Quick Read: 5 Players to Watch During Lions OTAs
Lions rookies report to OTAs on July 25.
Information sourced from: Yahoo! Sports
The Lions rookies are set to arrive in Allen Park on July 25, marking the start of Training Camp for the 2026 season! The Lions have done a nice job of building younger depth in an attempt to avert injury and push their team towards the ultimate goal: The Super Bowl. As we head into Training Camp, let’s go over a few players to keep an eye on and see if they can help push the Lions in the right direction!
Isiah Pachecho
With Gibbs primed for a bigger role in 2026, Pacheco will not have as much on his plate as he has in previous years. This leads to an interesting opportunity as he also will be much more fresh when he does see the field. Watch for Pachecho and how he fits into the backfield, specifically how he does when he is asked to block, or when he actually is able to rush. Perhaps we will even get to see Gibbs and Pacheco in the backfield together, something I know a lot of fans would appreciate.
Christian Mahogany
Left Guard is arguably the only potentially open spot on the Lions offensive line. If Mahogany can return to form now that he is healthy, he will be the unquestioned starter. However the likes of Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, and Ben Bartch look to push him for that spot. Perhaps this is more a case of watching the left guard spot as a whole versus watching Christian Mahogany himself. In my opinion we all should be hoping Mahogany returns to form, as he represents the best possibility for the Lions offensive line.
Christian Izien
Christian Izien is such an underrated signing. He can play at safety, he can swing into the nickel corner spot, it wouldn’t surprise me if they brought him down and had him play linebacker in coverage. Izien should help with the questions around Branch and Joseph, and if he performs he could solve my biggest question around the Lions defense. In OTAs Izien spent a lot of time at safety, look for him to begin there, and perhaps be a key contributor in that spot. That said, he could really be lined anywhere, and that versatility could help the Lions defense in a big way.
Roger McCreary
With the loss of Terrion Arnold, I can’t help but wonder if McCreary will find his way around the field a bit more. He not only has nickel experience, but experience outside. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: everyone thought that Amik Robertson would only be our nickel, but he was much more. Hopefully we will see the same out of McCreary, and he can help to firm up the Lions defensive back room.
Jimmy Rolder
Jimmy Rolder was one of the bigger surprises around OTAs. I would argue he showed more ball awareness than most expected, and showed that he was ready for the NFL. However that is all fine and good when you are playing in pajamas. However, if the pads come on and Rolder shows that same level of competitiveness, we might have a linebacker controversy brewing for one of the depth linebacker spots.
This is such a great time of year to watch as the roster comes together, and to embrace the hope! If 3 of these 5 players can become key contributors to the Detroit Lions, we will be in a much better spot, and I am excited to see if that happens.