Observations: Lions Defensive Tackles Dominate

Hutchinson remains consistent

Aidan Hutchinson continues to put on a show early in training camp, with the element of full contact allowing him to fully show his abilities.

Hutchinson's first highlight play of the day came when he stuffed a David Montgomery run early in practice. He also beat left tackle Dan Skipper with a move to the inside on a play that would've likely been a strip-sack had he been able to make contact with the quarterback.

After practice, Campbell told NFL Network that he sees an increased level of hunger from the standout defender as he returns from injury. Additionally, he became the latest member of the coaching staff to admit that he believes Hutchinson could be even better than last season.

"I see a player that is very confident in his abilities. I see a player that appears to bend even better than last year, and I see a player who was hungry that's even hungrier," Campbell said. "So it's good to have him back, and he's gonna have a hell of a season for us."

Highlight catches

The best catch of Saturday's practice belonged to undrafted rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks, who snared a one-handed grab on a pass from Kyle Allen. A big, physical wide receiver, he was one of the best collegiate wideouts in contested situations last year.

Meeks has already caught the eye of his teammates for his production and willingness to learn, with veteran cornerback Amik Robertson mentioning that Meeks and Dominic Lovett asked him to evaluate their film during a recent encounter in the recovery room.

Lovett also made his share of nice catches and continues to flash potential. In red-zone drills, he got past veteran DiCaprio Bootle and held onto the catch while absorbing a hit from a linebacker over the middle of the field.

Believed to be a slot-only contributor who also has a role on special teams, the Georgia product is making his claim at a bigger role.

"Honestly, I just look at it like as long as you know the concept, you can be anywhere. It’s not really about playing outside or inside," Lovett said. "As long as you know the concept of the play, the timing, the route. Slot mirrors the slot, outside mirrors the outside. If you play both, it just expands your game. Coaches can put you different places and utilize you in different ways to help the team.”

Fans add energy, excitement

Season-ticket holders were allowed to attend practice for the first time on Saturday as part of the NFL's Back Together Weekend. With long lines to get in prior to practice, there was a clear upgrade in atmosphere as opposed to practices without fans.

Loud cheers accompanied several players taking the field, including Campbell, Jared Goff and Jameson Williams. Team owner Sheila Hamp and her mother Martha also received loud applause, while fans at one point were chanting the name of Alex Anzalone.

How Lions can be like Metallica

Dan Campbell has never been shy about his affinity for the rock band Metallica, and the 2025 season offers him a chance to follow in the footsteps of one of his favorite bands.

After having success over the last three seasons, the Lions have had to replace both of their coordinators. Albeit under different circumstances, Metallica was forced to continue producing music at a high rate after their bassist Cliff Burton passed away.

During his interview with NFL Network, Campbell and reporter Tom Pelissero discussed the similarities between what the Lions have had to do and what Metallica did in the late 1980's.

"First of all, Metallica did a hell of a job with what they did. They had to replace, it's not easy, but they did that, and that's why they still are who they are," Campbell said. "They continue to evolve, every year, every decade, and just get better and better and putting out hits. So that's what I plan on doing, and that's what I did when I hired and promoted Kelvin Sheppard and then John Morton. I'm very familiar with both of them, of course I'm gonna have my spin on it. This will always be — it'll start with me and my influence on it, but I want these guys to coach and do what they believe in. We're gonna be just fine."

Quick hitters

1.) There were some early procedural issues, as both the first- and second-team offenses committed false start penalties.

2.) Jake Bates was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts during a special teams drill, with a long of 53 yards. Detroit's kicker did not miss a field goal observed by media. He was able to connect from distance on his second set of kicks. I observed that he took a total of six kicks without a miss.

3.) Grant Stuard is known as a special teams standout, and it wasn't hard to see why when he made a nice tackle on Amon-Ra St. Brown during a special teams drill.

4.) Ever-motivated defensive end Ahmed Hassanein got some extra work on special teams, repping with both the first and second groups on coverage units.