CANTON, Ohio — Not many things went according to plan for the Detroit Lions in a preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, but their concerted effort to put the ball in the hands of their rookie receivers did.

Heading into the Hall of Fame Game, the Lions wanted to give Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett ample amounts of opportunity. Neither receiver, drafted in the third and seventh rounds, respectively, lit the field on fire at Tom Benson Stadium, but they combined to account for more than 70% of the team’s receiving yards, and they were the only Lions with multiple targets; Lovett had nine, and TeSlaa had three.

TeSlaa, specifically, was impressive. He recorded back-to-back explosive plays on Detroit’s third drive, hauling in receptions of 24 and 22 yards. Exactly half of TeSlaa’s 46 yards came after the catch, as the physically gifted receiver caught both of his balls on the move. He appeared natural as a ball carrier, and he finished his first catch by attempting to run through a defensive back on his way out of bounds.

“It kind of felt good to drop my shoulder a bit on that DB,” TeSlaa said. “Definitely got hyped up about that one.”

TeSlaa, who played about 40% of Detroit’s offensive snaps, was wide open on both of his receptions. The Arkansas and Hillsdale product benefited from the off-ball coverage on each rep, but he was able to shake the cornerback off-balance on his second catch, aggressively attacking the defender on his vertical stem and faintly faking to the outside before he broke inside on an over route.

It was encouraging to see TeSlaa create separation. It hasn’t been a notable issue through the first couple of weeks of training camp, but most of his standout plays in practice were courtesy of his contested-catch ability. He didn’t need to use that against the Chargers.

“TeSlaa made some plays. … We wanted to get TeSlaa and Lovett the ball,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “We wanted to get these receivers some throws. I wish we could’ve gotten all those guys some throws. But it was good to see. I did think those two guys showed up.”

TeSlaa admitted to having some pent-up emotion escape out of him after his first catch, but he tried to reel himself back in as the game wore on. “Football’s an emotional game,” he explained. “But you’ve gotta be able to tame those emotions.” To settle himself down, TeSlaa remembered this is the same sport he’s been playing since he was in the third grade.

“I typically don’t get too nervous,” TeSlaa said. “Obviously, this was definitely a big game for a lot of us, especially us rookies. It’s our first NFL action, so it was more of like nervous anticipation, I would say, than like jitters or anything. But it was good to get out there. Once I got out there and got in the flow of things, I definitely felt good.”

Nothing about TeSlaa’s unofficial NFL debut surprised him, but now he knows what it’s like to go up against professionals. That experience should help him continue his development, ahead of his first season on the team he grew up rooting for.

“When you get to this level, everyone’s gonna be bigger, faster and stronger. … Now that I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like, I’ll just continue to grow every single day,” TeSlaa said.

ALLEN PARK — If you hang around the Detroit Lions‘ practice field, it won’t take long to hear Ahmed Hassanein’s voice.

The sixth-round rookie isn’t shy in letting out a roar while getting in reps alongside his new teammates, whether that’s before the ball is snapped to amp himself up or after in reaction to the play’s result. It happened at least twice Friday, as the Lions completed their fifth practice of training camp.

“In my mentality, it gets the whole defense together,” Hassanein said of his shouts. The habit began at Boise State, where coaches would know the defensive end was ready when they could hear him. “I get encouraged when somebody else yells. … This is just me. I love playing like that. Whatever it takes, you know?”

Hassanein’s relentless motor has been as advertised since the Lions selected him with the 196th overall pick in April’s draft. His physical abilities need to be honed — he only started playing football in 2018, after moving back to the United States from Egypt — but his hustle is never questioned, and that effort, as general manager Brad Holmes has previously pointed out, can “make up (for) a lot of things.”

“With the way he plays, the mentality he plays with, the effort he plays with, he’s everything we’re about here,” defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said of Hassanein on Thursday. “Like I said, it’s just that development piece, the learning curve.”

Hassanein, trying to absorb all the information available to him, has made a concerted effort to observe and learn from Aidan Hutchinson. Hassanein imitated one of the Hutchinson’s signature moves — a swim move to the inside — during Tuesday’s practice.

Hutchinson took notice, jokingly telling the rookie to “stop studying my tape.”

