Here are some observations and notes from the Detroit Lions’ mandatory minicamp in Allen Park on Tuesday.
Rookie offensive tackle Blake Miller, who’s been part of a rotation with veteran Larry Borom for first-team reps, was with the starters for the majority of 11-on-11 work Tuesday.
“I like where he’s at,” offensive line coach Hank Fraley said of Miller, a first-round pick out of Clemson. “It’s not perfect, he’s making some mistakes here and there, but the impression I’ve gotten, though, is that he’s coachable. … He’s able to adjust and clean that up, and that’s what you want to see with anybody.
“If you tweak something, do they revert back to what you just tweaked, or do they move forward…and work on the next thing? … That’s why I like where he’s at. He’s willing, he’s hungry, he’s quiet, he listens from myself, from whoever’s coaching him, he’s taking it all in.”
Cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw returned to practice after being absent last week with an illness. Defensive back Avonte Maddox missed on Tuesday due to personal reasons, while cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and tight end Sam LaPorta (back) both took part in walk-throughs.
Campbell didn’t give a clear answer when asked Tuesday if he believes LaPorta will be ready for training camp.
“We like where he’s going,” Campbell said of LaPorta. “He’s trending the right way.”
Other than Maddox and the other players who aren’t expected back any time soon — safeties Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles), offensive lineman Ben Bartch (foot), wide receiver Kendrick Law (ACL) — the Lions had full attendance at Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp.
There were multiple interceptions during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. That’s not an inherently bad sign for the quarterbacks — this is practice, after all, where they get to take chances that they might not usually take in a game, hoping to hone in on passing windows and get their timing down.
But they were notable, on the other hand, for the defenders who made them happen.
Quarterback Jared Goff threw his interception during an 11-on-11 situational drill. The offense took over at its own 8-yard line, down 21-20, with 45 seconds and two timeouts left. After getting the drive started with a 17-yard completion to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff sailed his next attempt to St. Brown over the middle as safety Chuck Clark stepped up to pick off the pass.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer’s second interception immediately followed what was arguably the best throw we’ve seen him make this spring. Altmyer put perfect touch on a pass about 50 yards downfield to wide receiver Tom Kennedy, who beat cornerback Roger McCreary and was completely behind the defense. On the very next play, undrafted rookie corner Aamaris Brown (UNLV) jumped the route and sent the offense home packing.
Earlier in the day, Altmyer was intercepted by rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder (Michigan), who stepped up to pick off a pass after dropping into zone coverage.
Outside the interceptions, it was still a generally good day for the passing defense.
Cornerback D.J. Reed had a pass breakup on St. Brown in the first rep of 7-on-7 work, then forced another incompletion near the sideline where Reed stuck to St. Brown like glue.
Undrafted rookie corner De’Shawn Rucker (South Florida) forced a pass breakup against receiver Dominic Lovett early in 7-on-7 and forced another incompletion just two plays later. Linebacker Trevor Nowaske forced a pass breakup over the middle, and cornerback Khalil Dorsey made a great play to defend a throw to halfback Isiah Pacheco, who was running a wheel route near the sideline.
Clark and free-agent signing Christian Izien were the team’s primary first-team safeties on Tuesday. Reed and Ya-Sin were first-team corners, with Rakestraw also getting some reps in.
Offensive lineman Christian Mahogany by no means has the starting left guard job under lock and key, but he’s taken the majority of his reps this spring with the first team, and it seems as though it’ll be his job to lose entering training camp.
But Campbell implied his up-and-down play last season was the reason they were aggressive in pursuing other reserve options, such as Juice Scruggs and Bartch, who will undoubtedly have every chance to overtake Mahogany in the starting lineup.
“We know he’s got ability, he’s got potential, but there’s a reason why we brought in Bartch, there’s a reason why (Miles) Frazier’s here. There’s a reason why all those guys are in there. We may try (Giovanni) Manu a little bit,” Campbell said. “We are going to let this thing go and see what happens. It’ll be good for all of them. When you have someone nipping at your heels … it’s good for everybody.”
Undrafted rookie edge Anthony Lucas and reserve tackle Devin Cochran got into a heated, physical exchange during walk-through drills. One week after Lucas was lauded by Lions coaches, he showed a little bit of the mean streak that has likely contributed to his good start.
The defense got the best of the offense in both situational drills. In each, the offense took over at its own 8-yard line, down 21-20, with 45 seconds left and two timeouts.
The first team’s reps ended with Clark’s interception, while the second team merely turned it over on downs without picking up a first down. Bridgewater was nearly intercepted by safety Strickland, who jumped a pass intended for receiver Greg Dortch but couldn’t haul it in; the drive ended when Bridgewater missed a fourth-down pass to tight end Miles Kitselman.
Dortch, Kennedy and Pacheco were the primary punt returners during the final drill of practice. While Kennedy and Dortch both have ample experience in the return game, it’s a relatively new endeavor for Pacheco, who hasn’t returned punts since high school. Pacheco did return some kicks in his rookie season with Kansas City.
“I’m willing to get on the field at all costs, just doing whatever I can do to help the team win and being a better version of myself,” Pacheco said.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions minicamp observations: Why Blake Miller is impressing coach
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
