Lions observations: Cornerback depth thins, Levi Onwuzurike trending up, and more (2024)

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — One of the benefits of having a former player as a head coach is the built-in psyche. Dan Campbell knows things get repetitive in training camp. He also knows the Lions need work. The little things — like a night practice instead of the usual 8:30 a.m. starts — can help change up the pace and keep the focus where it needs to be.

“Night practice, just something different,” Campbell said Monday. “I told the guys, ‘You circle this week. (We) have to get our work done, but how do we change it up a little bit?’ The schedule fluctuates so much, particularly over last year to this year, and so just kind of changing things up to where they have to acclimate and it’s something different, start the day a little bit later, and as the sun’s going down we’re out there practicing. So, we’ll get some good work out there, we’re looking forward to it, I know the players are.”

Campbell’s always thinking about things like that. He knows when to push and when to change things up, much like Monday night’s practice. Always worth mentioning when you get into this portion of camp. And now, onto Monday evening’s observations.

Cornerback depth taking a hit

Monday evening was supposed to be a day spent following around Terrion Arnold, as I did with Jameson Williams a year ago for a story. It’s something I’d like to do at least once each training camp. For the first 30 or so minutes of practice, I had time stamps of Arnold’s every move written in my notes — charting details for specific drills, interactions and highlights.

That would-be story quickly became irrelevant. During a one-on-one rep vs. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Arnold defended a pass for an incompletion and fell down awkwardly. An athletic trainer tended to him where the injury occurred, working on his right arm. They’d spend the next 20 minutes with Arnold as he tested what the Lions are calling an upper-body injury.

He would later walk inside before the end of practice, joining fellow rookie corner Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who was spotted walking gingerly off the field after a one-on-one rep vs. Williams and left to be evaluated for an ankle injury. And with veteran Carlton Davis III presumably having the day off, it left the Lions with Khalil Dorsey and Kindle Vildor as the first-team outside corners during team periods.

Remember that depth we talked about with the Lions? About that…

That’s now three DBs — Arnold, Rakestraw and Emmanuel Moseley — who’ve missed or left practice with injuries. Moseley’s torn pec is a long-term issue that will sideline him indefinitely. It’s unclear how long the rookies will be sidelined (if they are at all). Campbell is usually the one to confirm injury news and severity, and he’s not scheduled to speak again until after Saturday’s preseason game.

When you’re a team like the Lions, with an open Super Bowl window, injuries can derail you more than the schedule in front of you. They’re starting to pile up a bit, though as of now, no projected starters have been ruled out for the long term. Still, it’s not great that Detroit’s rookie corners are dealing with these injuries, considering they need to learn on the job and were drafted to contribute sooner rather than later.

Hopefully, that Arnold story can still be written before training camp is over.

Levi Onwuzurike is back on track

There was a time when Levi Onwuzurike was the one you didn’t talk about. He was part of a 2021 Lions draft class that featured two All-Pros in Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, a fellow defensive tackle with Pro Bowl upside in Alim McNeill, a pair of regulars in the defensive rotation in Ifeatu Melifonwu and Derrick Barnes, and a seventh-round running back, Jermar Jefferson, who’s flashed enough to still be here after three seasons. Onwuzurike was supposed to be one of the faces. Instead, you rarely saw his.

He lived a life behind the scenes, recovering from injury, away from the game, wondering if his body would ever stop betraying him. You wouldn’t know it these days.

“I feel like a different man,” Onwuzurike said. “…I just feel blessed to be out here, ya know?”

Onwuzurike has indeed been out here, with the first-team defense, for pretty much all of training camp. That certainly wasn’t the case a year ago. Back then, it was notable whenever you’d see him get a single first-team rep, considering he spent most of his time with the second and third teams. Coming back from a back injury that almost ended his career, he was clearly just getting his feet under him, trying to get back into football shape. In turn, the Lions were patient with him.

The Lions are saying things about him they haven’t said since he was a rookie. The tone is more affirmative. The words are stronger. See for yourself.

“He’s doing well health-wise and now it’s just about man, just playing football, just getting used to it,” Campbell said of Onwuzurike last August.

“He’s earned it,” Campbell said, this August. “I mean he’s — it’s clear that he’s one of the best. I mean, it’s just clear. He plays with violence, he’s stout, he’s fundamentally better than he’s ever been, and he’s shown that he has some versatility. …He’s just earned it.”

