounder who missed an entire season immediately upon entering the NFL.

It would be awesome to see Hassanein factor into the Lions' defense regularly this year.

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