“He’s really been helping me a lot, and I’m super grateful for him,” Hassanein said. “Everybody in the room, honestly, (defensive line) Coach Kacy Rodgers, they’ve been teaching me. Because I’ve only been doing this for seven years, so I just want to learn and want to grow. … Being an open book and being a sponge. Not to have that like, ‘Oh, I know everything’ type of guy. No, I know nothing. But at the end of the day, I’m gonna give you 100%, I’m gonna run to the ball, I’m gonna run through somebody’s face.”

Fans have been clamoring for a long-term answer on the edge opposite Hutchinson. Perhaps the role could be filled by Hassanein, but that’s likely a down-the-road development than something we’ll see immediately. Sheppard doesn’t want expectations to get too high for Hassanein in Year 1, but there are clear reasons for optimism going forward.

“This guy is a rookie. He just started playing football six years ago,” Sheppard said. “He just learned the English language six, seven years ago. … (But) that guy’s all in. Whatever his potential is, Ahmed will reach it because he’s going to work at it that way.”

ALLEN PARK — Aidan Hutchinson’s goals aren’t going to change, even when he’s coming off a significant injury.

The Detroit Lions pass rusher, now more than nine months removed from the broken leg that prematurely ended his third NFL season, has high personal expectations heading into 2025. He hasn’t taken an in-game rep since last October, but playing football has been “feeling normal for a long time” after he was months ago cleared to return to play.

“I’m at a point now in my career where it’s like, you’re shooting for the stars every year,” Hutchinson said Friday, following the fifth practice of training camp. “And if that’s not the expectation or standard you put to yourself, it’s got to be that way. … Those first couple of years, you’re getting in the league and figuring it out. But now, it’s every year (that) the standard is what it is.”

Hutchinson was on the way to setting quite a high bar last year, compiling 45 pressures and 7.5 sacks through about 4.5 games before his tibia and fibula were broken in the third quarter of Detroit’s Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Predicting Hutchinson to match those numbers this season would be aggressive, but defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said Thursday he’s seeing “a better player than we had last year.” Hutchinson agreed, as he’s mentally grown after spending another year in the league: “If I wasn’t progressing every year, I think there’d be an issue,” Hutchinson said.

Pads have only been on for one of Detroit’s five practices in training camp thus far, but Hutchinson continues to pass the eye test, physically, as he doesn’t appear at all slowed down. Hutchinson said he started to feel normal at offseason team activities (OTAs), which began in late May.

“I went out there, I got kicked, stepped on, you can think of everything under the sun, on this leg,” Hutchinson recalled. “And after practice I got up and I was like, ‘All right, we’re good.’ I think it takes those physical things to happen to you to mentally solidify where you’re at and the confidence and moving past it.”

Hutchinson, playing for a new defensive coordinator (Sheppard) for the first time in his professional career, will continue to be tested during training camp, and he’ll have the opportunity to see opponents from outside the building during joint practices with the Miami Dolphins (Aug. 13-14) and Houston Texans (Aug. 21).

If all continues to go well, Hutchinson plans for the same version of himself that was toasting offensive tackles in 2024 — he had a remarkable pass-rush win rate of 38.3% through Week 6, more than 10% better than the next-closest qualified player (Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, 27.5%) — to be ready for Week 1 in 2025.

“Camp is always a grind, so you always, in these hard days, you look forward to September and opening up with Green Bay,” Hutchinson said. “So, that’s kind of the thought pattern.

“Everything is to be ready for that game.”

Jason Benetti and T.J. Lang will be on the call for three of the Detroit Lions’ four preseason games this season, the team announced Wednesday.

Benetti, the play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tigers, and Lang, a former offensive lineman who now serves as an analyst on Detroit Lions Radio, alongside Dannie Rogers, will be the broadcast team for Detroit’s exhibition matchups at the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 8, versus the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 16 and versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 23. The broadcast will be shown locally on Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK) and on the Detroit Lions Television Network.

“Jason Benetti and T.J. Lang are extremely exciting additions to our preseason TV broadcast,” team president and CEO Rod Wood said in a release. “Combining Jason’s unique and exciting style on the mic with T.J.’s experience as both a former Lions player and our current radio analyst will bring a new dimension to our broadcast this year. We are grateful to the Tigers organization for graciously lending us Jason for our preseason.”

