The Lions rookie draft picks, undrafted free agents and tryout players are in Allen Park this weekend for the start of Detroit's three-day rookie minicamp.
Detroit's No. 1 draft pick, Penei Sewell, will not be in town this week after a positive COVID-19 test, but the rest of Detroit's rookies are expected to be at the team's Allen Park training facility this weekend.
Select media members will be able to get a look at Sunday's practice.
Here are five things to look out for during the weekend:
1. Schemes take shape
There's been a lot of guesswork on what Detroit's offense and defense will look like under the new schemes of offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. This weekend we start to get our first looks.
How much 12-personnel (two tight ends, two receivers and one running back) will the Lions run on offense? Will the defense feature more of a base 3-4 scheme? There are no pads and no hitting in minicamp, but we'll start to get our first look at what some of these schemes on both sides of the ball look like.
2. Defensive playmakers
The Lions used their second, third and fourth picks in this year's NFL Draft on defensive players Levi Onwuzurike, Alim McNeill and Ifeatu Melifonwu, and then came back in Round 4 with another defensive selection in Derrick Barnes.
It's no secret the Lions need to make their biggest leaps on defense this year. How big of a factor will these four rookies play on defense? All four are super athletic and versatile players. Where will they line up this weekend? How much will their athleticism shine through? A lot of eyes will be on the defenders, especially Onwuzurike and McNeill.
3. Tryout players
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Lions are allowed only five rookie invites to try out for the team. A team can report to training camp with a maximum of 90 players, which is ultimately dwindled down to 53 ahead of the start of the regular season.
The Lions have four open spots and plenty of positions that can still use more depth, particularly at receiver and linebacker.
4. Wide receiver showcase
The Lions used a fourth-round pick on USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and signed undrafted rookie free agent receivers Javon McKinley, Jonathan Adams and Sage Surratt following the draft. There's still some question marks surrounding Detroit's receiving corps at this point in the offseason. Who is the No. 1 in the group? Does the roster have enough depth at the position? Can St. Brown be an immediate impact player? Does one of the rookie undrafted players have a shot to make the roster?
There will be plenty of eyes on the receiver corps in camp this weekend.
5. Practice flow
Head coach Dan Campbell will get his first opportunity to run a practice in Detroit. Every practice looks a little bit different based on the style and preference of the head coach.
What will a Campbell-led practice look like? How involved will he be in drills? It will be interesting to see what the pace and energy of practice is like.
