Phase Three of Detroit Lions OTA workouts begin this week. It’s the first time we get a look at the rookie class, the new coaches, and the free agent additions in some semblance of a football setting. 

It’s still noncontact, more of a glorified walkthrough and measured pace, but it at least provides some insight into what might be new with the Lions in 2026. Between the OTA sessions and the mandatory minicamp in June, there are opportunities to learn more about what the Lions figure to look like in the coming regular season. 

Here are a few things I’m hoping to glean during the coming weeks and into the preseason about the Lions. 

How much influence does new OC Drew Petzing have on the scheme?

Many have already pigeonhole Petzing based on his time as Arizona’s OC, but having covered him during his more formative coaching years in Cleveland, I’m not sold Petzing is exactly who the fans and broader media think he is. There’s more to his background than heavy use of 13 personnel (1 WR, 3 TEs) that he rolled out with the Cardinals, playing to that offense’s strengths and mitigating weaknesses. 

Petzing’s roots are in the Shanahan/Kubiak schematic family, honed under Kevin Stefanski. Precise spacing, timing and considerable motioning to dictate the terms of the coverages are staples of all, with various tweaks. It’s a perfect style for Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and probably so for Sam LaPorta and Isaac TeSlaa too. 

How much changes in terms of pre-snap looks and personnel packages/usages? The Lions offense has been elite for most of the last three-plus years, but could certainly use some refreshing and revitalization. It will be illuminative to see how much head coach Dan Campbell trusts Petzing with his offense. 

Tyleik Williams second-year bump?

Like most rookies, Tyleik Williams took his lumps while making the transition from college to the NFL. The 2025 first-rounder definitely showed considerable promise, but also a lot of room for growth to his game. 

Much like defensive linemate Alim McNeill did from his rookie campaign to his second season in 2022, Williams is poised to make that jump. And frankly, the Lions defense needs Williams to make it. In talking with folks who have seen Williams working out this offseason, he’s lost some of the excessive upper-body bulk he carried as a rookie. Explosiveness and quickness are the focuses, becoming more of a penetrating-type of DT instead of a line anchor presence. 

McNeill’s stats didn’t markedly jump from 2021 to 2022, but anyone who watched No. 54 knew he was a different, better, more impactful player. Williams can do that in 2026. We get our first look at how ready Tyleik is to make that jump, if at all, in the coming weeks. 

RB 2 and 3

The last three summers have featured the same three RBs atop the Lions depth chart: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery up top, with Craig Reynolds backing them up. Montgomery and Reynolds are gone now, and that could signify some broader changes. 

Perhaps the biggest reason Montgomery is now in Houston is the conscious decision by the Lions to feature Gibbs even more. Monty’s touches per game were dropping, and that wasn’t going to change. Detroit chose to get cheaper than Montgomery as a result.

Isiah Pacheco figures to step into the smaller shoes for Montgomery. He’s a physical inside grinder with surprisingly soft hands and some thumping pass protection reps on the resume–things Lions fans should recognize as Monty-like right away. Yet he’s not as nifty or durable, and that opens the door to the likes of Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors, the holdover depth RBs. 

Technically, Kye Robichaux and Jabari Small were in Detroit last year too, but they’re realistically competing for practice squad spots. Vaki and Saylors have opportunities to prove they can do more than just play special teams. The new OC isn’t wedded to anyone beyond Gibbs as the workhorse. Can Vaki and/or Saylors step up and steal some meaningful reps from Pacheco? Or prove to be enough insurance that the Lions won’t have to scramble for help if Pacheco gets hurt?

How many LBs on the field?

In 2025, the Lions ran a base 4-3 defense with three LBs on the field on 62.6 percent of all defensive snaps, by far the highest in the NFL. Minnesota was the only other team with more than 50 percent. But things have changed…

Or will they?

Alex Anzalone is now in Tampa Bay. The Lions haven’t really replaced their longtime defensive captain. Sure, the Lions drafted Michigan LB Jimmy Rolder in the fourth round, but Rolder is much more like Malcolm Rodriguez or even Jack Campbell. Anzalone was the team’s top coverage backer, the best at playing in space and picking up RBs out of the backfield or covering tight ends down the seam. 

Most NFL teams primarily use a safety in that role these days. Are the Lions fixing to make that shift, too? Even with the starting safeties both dealing with injury issues, the defense has more proven coverage talent at safety than at linebacker. Or will the Lions be more reactive to offensive personnel packages? It’s hard to know from practicing against Detroit’s own offense, but we should have a better idea of what “base” means for coordinator Kelvin Sheppard in his second season. 

Sam LaPorta status

There are already reports of the Lions working on a contract extension with tight end Sam LaPorta, and those reports are neither new nor surprising. However, the Pro Bowl tight end is coming off surgery for a disk issue in his back. 

We didn’t see any glimpses of LaPorta in the voluntary sessions and early OTAs from the media released by the Lions (local media haven’t had access yet). That doesn’t mean LaPorta wasn’t there, but we haven’t seen him in Phase One or Phase Two. It will be interesting to see if we see LaPorta in Phase Three. 

I’ll quote my colleague Dr. Jimmy Liao from his (excellent) Substack, 

OTA expectations: There is a pretty good chance LaPorta is available to do everything at OTA’s, although he may be limited as a precaution. If he is not doing anything at OTA, then the concern level will rise.

When I talked with team sources in March, they didn’t seem overly concerned about LaPorta’s back. Here’s hoping the worry meter stays pegged to “very low”. 

Miles Frazier

There are a lot of questions and depth battles for the interior offensive line, and at tackle too. No doubt, it will be the subject of quite a bit of offseason content in Lions land. 

My most pressing question for the line is, what’s the plan going forward with Miles Frazier? Now in his second season, Frazier missed most of his rookie campaign and nearly all of his first training camp and preseason due to a knee injury. 

I was bullish on Frazier as a draft prospect. He was a strong guard presence at LSU, but he was also an impressive left tackle during his younger days at Florida International–enough that I graded him higher as a tackle than a guard. When I spoke to Miles shortly after he was drafted by Detroit, he wasn’t sure if he was going to be playing guard or tackle, right or left side. To this point, we still don’t know. Heck, he even brought up the idea of maybe trying center. 

The easiest projection for Frazier is for him to assume Kayode Awosika’s old role as the top reserve guard who can also play right tackle in a pinch. Awosike held that role down for the last three years, but he’s gone now. There are other combatants in that battle, however. Where does Frazier fit, if at all?

Replacing Kalif Raymond as the punt returner

Kalif Raymond has been the Lions’ primary punt returner since Dan Campbell took over back in 2021. Twice in that time, Raymond was an All-Pro as a punt returner. 

Now he’s in Chicago, and the Lions have a host of candidates to replace Raymond’s role on punt returns. Nothing will be settled in OTAs or minicamp, but seeing who gets those early reps in that spot should provide a hint as to how the Lions view the competition. This is likely rookie Kendrick Law’s best chance to make an impact, but it’s also a role where Sione Vaki could thrive. It’s also a spot where Tom Kennedy could keep his Lions tenure rolling for another season. 

Raymond did handle some kick return duties, but it was limited; Kalif attempted just 9 of them in five seasons.