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It’s the dog days of summer for every football fan out there. The stretch after the draft in April to August can not only be long, but it can also get exhausting. For example, as much as I’d like to create speculation about how I think the Lions could trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, it’s still not a trade option that feels very realistic.
Not always having conviction towards what the Lions do can become problematic. Especially in my profession. But seeing the way that Brad Holmes and the Lions have operated over the years has forced me to become that way.
It brings me back to the keyword: conviction.
When talking about the Lions, there has to be some sort of conviction behind it. So as the Lions work their way through OTAs, minicamps and different types of workouts, here are three things that I’m convinced of with the current state of the Detroit Lions:
I was going to include Aidan Hutchinson into this conversation, but despite coming off a serious leg injury, Hutchinson had an exceptional bounce back season in 2025. He finished with 14.5 total sacks and 14 tackles for loss. With a full, healthy offseason to not worry about different types of rehab, I’d expect Hutch to have similar or even better production this upcoming season.
The same could be said about Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
In 2025, we saw McNeill return from a torn ACL and play 10 games for the Lions. For McNeill, his fifth season in the NFL wasn’t as productive as previous years. He only recorded 14 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. The box score might not look ideal, but, fortunately, McNeill played 77% of snaps on defense and has admitted to the media that he finally feels like himself again.
Knowing that McNeill probably played with caution in 2025 is actually encouraging. The reason I say this is due to the fact that he appears to be in the best shape of his career. Currently looking stronger and faster than he ever has in a Lions uniform, I’ve got a feeling that we could be seeing the best version of the Lions 72nd overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft.
As much as I like the selection of Blake Miller for the Lions, I can’t help but gush when talking about what Skyler Gill-Howard can provide the Lions' defense. Gill-Howard has some really fun and explosive tape from the 2025 season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Despite being undersized at 6-foot, 280 pounds, SGH is quick off the snap and is consistently playing with low pad level. I love the urgency that he shows on tape and throughout much of the summer, I’ll be playing close attention to how the Lions fit him into the rotation on the interior.
Throughout the early portions of the summer, it’s been reported that he hasn’t done much to separate himself from the pack, but it’s still early. With more time and more reps, I think Gill-Howard can continue to get better and improve. There’s obvious limitations with his size, but, if he can provide the same explosiveness he provided the Red Raiders, it’ll be hard for the Lions to ignore as the season progresses.
There’s a lot of uncertainty around the status of Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. Personally, I get a sense that we won’t see very much of Joseph and with Branch, well, he’s coming back from a torn achilles and we know that takes time. But even Dan Campbell doesn’t want to put a timestamp for the return of Branch, so I will do the same.
For months, we’ve waited on the outcome of the Terrion Arnold situation. The Lions decided to pull the band-aid off, and they ended up releasing their former first-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft. Was it expected? Somewhat, because the way it looks, the Lions appear to be all business and don’t want any distractions. That’s why they aren’t doing joint practices with other teams. The Lions are focused on themselves.
As for Terrion Arnold, I’m not sure what else to say. He either made a very big mistake, or he’s caught up in being at the wrong place at the wrong time and could be innocent. Either way, he was given a $1 million dollar bond and has since been released from jail. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a promising young player that has all of the potential to become a top cornerback for a defense. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that’ll be in Detroit, but for Arnold, it already sounds like some teams could be lining up to try and sign him.
Where do the Lions go from here?
I suppose things could certainly get worse for Detroit. Regardless of all the negatives I listed above, I still feel optimistic that the Lions have enough depth in their secondary to weather the storm. For starters, the Lions do have D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin returning. That may not move the needle for everyone, but if Reed can stay healthy, there’s much to be desired with his skill set and we saw plenty of good play from Ya-Sin during his first season in Detroit. Hence, that’s why the Lions re-signed him.
Aside from those two players, the Lions drafted Keith Abney out of Arizona State and signed Christian Izien, Roger McCreary and Chuck Clark. Each one of these players should contribute throughout various portions of the season. Personally, I think Abney may have a bigger role as an outside cornerback than some might think. After all, he played over 90% of his snaps in 2024 and 2025 on the perimeter for the Sun Devils. Meanwhile, the Lions could easily utilize a player such as McCreary or Izien in the slot and specifically with Izien, he could get some serious run at safety for the Lions' defense.
I’ll finish with the uncertainty around Ennis Rakestraw and Dan Jackson. The reason I mention both of these players is because they’re two players the Lions drafted, and I think both have the potential to contribute. Starting with Jackson, I fell in love with his tape after the Lions drafted him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Yes, I get it, he’s a seventh-round pick, but it was easy to see from the tape that the Lions could utilize him on special teams and in certain defensive packages. The same can be said about Rakestraw. As we’ve seen, injuries have mounted for Rakestraw, and with Arnold now out of the picture, the road for Rakestraw to become a starter or a steady contributor on the Lions' defense is there. He will need to stay healthy, but that’s why we’ve seen Rakestraw add weight and muscle to his frame.
Last season, Rakestraw was around 188 pounds, but now he’s up to 195 pounds and that’s right where he wants to stay. If he’s healthy, there’s clearly the ability for him to contribute and help the defense. Once the Lions get into full gear, they’ll know where they stand around some of the uncertainty in their defensive backfield. They could lean towards signing a free agent cornerback that is available, or they could trade for one, but, regardless, I think the depth and competition in the secondary is enough to keep the Lions defense afloat for the 2026 season.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Russell on X, @RussNFLDraft
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: 3 things I'm convinced of entering Detroit Lions 2026 training camp
Continue reading...