Benetti, who is in his second year calling Tigers games, will be the play-by-play announcer during the preseason. Lang will be an analyst, and Rogers will continue in her role as sideline reporter.

“Detroit’s sports tide is rising and lifting all boats,” Benetti said. “I saw first-hand for Westwood One radio last year on Thanksgiving the magic of a Lions home game. We’ve seen the power of the city’s fandom at Comerica Park all summer. I’m grateful to the Lions and (Detroit Lions Director of Broadcasting) Carl Moll for the opportunity to begin their season and join their wonderful crew. I’m also grateful to the Tigers for their willingness to have me cross the street for a few games in August.”

Added Lang: “As someone who was able to spend the end of my playing career with my hometown team and continue my career as a Lion on the radio, it’s an honor to expand my role as an analyst to now include the preseason TV broadcast as well. I am excited to work with Jason and the rest of the crew and combine all our backgrounds to create the best possible show for all our viewers.”

The Lions, who are nearly a week into training camp, will open the preseason in the Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers on July 31. They’ll begin the regular season with a trip to Lambeau Field for a bout with the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 7.

ALLEN PARK — The interior of the Detroit Lions‘ defensive line was supposed to be a bona fide strength in 2025.

Maybe it will be, but the definitive nature in which people spoke about the unit has seemed to dissipate. We already knew Alim McNeill would be on the shelf for the start of the season, but the news of Levi Onwuzurike’s season-ending ACL injury is a notable hit. He’s never been able to stuff the conventional stat sheet with tackles for loss and sacks, but he was Detroit’s best pass rusher from the interior, sans McNeill. Onwuzurike’s pass-rush win rate of 11.9% ranked fifth among all Lions last season, and it was second (to McNeill) among players on the interior. He also finished, including the playoffs, with a team-high 47 pressures in 2024.

Onwuzurike kicking out and playing some on the edge led to a mild inflation of his pass-rush numbers. Regardless, his ability to get after the quarterback was expected to keep the Lions’ interior afloat until McNeill was healthy. There isn’t a firm date established for McNeill’s return, but general manager Brad Holmes, in an interview Tuesday with Sirius XM NFL Radio, said the Lions may be getting McNeill back “a little bit earlier than expected.”

Until then, the coaching staff will have to look elsewhere, and options range from multi-year veterans like Pat O’Connor and Raequan Williams to rookies like first-round pick Tyleik Williams and undrafted free agent Keith Cooper Jr.

“It’s kind of an open competition to see who can give us the most in there,” head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday. “We talked about Tyleik, we know (DJ) Reader. … Look, we kind of like Cooper, now. He’s a young guy. Let’s see what he can do. We’ve got Raequan, a veteran guy. We’ve got some guys here.”

Tyleik Williams has been getting much of the first-team action next to Reader, a nose tackle, through the early portion of training camp. He was known more as a run-stopper during his four-year career at Ohio State, but the Lions, similar to how they viewed McNeill coming out N.C. State in 2021, think there are some abilities to be unlocked as a pass rusher.

The Buckeyes, who won the national championship last season, ran a “bull-rush, cage scheme,” Williams explained in a Zoom interview with reporters after he was drafted. That led to modest production: 42 pressures and 5½ sacks over 654 pass-rush opportunities in the last two seasons.

“He’s a lot like (McNeill) in terms of being able to catch an edge, rush with power, have instincts, he’s got quickness, he can counter,” Holmes has previously said of Williams. “I know his pass-rushing stats aren’t off the charts, but when you watch the tape, you see he’s a three-down player.”

Another first-year option who earned a shoutout from Campbell was Cooper, an undrafted free agent out of Houston who signed with the Lions following a tryout with the team during rookie minicamp. Cooper played off the edge with the Cougars, but the Lions value him on the inside: “They want the pass rush, especially in the interior,” Cooper said Tuesday. “That’s what I gave (during the tryout), and that’s what I hope to build on.”

Raequan Williams was also signed following a minicamp tryout, though he’s been in the league since going undrafted in 2020, making stops with the Philadelphia Eagles (2020-21), Jacksonville Jaguars (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2022-23). Williams has only one sack in the NFL (seven games), but he showed some of what he’s capable of as a senior at Michigan State, posting 34 pressures and five sacks from the interior.

