Defensive day: I thought the defense was far and away the better of the two units today at the first Lions practice open to fans. The defensive line recorded what would have been multiple sacks if they were allowed to hit the quarterbacks. Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Alim McNeill, Romeo Okwara and Josh Paschal all made my notes for getting to the quarterback in team periods. The defensive backs got hands on footballs and the linebackers played downhill and physical. – Tim Twentyman
Crowd control: Saturday's practice attracted an enthusiastic crowd of fans who reacted with cheers to big hits by the defense and big plays by the offense. It was a fun atmosphere for fans and players alike. – Mike O'Hara
Young playmakers: One of the early surprises in camp has been the play of undrafted rookie cornerbacks Starling Thomas V and Steven Gilmore. Thomas and Gilmore were the No. 3 and No. 4 outside cornerbacks Saturday behind starters Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs. Gilmore recorded an interception off Nate Sudfeld and stripped the ball from wide receiver Denzel Mims in separate team periods. – Tim Twentyman
Yards after the slide: Wide receiver Kalif Raymond made a good gain on a sliding catch over the middle, but he didn't settle for that. He wasn't touched, which let him get up and run to the end zone. – Mike O'Hara
Making an impact: Even during a day in which the offense didn't have a ton of highlights, third-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown found a way to make an impact. He got the crowd cheering on a deep catch where he had to adjust to the ball thrown over his outside shoulder while he was looking inside. He hauled it in with safety Kerby Joseph on him during a one-on-one period.
He later juked out safety Tracy Walker in the middle of the field which got the crowd's attention during a late team period. Every practice St. Brown finds a way to make a few impact plays. – Tim Twentyman
High hit: Cornerback Jarren Williams pursued a running play and caught running back Jermar Jefferson from behind and tackled him around the shoulders. It probably would have been a late hit and a penalty in a real game. – Mike O'Hara
Kicker competition: The battle to become Detroit's place kicker in 2023 has stretched into the second week of camp for Riley Patterson and Parker Romo. Each player got a chance to kick five field goals ranging from 33 to 50 yards in Saturday's practice. Patterson missed his first attempt and made the next four going 4-for-5. Romo made all five of his attempts. As far as I see it, the competition is still close. Romo's leg strength is noticeable. – Tim Twentyman
Practice report: No Penei Sewell or Halapoulivaati Vaitai at practice Saturday. Also not taking part were wide receivers Jameson Williams, Marvin Jones Jr. and Antoine Green. Green dealt with some heat exhaustion on Friday. The good news was the return of defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in a limited role just five days after injuring his right leg. – Tim Twentyman
