Lions camp observations: Onwuzurike's early workload encouraging

Allen Park – Here are my observations from Thursday's Detroit Lions training camp practice. 

*** You never know who is going to show up at camp. On Thursday, the crew for the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, co-hosted by former University of Michigan standout Taylor Lewan, was in the building. Later in the day, a pair of entourages rolled in, separately accompanying wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and multi–time boxing champion Claressa Shields. 

Hogan is in town as part of a media blitz promoting the launch of his new beer in Michigan. Shields, obviously, is a local icon hailing from Flint.

Several players and coaches caught up with the celebrities after practice, while owner Sheila Hamp and coach Dan Campbell both posed for photos with Shields, while holding some of her many title belts. 

*** A couple interesting lineup notes on defense included 2023 third-round pick Brodric Martin repping with the first-team defense as a placeholder for still-injured, projected starter DJ Reader. It's a big opportunity for Martin to showcase his year-to-year improvement as he fights for a rotational role behind Reader. 

Also getting work with the first-team defense was Levi Onwuzurike. He split time between the top group and second unit, seeing snaps both on the edge and inside. The heavy practice workload should be considered a positive development for the former second-round pick who is two years removed from a back surgery that threatened to prematurely end his career. 

*** Starting quarterback Jared Goff was sharp today, completing his first several passes until a Jameson Williams' stumble caused the first ball to hit the ground. Prior to that snafu, Williams got off to a hot start, winning man-to-man matchups and finding holes against zone coverage looks. Some of those early plays had members of the coaching staff, including coordinator Ben Johnson, fired up. 

Goff did have one bad ball, a completion to St. Brown that would have resulted in the receiver getting lit up by the corner on a crossing route. Rookie Terrion Arnold was in position to deliver a devastating hit and let St. Brown know about it after the play. 

*** Nate Sudfeld got most, if not all of the second-team reps ahead of Hendon Hooker in the backup quarterback battle. Much like last season, Sudfeld is off to a very strong start to camp, but Hooker is also showing slow and steady improvement.

The second-year man out of Tennessee's best throw was an out route to Kaden Davis, squeezing it into a tight window from a rapidly collapsing pocket. 

*** Campbell might need to talk to his defenders about dialing back their intensity a hair. It's such a challenging conversation, because you want them going up to the line without going over, but, remember, the team lost a practice earlier this offseason because of too much contact. 

Twice on Thursday, players in coverage didn't have their brakes properly calibrated, as rookie Ennis Rakestraw and linebacker Derrick Barnes weren’t able to pull up enough to prevent knocking their assignments to the ground. 

*** Arnold took a couple lumps today, getting beat on a deep route by Daurice Fountain and briefly exiting with a leg injury that required attention from a trainer. The good news is Arnold was back on the field for the next series of full-team snaps. 

Back to Fountain for a second, the deep catch drew some of the loudest cheers from teammates all day. Williams was particularly excited, pumping his first and making machine gun noises. 

*** We got our first look at kicker Jake Bates today and he didn't disappoint. I didn't have the best angle for one of the kicks, but he either went 5-for-6 or a perfect 6-for-6, easily clearing the crossbar from beyond 50 yards twice. 

*** James Houston had a three-play sequence where he beat the offensive tackle for a sack, got chewed out for not setting the edge against the run and made a leaping deflection on a rapidly released ball down the seam. He’s being asked to do a lot, while trying to iron out some inconsistencies with his down-to-down assignments.

*** Maybe it's just standard read progressions for Goff, but it feels like tight end Brock Wright might be on track for more involvement in the pass-game this season. Heck, the Lions might as well get their money's worth after matching the three-year, $12 million offer sheet he got from the 49ers this offseason.