O’Connor, meanwhile, has the most experience between himself, Cooper, Raequan Williams and Tyleik Williams. A seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2017, O’Connor was waived less than six months after he was drafted, and he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he spent seven seasons. He was brought back to Detroit last August, and he proved integral on a defense that lost player after player to injury.

Perhaps what makes O’Connor most valuable is his versatility. He can play all over the line and contribute in multiple ways, including as a pass rusher. He finished last season with 10 pressures, including four against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.

“He’s a jack of all trades. … Played the nose, played the three(-technique), played the big end,” Campbell said of O’Connor. “He’s versatile, and that’s why he just keeps competing to stay on rosters because it’s hard to ignore a guy like him. He just — he does so many different jobs. You know if you get him into the game, you’re going to be able to use him.”

There’s also someone like Mekhi Wingo, who is recovering from a torn meniscus and should be back in September. Josh Paschal is an option, as well, though he’s also expected to be unavailable until after training camp. Paschal was drafted as an edge rusher, but Holmes said at owners meetings earlier this year he could see the former second-round pick getting more reps on the inside this season.

“We’ll be alright, we’ll find it,” Campbell said, discussing how the Lions can replace the pass-rush abilities of McNeill and Onwuzurike. “And if we need to fabricate it, we’ll fabricate it.”

The Detroit Lions have filled out their roster ahead of the start of training camp, signing running back Jabari Small, and cornerbacks DiCaprio Bootle and Tyson Russell, the team announced Friday.

Small, who went undrafted in 2024 after a four-year college career with the Tennessee Volunteers, replaces the roster spot previously occupied by undrafted running back Anthony Tyus III, who was waived Thursday with a non-football illness. Bootle and Russell, meanwhile, give the Lions some added depth at cornerback.

Terms of the deals with Small, Russell and Bootle were not announced.

The Lions picked up three roster spots this week (now all filled), due to the waiving of Tyus, the placing of defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and the retirement of former center Frank Ragnow becoming official.

Small was a reliable contributor for the Volunteers over his final three seasons in Knoxville, totaling 2,005 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns following a quiet freshman season. He signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent and spent the entire season on Tennessee’s practice squad after being waived on cutdown day.

Bootle went undrafted out of Nebraska in 2021 before making stops with the Kansas City Chiefs (2021-22), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Los Angeles Chargers (2024). Most of his defensive opportunities in the NFL came in 2023, when he started two games and played 183 total snaps as a member of the Panthers. He was used mostly on special teams last season, logging 85 snaps across seven games.

Russell, an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt, was in Allen Park earlier this year for a tryout during rookie minicamp. He spent four seasons with the Commodores, posting 92 tackles, five pass deflections and an interception in 44 total games.

ALLEN PARK— For David Shaw, it was supposed to be a one-year detour.

Instead, it turned into a nearly two-decade run that’s defined his career.

Jim Harbaugh convinced Shaw to join his staff at San Diego in 2006, becoming the team’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Shaw was direct in his intentions: This shift into the collegiate ranks — Shaw had spent about the previous 10 years in various assistant roles in the NFL — was to last one year. At season’s end, he was returning to the league.

That was the plan, until Harbaugh landed the job at Stanford, Shaw’s alma mater where he tallied 664 yards on 57 catches from 1991-94. Shaw couldn’t pass that up. He followed Harbaugh and was the Cardinal’s offensive coordinator for four seasons. He was named head coach in 2011 after Harbaugh left for the San Francisco 49ers, and he led the university to a 96-54 record over the next 12 years. The Cardinal made a bowl game in each of Shaw’s first eight seasons, and they won at least 10 games five times.

Shaw, 52, finally made his return to coaching in the NFL earlier this year, hired by the Detroit Lions to be their passing game coordinator under head coach Dan Campbell and new offensive coordinator John Morton. Joining the Lions is poetic for Shaw, who remembers being around running back James Jones and wide receiver Pete Mandley while his father, Willie Shaw, coached Detroit’s defensive backs from 1985-88.

