Training camp is just three unpadded practices in, which means it's too early to make any concrete conclusions about any aspect of this year's version of the Detroit Lions, but one thing has stood out so far: Detroit's revamped defense has an energy, attitude and swagger about them that wasn't there this time last year.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes went to work this offseason revamping a Detroit defense that finished last season 19th in total defense and 23rd in scoring. The cornerback room was almost completely remade with the additions of veterans Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson and rookies Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Detroit also added veteran players upfront along the defensive line with the additions of DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport.
Holmes is also banking on big leaps in production from second-year players like linebacker Jack Campbell, defensive back Brian Branch and defensive lineman Brodric Martin, not to mention the impact they hope to get from their rookie class of defenders.
There's been a noticeable difference in the production level and energy from the defense to start camp and the players feel it too. The pads come on for the first time Monday, which means the competition level and physicality ramps up too, and we'll really start to evaluate the early gains made on that side of the ball. So far the defense has looked pretty good.
"Certainly, it's new personnel over there, but yeah, they've brought the energy and they've done a good job of getting where they need to be and doing their thing," quarterback Jared Goff said Friday when asked about the defense's performance early in camp.
"It's still early, and they're still learning, as are we on offense but yeah, it's been fun to see and fun to compete against and I think (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG's doing a great job."
The defense has given up some plays, which is to be expected facing a Lions' offense that ranked third in total offense and fifth in scoring, but they've made their fair share of plays too, making it hard for the offense in the red zone on Friday. Detroit's defense ranked 29th in red-zone efficiency last season.
"It's just the guys we have out there," veteran defensive lineman Alim McNeill told detroitlions.com after practice Friday. "That's just what comes out of us. It's Day 3. That chemistry is only going to get better and only going to get stronger.
"To be a good and elite defense you have to have fun and communicate, and you have to have some swagger about you. Have you ever seen a defense that was good have no swag about them? No. That's what we want to be. We want to be that defense with that swag and we're going to back it up, too."
Campbell, who is expected to play a big role as the MIKE linebacker in his second season, said Friday this defense has a plan to be a Top 10 unit in the NFL and think they now have the talent at all three levels to accomplish that.
"I just think starting back in the spring in OTAs we've been working on just the mentality of how we approach everything, and I feel like every day we're taking steps in the right directions," Campbell said. "Obviously, we have a long way to go, but everyone talks about, 'Oh, I want to be a Top 10 defense.' We could very well be a Top 10 defense, but we just have to come out here and do the right things every day."
View photos from Day 2 of Detroit Lions training camp on Thursday July 25, 2024.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker (68) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (15) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates (43) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (19) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker DaRon Gilbert (53) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70), Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16), and Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jalon Calhoun (80) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sean McKeon (86) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Antoine Green (18) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (97) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates (43) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Giovanni Manu (59) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions guard Netane Muti (52) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Brandon Joseph (40) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (91) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Tight Ends Coach Steve Heiden during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on July 25, 2024. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
If the Lions are going to take as big a leap as Campbell thinks they can this season, they have to continue to be one of the better run defenses in the league (ranked No. 2 against the run last season), while also significantly improving their pass defense (ranked 27th) and their takeaways (18th).
There's a lot of development that needs to happen over the next month before the Los Angeles Rams come to town with the first big test for this Lions' defense.
"We injected a lot more personalities and ability into that room," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Friday, saying he's also noticed more swagger coming from the defense, especially from the secondary. "There is certainly another level of confidence in that room that I feel like those guys are feeding off of each other. And you can feel it defensively too, I think it's a little bit all-encompassing, man. I feel our defense is – the confidence is up.
"I think we know what we can become. Between that and just – man, our d-line, some of these things – we're fighting, straining to get off blocks, violent separation, there's an attitude that comes with playing defense, and in every good defense you've got to have that, there's got to be an aura about it, there's got to be – you've got to have something, and you can kind of feel that right now."
