ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions were back at it again on Wednesday, for the second of three days of minicamp.
Like Tuesday, it was more of the same. A walkthrough session. Individual periods. 11-on-11 work, situational football, a 7-on-7 period and more. As Campbell mentioned earlier this week, the Lions are using this time to get the most out of their veterans before an extended break, with an emphasis on situational work. Seems like it’s playing out exactly how he wants it to.
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Here are some key topics and observations from Wednesday’s session.
Jared Goff’s scouting report
Goff isn’t one to talk himself up, so during these pockets of availability, it’s good to hear his perspective on some of the young players he’s seen firsthand. That’s what we’ll do here.
On QB Hendon Hooker: “He’s done a good job, man. He really has. He’s soaked it all up, has learned, has improved. I’m trying to find the right word for, like — he’s gotten better every day and it’s been fun to watch.”
On CB Terrion Arnold: “It’s so early. He’s only been out here a handful of days, but mentally, he sure has it with the confidence. Absolutely. He was drafted in the first round for a reason and was high on a lot of draft boards it seems. We’ll see, but he’s done a great job up to this point.”
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On TE Sam LaPorta: “We can all get better, but I’ve seen him try to do that, ask a ton of questions and try to take his game to the next level and he has. It’s shown early on here and he’s a guy who’s always pushing himself, which makes it fun, and wants to know different things, asks me questions, asks all the coaches questions, is hard on himself. Man, the sky is the limit for him.”
On WR Jameson Williams: “It’s been fun, man. It’s been really good to see him as well do his thing. I think this offseason’s been unimpeded for him and it’s the first one he’s had. Having him out there with the ones, getting him used to all this stuff, him and I getting on the same page more and more every single day, starting to see that show up pretty consistently. Saw it a few times today. And again, he’s a guy who’s become extremely hard on himself, too, and is holding himself to a really high standard and that makes things easy to fall in line.”
You don’t expect a QB to badmouth his teammates, but everything Goff said is what you want to hear. For Hooker, it’s all about getting better every day — even as he continues to work out the kinks. For Arnold, you know it starts with his confidence. For LaPorta, improving upon his rookie season is a scary thought for the league. For Williams, getting on the same page with Goff would be a huge development, and Goff’s comments certainly pass the eye test.
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Always good to hear from QB1.
A pair of 2021 draft picks, and their trajectories
Two of the players who spoke after practice on Wednesday, both 2021 draft picks entering the final year of their rookie contracts, find themselves on different paths.
There was Ifeatu Melifonwu, a former cornerback who moved to safety two years ago and had to hone his craft. It wasn’t always pretty. He got an earful from coaches around this time last year, and injuries didn’t help, but Melifonwu emerged from the abyss to become an impact player by the end of the year. From Weeks 15-18, Ifeatu ranked third in the NFL in defensive splash plays with 16 — creating turnovers, generating pressure as a blitzer and giving the Lions the sort of defensive playmaking they so desperately needed. His interception in Week 16 against the Vikings helped secure the Lions’ first division title in 30 years, and that late-season tear he went on has him looking like a projected starter for the first time, entering Year 4.
“Just mentally, I think it just translated onto the field,” Melifonwu said of his second-half breakout. “Just playing faster, making plays, and just getting extra work with Kerby, AG, and my coaches last year. I could definitely feel it.”
And then there was defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, a second-round pick brought in to disrupt offensive lines and backfields alike. Instead, it’s his career that’s been disrupted — by injuries. Through three seasons, Onwuzurike has two sacks and 13 pressures in the regular season. He has yet to be the force the Lions drafted him to be as he enters his fourth season.
Onwuzurike was asked to summarize his career, as things currently stand.
“To this point? I don’t know, redemption,” he said. “I’ve got to show people what I can do. I’ve got to show myself what I can do.”
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That’s the beauty of this league. All it takes is one season — hell, even half a season — for things to come together. Onwuzurike will be given every opportunity to prove he belongs, especially after showing signs of life late in the year with five pressures over his final three games played. Dan Campbell said he’s had a “really good spring,” and with DJ Reader out, Onwuzurike has been repping quite a bit with the first-team defense. He’s even playing a bit of edge, as the staff looks to see what he’s capable of handling. The Lions are holding out hope that, at a minimum, Onwuzurike can be a rotational three-technique with enough versatility to play along the defensive line.
Meanwhile, the hope is that Melifonwu will continue to build on that four-game stretch and do it for a full season. With Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch out, Melifonwu has been a mainstay at safety, and even a bit of a veteran presence for younger safeties like second-year DB Brandon Joseph. He believes he’s finding his voice in that room. If he can recapture 2023’s magic, a contract extension might be in the cards.
