With the Detroit Lions‘ offseason program in the books, it’s time to take a look at which players came away as the biggest winners and losers following both organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.
After a few weeks of OTAs, the Lions completed their mandatory minicamp last week, and then they finished off OTAs this week, although one of their final sessions was forfeited due to a rules violation.
Now, the Lions will get over a month off before they return to the building for the start of training camp, which comes in late July. Ahead of their return, here’s a look at the team’s biggest winners and losers from the offseason program.
Not only did Arnold hold his own in practice and notch a pair of interceptions during the offseason program, he also saw first-team reps on the outside opposite Carlton Davis, which puts him on track to start, something that was expected.
Arnold will have to secure his spot in training camp, but so far he has looked as advertised and it would be shocking if he isn’t starting on the boundary Week 1.
The Lions held Rakestraw back after he had core muscle surgery this offseason, but he recently revealed that was done out of precaution and he’s doing just fine.
The biggest concern with that is Rakestraw might be behind going into training camp, as every offseason rep is incredibly valuable for rookies. And, with his absence, Amik Robertson was able to see increased reps in the slot, which gives him a bigger advantage to grab that role should Brian Branch move to safety.
MORE: Lions 53-man projection post-minicamp
He certainly still has work to do, but Vaki was very impressive as a pass-catcher this offseason, which could lead to him having a bigger role on offense than we expected, although he’ll need to have a strong training camp to solidify that. Nevertheless, he’s off to a great start.
If Vaki continues to stand out, it will be bad news for the rest of the team’s running backs who are vying for any semblance of a role in 2024. That group is headlined by Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight, both of whom are less certain to make Detroit’s roster and get the scraps left by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Not only did Onwuzurike produce on the field with a handful of sacks/pressures during mandatory minicamp, he also received praise from Dan Campbell for the work he’s put in. With his strong showing so far this offseason, Onwuzurike has definitely put himself on more sure footing going into training camp.
Turner got the better of Badgley on at least two occasions in practice, yet the veteran did not have the same success against the rookie. This competition isn’t settled yet, but Turner’s performance gives him a great shot to beat Badgley out in training camp.
As if not having a better spring than Turner wasn’t enough, Badgley may also have another form of competition if the Lions are able to sign UFL kicker Jake Bates, who the team met with recently.
Not only did Campbell make some standout plays throughout the spring, he was also getting the most first-team looks at linebacker next to Alex Anzalone when Detroit had two linebackers on the field.
The former first-round pick looks primed to make a big leap in 2024.
While Barnes will still see the field when the Lions roll with three-linebacker sets, his prospects of seeing a lot of snaps in two-linebacker sets took a big hit with Campbell seeing the majority of reps in those situations this offseason.
Williams displayed his playmaking ability on several occasions in spring sessions, but he also received a shoutout from Campbell, who called him the most improved player this offseason. The Lions need Williams to step up in 2024, and so far he looks on track to do just that in his third season.
