Safety time: The Lions were serious this offseason when they talked about expanding second-year defensive back Brian Branch's role to include some safety duties. Branch was off the PUP list Wednesday and took part in the first practice of camp. Branch was limited in his first practice back, not doing any full team periods, but during the walkthrough team portion of practice he played safety and also did individual drills with the safeties.
Deep ball: It didn't take long for third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams to make his presence felt. The third play of the first team period was a bomb from quarterback Jared Goff to Williams for a touchdown. Williams got by cornerback Terrion Arnold and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Goff dropped a perfect ball right into his hands. Williams sat out for a little bit after the play after feeling sick and throwing up on the sideline following the catch, but he returned to practice later.
Good to see: Veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley was back on the field as a full participant Day 1 after coming off back-to-back seasons dealing with torn ACLs in each knee. Moseley played exclusively in the slot with the first-team defense Wednesday and said after practice the plan is to play both inside and outside during camp to maximize his chances of earning a role in the secondary.
Tackle duties: Second-year tackle Colby Sorsdal is listed on the roster as an offensive lineman – not a tackle or guard – and the Lions appear ready to use his versatility. As a rookie, Sorsdal played 123 snaps at right guard, 94 at left guard and 36 at right tackle. Day 1 of training camp he was exclusively playing right tackle with the second-team offense. Maybe he'll give Dan Skipper a run for the swing tackle role.
Rookie duo: With Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson starting camp on NFI (Non-Football Injury list), Arnold and fellow rookie Ennis Rakestraw Jr. took the majority of the snaps at the two outside cornerback spots. Rakestraw played mostly in the slot in the spring but the team liked his versatility to play both inside and outside when they drafted him in the second round out of Missouri this offseason.
Options: It's going to be really fun to see how starting and playing roles develop in the secondary throughout camp. With Branch playing more safety, Moseley mixing into the slot, and Rakestraw able to play both inside and outside, the Lions look to have a ton of options. Where will Robertson, who can also play both inside and outside, fit into the mix when he returns from NFI? It will be really fun to watch this develop.
View photos of players arriving for 2024 Detroit Lions training camp.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Shane Zylstra (84) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow (77) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Maurice Alexander (1) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (17) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Kyle Peko (96) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Morice Norris (39) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Ben Niemann (51) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (19) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams (83) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler (71) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jake Funk (36) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Mathieu Betts (95) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (93) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes (55) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions center Duke Clemens (63) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety C.J. Moore (38) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Chelen Garnes (35) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Nate Sudfeld (8) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly (47) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Michael Niese (62) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) arrives to the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 24, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Impressive start: Who wins the final couple wide receiver spots will also be a storyline that develops throughout camp. A couple players fighting for roster spots who I thought stood out Day 1 were undrafted rookie Jalon Calhoun and veteran Daurice Fountain.
Calhoun, a rookie from Duke, made a great catch over two defenders on a deep ball from quarterback Nate Sudfeld in a team period. He also had a tough catch a little later along the sideline. Fountain, who is in his fourth season, made a full extension leaping grab along the sideline on a ball from second-year quarterback Hendon Hooker. At 6-foot-2, Fountain is one of the tallest receivers on the roster.
Backup QB job: The team is going to give Hooker every opportunity to win the backup job at quarterback behind Goff. They drafted him in the third round last offseason, and he took all the second-team reps Wednesday. But don't count out Sudfeld from making it a closer competition than people might think. Sudfeld ran a smooth third-team offense Wednesday, which isn't always easy to do. That will be a fun competition to watch.