Onwuzurike is up to 305 pounds after playing at 280 last year. It’s preparing him to shift between big end in Detroit’s defense and three-technique. He’s been able to shift seamlessly between the two spots. Onwuzurike regularly spends extra time after practice getting work in. He said he’s changed his diet. He’s been violent out there, pushing things to the limit and getting involved in some skirmishes here and there. It feels like we’re crediting him with a sack or a pressure at least once per practice. He just operates like a veteran.

It’s been everything you’ve wanted to see, but couldn’t, because his body wouldn’t let him show it. But getting back into the swing of things last year and being part of the Lions team that made the postseason run helped re-center everything for Onwuzurike.

“I feel like there’s always been a sense of urgency, it’s just he’s lacked the confidence because the body hadn’t felt right,” Campbell said. “That’s hard. …So, I would say the mindset is the same, it’s just, now, ‘OK, hey, these work. This works. OK.’ And his confidence is just — it’s going sky high.”

“I love football,” Onwuzurike said. “Before, I liked football, but when you’re healthy, you understand why guys love this. One, when you’re healthy, two, when you go to the playoffs, like you truly understand the reason why you started playing football. I’m truly blessed to be healthy now. Life is good.”

It’s fair to proceed with caution when it comes to Onwuzurike. This is his fourth year in the NFL, and expecting him to live up to second-round expectations could be a lofty task, especially in a rotational role when DJ Reader returns. But the fact that we’re back to having this conversation, hearing coaches talk about his impact, his role in this defense, the plays he’s making — it’s just something you had to see.

We’re seeing it now. Just need to see it come September.

News, notes and observations:

• The following players did not practice Monday: RG Kevin Zeitler, TE Sam LaPorta, CB Carlton Davis III, DT Alim McNeill, LB Malcolm Rodriguez, LB Malik Jefferson, LB Daron Gilbert, DB Morice Norris, QB Hendon Hooker.

• The Lions have a new QB in camp: former Georgia star Jake Fromm. He didn’t partake in any team periods yesterday as he continues to learn the offense, but it was a smart move to add him. It doesn’t sound like Hooker will be able to play Saturday vs. the Chiefs, and if Sudfeld goes down, the only QB would be Jared Goff. Hence the move.

• In addition to Arnold and Rakestraw, RB Jahmyr Gibbs left practice with a lower-body injury, per the Lions. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting it’s a hamstring injury for Gibbs. I didn’t see him leave practice, but after an inquiry was made, the Lions said that it was lower-body.

• K Jake Bates was 3-of-3 from field goal range and 2-for-2 on extra points in Monday’s practice. This after nailing a 53-yarder in the preseason game vs. the Giants and a 64-yard at the end of Sunday’s practice. He’s certainly trending up. After practice, I asked Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp whether the team’s decision not to bring in a second kicker was a product of the kicking market or their confidence in Bates. His answer was telling: “I mean, most of it was, ‘Hey, we’ve got a super talented guy,'” Fipp said of Bates. “And I think the thing that all these (positions) is like — whether it’s a safety or a corner or any position — I mean, the thing you want (for) any young player is to get ’em repetition, and that’s really what most of them need. And a lot of positions can’t do that.”

• The battles between Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson remain fun to watch. During the OL/DL drills, I had Sewell getting the best of Hutchinson on their first rep, but Hutchinson cleanly beat Sewell with a vicious spin move for a sack the next go-around.

• Brian Branch is a menace. I watched him punch a ball out of Williams’ hands during the WR/DB drill, then just straight-up snatch it from Kaden Davis during the same drill. Thankfully, the Lions caught the second one.

Fighting to the finish @BrianBB_1 pic.twitter.com/MVzJlAT1nV

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 13, 2024

• Brandon Joseph continues to make plays. Off a tipped pass from Vildor, Joseph was able to dive for the ball and scoop it before it hit the ground. Couldn’t believe he got to it. That’s his third interception in as many days. I was hesitant to put him on my initial 53-man roster because the Lions love C.J. Moore on special teams, but if I were to re-write it today, he’d be in with Moore.

• Up-and-down couple of days for Williams. Some drops and miscues in team periods. I still think he’s ready to go, but he’ll look to get back on track Wednesday when the team scrimmages.

• The Lions ran a late-game situational period, with the offense down 24-21 with under two minutes to go. In the red zone with a chance to take the lead, Aidan Hutchinson ran in for a would-be sack in the final seconds, with the offense out of timeouts. Hutchinson raised his arm after the play to let everyone know he did the damage. Barnes jumped and bumped chests with him. Aaron Glenn ran over and pointed at him with a look of approval.

(Top photo of Levi Onwuzurike: Junfu Han / USA Today)