“I just feel like I’m very critical of myself, so I watch the tape last year and I feel like there was still plays I left out,” Melifonwu said. “I feel like I’m just in the middle of my progression, just trying to get better. I can’t be complacent with what I did last year, because there’s a lot more room to grow, and I’m just trying to get better.”
Two fascinating players, amid important offseasons in their careers.
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News, notes and other observations
• A handful of players remained sidelined during Wednesday’s minicamp practice, a list that includes Reader, Branch, Kerby Joseph, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, DE Marcus Davenport and LT Taylor Decker, among others. Campbell offered an update on Gibbs, and said he’s dealing with a soft tissue issue. Sounds like the Lions are just being cautious and trying not to force anything with Gibbs. No need to right now.
• CB Khalil Dorsey suffered a lower leg injury at practice and is being evaluated. It was unfortunate considering Dorsey picked off Hooker and returned it for a touchdown earlier in practice.
• The Lions typically begin practice by splitting into two fields — starters and key reserves on one side, young players and practice squad guys on the other. You can almost think of it like varsity and JV. That’s why it was notable to see a handful of rookies — Sione Vaki, Christian Mahogany and Mekhi Wingo — with the varsity squad. That’s usually a good sign. Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta and Jack Campbell were all working with the varsity side around this time a year ago, and while the opportunity for snaps might not be there like it was for last year’s group, it’s encouraging nonetheless.
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• Derrick Barnes got into a bit of a scuffle with Dan Skipper — because of course — during an 11-on-11 period. Barnes downplayed it after practice. Nothing out of the ordinary, these things happen from time to time. If anything, it’s a sign of how competitive these sessions have been.
• One rookie who’s been with the varsity squad since the very beginning, of course, is Terrion Arnold. He’s really competing out there. He was matched up against Amon-Ra St. Brown during a situational period — at a time when it seemed like nobody could stop St. Brown — and got his hands in front of him for a pass breakup. Beautiful play. Best thing I can say about Arnold is that he competes, which is exactly what the Lions want.
• Speaking of St. Brown, you probably won’t see him highlighted in too many practice reports because, well, you know what to expect. But I want to take a moment to highlight just how good he is. He’s making one-handed catches effortlessly in walkthrough periods. Goff completed six passes in a row to St. Brown during situational and team periods. The guy is just always open, and Goff will never hesitate to throw to him. They’ve got a special connection — beyond Ben Johnson’s offense. It’s why Detroit locked both up for the foreseeable future.
• Hooker looked brilliant at times in Wednesday’s practice, completing passes in some difficult windows, and even lofting a beautiful ball to WR Kaden Davis for a touchdown. When he’s letting it rip like that, he certainly looks the part of a young quarterback with upside. He’s learning each day, and the hope is that he can get mistakes out of the way now. Wednesday was by far his best practice during the open windows we’ve been around for. The flashes are very intriguing.
• That said, Hooker’s had some mental errors. The Lions ran a situational drill where they were looking to score in a late-game scenario. It was basically a scenario to set up a game-winning field goal. With no timeouts and only seconds left on the clock, Hooker completed a pass….over the middle of the field. He got chunk yards on the play, but that ball has to go to the sideline for a chance to stop the clock. Coaches were livid. In a real game, time would’ve run out.
• Another noticeable issue: During a team or 7-on-7 period, you’ll often see Hooker escape the pocket early or hold onto the ball far too long when a receiver is open. Sometimes, you just gotta throw the ball. It seems like he’s waiting for the wide-open guy, but that won’t always be the case. It’s something that they’ll need to work out of him. That’s why these reps are so important.
• One thing I’ll say about the kicking competition: James Turner’s leg is considerably stronger than Michael Badgley’s. They’ll often attempt the same distance on attempts, and Turner’s kicks typically land considerably farther than Badgley’s. I believe Turner made every kick, while Badgley made all but one from about 56.
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• Williams had a very strong day. He was a playmaker for the offense, diving to secure a ball earlier in Wednesday’s practice and beating Carlton Davis III deep downfield towards the end of practice for a big gain. Goff no longer hesitates to look his way. He looks like one of the guys out there. Again, he’s passing the eye test.
• Campbell half-jokingly floated the idea of playing Alim McNeill at fullback. Personally, I’m all for it.
Put this man at fullback immediately @Lions https://t.co/DfD5QLWmEZ
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) June 5, 2024
(Top photo of Jared Goff: Junfu Han / USA Today)