Not always having conviction towards what the Lions do can become problematic. Especially in my profession. But seeing the way that Brad Holmes and the Lions have operated over the years has forced me to become that way.
It brings me back to the keyword: conviction.
When talking about the Lions, there has to be some sort of conviction behind it. So as the Lions work their way through OTAs, minicamps and different types of workouts, here are three things that I’m convinced of with the current state of the Detroit Lions:
I’m convinced that Alim McNeill will get back to being himself
I was going to include Aidan Hutchinson into this conversation, but despite coming off a serious leg injury, Hutchinson had an exceptional bounce back season in 2025. He finished with 14.5 total sacks and 14 tackles for loss. With a full, healthy offseason to not worry about different types of rehab, I’d expect Hutch to have similar or even better production this upcoming season.
The same could be said about Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
In 2025, we saw McNeill return from a torn ACL and play 10 games for the Lions. For McNeill, his fifth season in the NFL wasn’t as productive as previous years. He only recorded 14 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. The box score might not look ideal, but, fortunately, McNeill played 77% of snaps on defense and has admitted to the media that he finally feels like himself again.
Knowing that McNeill probably played with caution in 2025 is actually encouraging. The reason I say this is due to the fact that he appears to be in the best shape of his career. Currently looking stronger and faster than he ever has in a Lions uniform, I’ve got a feeling that we could be seeing the best version of the Lions 72nd overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft.
I’m convinced that the Lions got themselves a dude with Skyler Gill-Howard
As much as I like the selection of Blake Miller for the Lions, I can’t help but gush when talking about what Skyler Gill-Howard can provide the Lions' defense. Gill-Howard has some really fun and explosive tape from the 2025 season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Despite being undersized at 6-foot, 280 pounds, SGH is quick off the snap and is consistently playing with low pad level. I love the urgency that he shows on tape and throughout much of the summer, I’ll be playing close attention to how the Lions fit him into the rotation on the interior.
Throughout the early portions of the summer, it’s been reported that he hasn’t done much to separate himself from the pack, but it’s still early. With more time and more reps, I think Gill-Howard can continue to get better and improve. There’s obvious limitations with his size, but, if he can provide the same explosiveness he provided the Red Raiders, it’ll be hard for the Lions to ignore as the season progresses.
I’m convinced that the Lions' depth in the secondary can keep the defense afloat
There’s a lot of uncertainty around the status of Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. Personally, I get a sense that we won’t see very much of Joseph and with Branch, well, he’s coming back from a torn achilles and we know that takes time. But even Dan Campbell doesn’t want to put a timestamp for the return of Branch, so I will do the same.
For months, we’ve waited on the outcome of the Terrion Arnold situation. The Lions decided to pull the band-aid off, and they ended up releasing their former first-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft. Was it expected? Somewhat, because the way it looks, the Lions appear to be all business and don’t want any distractions. That’s why they aren’t doing joint practices with other teams. The Lions are focused on themselves.
As for Terrion Arnold, I’m not sure what else to say. He either made a very big mistake, or he’s caught up in being at the wrong place at the wrong time and could be innocent. Either way, he was given a $1 million dollar bond and has since been released from jail. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a promising young player that has all of the potential to become a top cornerback for a defense. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that’ll be in Detroit, but for Arnold, it already sounds like some teams could be lining up to try and sign him.
Where do the Lions go from here?
I suppose things could certainly get worse for Detroit. Regardless of all the negatives I listed above, I still feel optimistic that the Lions have enough depth in their secondary to weather the storm. For starters, the Lions do have D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin returning. That may not move the needle for everyone, but if Reed can stay healthy, there’s much to be desired with his skill set and we saw plenty of good play from Ya-Sin during his first season in Detroit. Hence, that’s why the Lions re-signed him.
Aside from those two players, the Lions drafted Keith Abney out of Arizona State and signed Christian Izien, Roger McCreary and Chuck Clark. Each one of these players should contribute throughout various portions of the season. Personally, I think Abney may have a bigger role as an outside cornerback than some might think. After all, he played over 90% of his snaps in 2024 and 2025 on the perimeter for the Sun Devils. Meanwhile, the Lions could easily utilize a player such as McCreary or Izien in the slot and specifically with Izien, he could get some serious run at safety for the Lions' defense.
I’ll finish with the uncertainty around Ennis Rakestraw and Dan Jackson. The reason I mention both of these players is because they’re two players the Lions drafted, and I think both have the potential to contribute. Starting with Jackson, I fell in love with his tape after the Lions drafted him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Yes, I get it, he’s a seventh-round pick, but it was easy to see from the tape that the Lions could utilize him on special teams and in certain defensive packages. The same can be said about Rakestraw. As we’ve seen, injuries have mounted for Rakestraw, and with Arnold now out of the picture, the road for Rakestraw to become a starter or a steady contributor on the Lions' defense is there. He will need to stay healthy, but that’s why we’ve seen Rakestraw add weight and muscle to his frame.
Last season, Rakestraw was around 188 pounds, but now he’s up to 195 pounds and that’s right where he wants to stay. If he’s healthy, there’s clearly the ability for him to contribute and help the defense. Once the Lions get into full gear, they’ll know where they stand around some of the uncertainty in their defensive backfield. They could lean towards signing a free agent cornerback that is available, or they could trade for one, but, regardless, I think the depth and competition in the secondary is enough to keep the Lions defense afloat for the 2026 season.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Russell on X, @RussNFLDraft
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: 3 things I'm convinced of entering Detroit Lions 2026 training camp
Continue reading...
