Thursday, June 11th, marked the final day of the offseason workouts for the Detroit Lions. The ninth OTA session was the last voluntary, non-contact workout in Allen Park. The Lions have two days of mandatory minicamp next week, and then it’s summer vacation until training camp fires up in late July. 

The press conferences from head coach Dan Campbell, as well as some players post-practice, shed some light on a few Lions subjects. Here’s what I took from watching those pressers on Thursday. 

Brian Branch sighting

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) watches a drill after practice during OTAs at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

For the first time in the OTAs, safety Brian Branch was in attendance. He’s still recovering from a torn Achilles, suffered on December 4th, so Branch was in street clothes. 

Before practice, Dan Campbell tried his darndest to avoid sparking any optimism about an early recovery timetable for Branch. That’s something we discussed on the Daily DLP with Dr. Jimmy Liao earlier on Thursday, and the doctor’s words rang true. 

When the concept of Branch maybe getting a contract extension–he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal–came up, Campbell offered some caution. 

“You always want to know that your guys are healthy and that this is truly healed. You’re always going to want to lean that way knowing the investment that would go into that.”

There is some risk in waiting to see if Branch is healthy, of course. A stellar season could raise Branch’s price tag, and the Lions already have several other big-ticket veterans, creating some valid cap concerns. Then again, one of those big-ticket players is fellow safety Kerby Joseph, whose future is in serious question thanks to a knee injury suffered not long after he signed his massive second contract. 

Hope for Ennis Rakestraw

Third-year CB Ennis Rakestraw was not participating in the OTA session, but it wasn’t because of an injury. He was among a few Lions players who missed the session due to what Dan Campbell termed “a bug” going around the team. 

Rakestraw missing has sadly been the norm in his first two seasons. The 2024 second-round pick from Missouri has played just 46 defensive snaps in the NFL while battling a litany of injuries, from hamstrings to a shoulder injury that wiped out his 2025. Campbell noted that Rakestraw has added some bulk.

“He’s added a little bit of bulk, he’s a little more dense than he was,” Campbell said. “That’s always going to help the body.”

The bulk is a welcome addition. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, the latter of which looked generous when seeing Rakestraw sans pads after practices last July, he physically looked more like a track athlete playing football than a football player. If his frame can handle even being 192, it can only help Rakestraw in his quest to not just make the team, but actually contribute on the field in 2026. 

Tyleik Williams is growing up

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) speaks to media members after practice during OTAs at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

Last year, as a first-round rookie, Tyleik Williams had something of a wide-eyed viewpoint. It’s not that Williams wasn’t ready, but he was sort of reserved and deferential to the veterans around him. That came across in media sessions in his rookie campaign, too. 

In Thursday’s post-practice presser, a more confident and engaging Williams handled questions. He talked about playing faster, even without the pads being on. He talked about learning “how the NFL is played,” noting that “it’s a lot different than college. Players are way better. Schemes are way better.”

Williams added that he expects to “play some nose this year, and some three-tech.” That’s good news, as the Lions do not have their two primary nose tackles from a year ago, D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez. He also talked about trying to be more helpful with the fellow youngsters on the team, even Michigan man Derrick Moore. Williams laughed about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, clearly enjoying it but also praising Moore’s football character. 

D.J. Reed went international for injury treatment

Cornerback D.J. Reed missed a good portion of his first season in Detroit after a severe hamstring injury suffered in Week 4. When he returned late in the year, Reed wasn’t the same standout player, unfortunately. 

In his press conference, Reed spent the majority of the time fielding questions about the injury. He understands the concern. 

“I got stem cells,” Reed stated. “I went to Panama and got some stem cells and was just rehabbing this offseason and training.”

Reed said he got the idea from his friend and former 49ers teammate, Fred Warner, who had a similar experience two years ago. 

He added, “It feels good, but it’s something you’ve got to keep continuing to work out and rehab.” 

Reed saw for himself that he wasn’t the same after the injury. He noted that despite using the same technique that was working earlier, “guys were just running by me.” 

Later in the interview, he broadly smiled and affirmed that the burst he had is back. That’s extremely good news for the Lions. Reed was brought in as a free agent to be CB1, and in the three-plus healthy weeks he started the 2025 season with, he was just that. If that version of Reed is present in 2026, that should mitigate a lot of concerns about the Lions defense. 

Campbell loves the coordinator chess match

Even without the players in pads, the offense and defense are implementing and running concepts that will be the same once the pads come on. Campbell is impressed by the reactions and flow of the players on both sides of the ball. 

He also likes what he’s seeing from the schematic chess match between Kelvin Sheppard and new OC Drew Petzing. It led to this comment, which is an important evolution in the Lions’ practice timeline. 

“You’re seeing the conflict that both sides of the ball are creating for each other. That’s what’s beautiful this time of year. You’ve gotta have that, and you’ve got to have that in training camp. The more we can create issues for one another, the better we will be.”

At this point last season, everything was much more on the “install and learn” process with new coordinators Sheppard and John Morton. While there is definite tinkering on defense and Petzing is a newcomer to Detroit on offense, Campbell beamed at the tangible difference between this year and last offseason, which was far more vanilla and predictable schematically. 

Roger McCreary status

During his media session, Reed might’ve let more of a cat out of the bag than the Lions wanted. Very matter-of-factly, Reed mentioned, “our new nickel, Roger.”

That’s Roger McCreary, a veteran free agent brought in this offseason after spending 2025 with the Rams and his first handful of seasons with the Tennessee Titans. It’s not a secret that McCreary runs some first-team defense as the slot corner, but the manner in which Reed brought him up made it seem more ensconced than some might have anticipated. Things can, and probably will, change once pads come on, but between Reed’s words and what we’ve been hearing behind the scenes, that slot CB job sure feels even more like it’s McCreary’s to lose more than a competition.