“It was my dad’s first NFL job,” Shaw said in May. “To be there for training camp, to meet a lot of the players and be there for (the) ‘Monday Night Football’ game against the ‘85 Bears, like, that was an exciting time for me. (There’s some) nostalgia to be back in this area. I went to Rochester Adams High School. Did that a couple weekends ago, went back up to Rochester Hills and drove around a little bit. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Shaw is now tasked with helping the Lions maintain their elite offense, which has posted more total yards (20,134) and helped the team score more points (1,478) than any other franchise in the league over the last three seasons. Shaw will be working alongside Morton, who he has been close with since the two crossed paths with the then-Oakland Raiders in the late 1990s.

Morton was an offensive assistant (1998-99) and quality control coach (2000-01) with the Raiders before he was promoted to senior offensive assistant (2002-03) and tight ends coach (2004). Shaw, meanwhile, was a quality control coach (1998-2000) and the team’s quarterbacks coach (2001).

“We present very, very differently. We are flip sides of the same coin,” Shaw said of his relationship with Morton. “Super competitive. (Jon) Gruden-trained. … We have a very, very similar mind in attacking defenses and what we see in the game. While we present very differently, since the first day we have met, our personalities have meshed.

“We’ve always pushed each other, too. It’s not one of those relationships like, ‘Oh, I just want to say hi once in a while.’ It’s, ‘Hey, you looking at this here? What do you see there? Why did you guys do that?’ We’ve always had the personal side of a professional relationship that has always meshed.”

Shaw estimates he had about three NFL interview opportunities each year through his first decade at Stanford, but he turned them down because of the principles he developed as a coach’s kid. He never wanted to be looking over the fence, wondering what else was out there. He would see through his Stanford tenure, which ended with his resignation in November 2022 following a pair of three-win seasons.

Much of Shaw’s success with the Cardinal can be drawn back to his implementation of NFL concepts on the offensive side. He was also able to learn from and work with Vic Fangio, who spent one season as Stanford’s defensive coordinator in 2010. Fangio is one of the most influential defensive minds in recent history, and he won Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles in February.

“If you ever watched us play, we looked starkly different than most college offenses,” Shaw said. “Pretty much my entire time at Stanford, we were a West Coast-based NFL offense and a Vic Fangio-based NFL defense.”

The Denver Broncos hired Shaw in 2024 to be a senior personnel executive, an off-field role that gave him a chance “to look at the game from a different point of view, knowing that eventually I was probably gonna come back to the coaching side.”

Now, fulfilling a goal that was set almost 20 years ago, Shaw intends to do all he can to make the most of it.

“One of those things I believe in — it was on our wall back when I was at Stanford — every single day, you’re either getting better or you’re getting worse,” Shaw said. “You’re never staying the same. So, we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re trying to push the envelope. We’re trying to grow, we’re trying to push ourselves, push the players to be better. That’s the goal every year, is to be better, to go farther and take our best shot at winning that trophy.”

There’s no way around it: All-Pro center Frank Ragnow’s retirement is a significant blow to the Detroit Lions.

Ragnow, a first-round draft pick in 2018 who racked up accolades in the middle of Detroit’s vaunted offensive line, is irreplaceable. He’s among the best centers of this generation, and his early exit at 29 years old leaves a massive hole at one of the NFL’s most important positions.

But the Lions, eyeing their first Super Bowl in 2025, have no time to feel bad for themselves. Replacement plans have presumably already begun inside the mind of head coach Dan Campbell, and there are some in-house options that make sense. Graham Glasgow’s 40 career starts at center make him a logical first thought.

Another idea, however, is to have second-round rookie Tate Ratledge move inside. Ratledge, a former Georgia standout, is a natural right guard, with all 34 of his collegiate starts coming in that role. During rookie minicamp and offseason team activities (OTAs), though, he’s been getting first-team reps at center.

What will it take for Ratledge to fully make the transition and grab hold of Detroit’s vacant center spot? The Detroit News spoke to Cole Cubelic, a former starting center in the SEC who now offers analysis for ESPN and on his radio show (The Cube Show), to find out.

“First off, the operation of it is unique,” said Cubelic, who played at Auburn (1996-01) and has been covering the SEC for more than a decade, overlapping with Ratledge’s five-year run at Georgia (2020-24). “It’s different if you haven’t done it. … But with proper repetition, you can get to where it is second nature more so than you can a lot of other things, even in football or other sports. It’s never gonna be just natural, but you can simplify it with repetition.”

