The first week of padded practice for Detroit Lions’ training camp is over, and they’d had nine camp practices in total. Now they have a couple days off, before two days of joint practices (Monday and Tuesday) against the New York Giants and the preseason opener for the two teams on Thursday.
Head coach Dan Campbell values joint practices very highly, as they serve as competition against another team that’s not much different than a preseason game in intensity. Last Friday’s practice took on a scrimmage format to ramp things up. Campbell said he wanted that final practice of the week to feel like a preseason game for the players.
While the starters will see more action on Monday and Tuesday than they will on Thursday night (some is more than none, after all), the entire coming week will be important for a lot of Lions players as things shift some. Some players need to keep early camp momentum going in a push for a roster spot, while others will try to turn things around or find consistency.
The list could be longer, but these five players stand above the rest as Lions players to watch during joint practices against the Giants this week.
It has been easy to forget about Jefferson. He has not played in a regular season game for the Lions since his rookie season in 2021. He spent the 2022 season on the practice squad. Then an injury last preseason put him on IR, and after an injury settlement he landed back on the Lions’ practice squad.