Cubelic, a respected voice when discussing trench play, tabbed physicality as one of Ratledge’s defining traits as an offensive lineman. He also mentioned Ratledge’s “natural strength,” which “most offensive lineman are going to have to have, but his is definitely above average.”

Ratledge’s mean streak and rugged style is beneficial — there’s a reason general manager Brad Holmes compared him to 2024 sixth-rounder Christian Mahogany, who Holmes complimentary referred to as a “dirtbag” — but that aggression is something Ratledge will have to learn to turn on and off at center, Cubelic said.

Guards often don’t have to communicate heavily when at the line of scrimmage. Centers, meanwhile, are in charge identifying the defensive front, noting where pressure may be coming from and disseminating that information in a conscience manner to the quarterback and fellow linemen.

All the while, the play clock is ticking, and fans are making it difficult to hear.

“There has to be a calming factor, specifically at that position pre-snap, because you have to distribute a lot of information. … You have to see things, you have to react to things and there needs to be an understanding of processing that quickly and then sharing that quickly,” Cubelic said. “All that can be difficult. …

“You’re worried about you a lot of the times (at guard). Well, at center, very rarely can you get away worrying about yourself. You’ve got to make sure that four other guys are on the same page; you’re going to have to make sure that you and your quarterback are on the same page. … Getting to the line of scrimmage, processing those things, seeing those things, understanding how to share that information quickly and in a way that everyone understands and can absorb it and then utilize it, that’s not easy.”

Becoming adept at center — both as a communicator and as a blocker — takes time, but that’s why the Lions have Ratledge working at the position so early in the offseason. The team knows he can play guard, so now they’re letting take his lumps at center.

At best, he could be Ragnow’s replacement. At worst, he can serve as depth behind whoever ends up at center.

“He definitely needs some time there (at center) training. It’s going to become natural for him,” offensive line coach Hank Fraley said last month. “I thought what he did in rookie minicamp was pretty good, for handling that. Our centers, like across the whole league, they do a lot. They have a lot on their plates. They’re like quarterbacks of that O-line. They set a lot of the protections, a lot of the calls, and they work one-on-one with the QB.

“In time, he’s going to get it down and become a pretty good center here.”

ALLEN PARK — On paper, there isn’t much room for Sam LaPorta to grow.

The Detroit Lions tight end has tallied 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns on 146 receptions through the first two seasons of his career, numbers that each rank in the top four among players at his position since 2023. The former Iowa standout has seemingly improved as a blocker, too, both in the run game and a pass protector.

So, what’s next?

“Start to see the game from the quarterback’s perspective, what Jared (Goff) needs exactly,” LaPorta, who is in the midst of his first healthy offseason since he was a senior with the Hawkeyes, said Thursday. “And maybe not just knowing what I’m doing on the field, but what other people are doing, as well. Just seeing the big picture.”

LaPorta’s cerebral growth will have much to do with guidance from new tight ends coach Tyler Roehl, who was hired in February to replace Steve Heiden. Roehl, 39, came over from Iowa State, where he spent one season. Before that, he held various roles — ranging from fullbacks coach to offensive coordinator — at North Dakota State from 2014-23.

Roehl’s job with the Lions is his first gig in the NFL.

“He’s been great so far,” LaPorta said of Roehl, who interviewed with the Lions in previous years before he was hired this time around. “Our first phone call he talked about gaining trust with us. I think he’s starting to do that. I love him so far. Very fiery. … And we appreciate all of that.”

It took some time for LaPorta to look like himself in 2024 — he averaged 37.3 yards through the season’s first six games, and his targets in that span (17) trailed receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (50) and Jameson Williams (30) and running back Jahmyr Gibbs (22) — but he got rolling midseason and finished strong, averaging 67 yards over the regular season’s final five weeks.

The early dip in production concerned some who hoped LaPorta would continue a linear ascent following his record-breaking rookie season, but LaPorta wasn’t sweating much. He’ll never turn down more targets, but he’s aware of the talent surrounding him. Sometimes, passes wouldn’t come his way. Other times, he’d be fed. That’s the nature of being a part of an offense with two 1,000-yard receivers (St. Brown and Williams) and perhaps the league’s best tandem at running back (Gibbs and David Montgomery).

“There were a lot of weapons last year, so I kept hearing comments this offseason, ‘Why didn’t you get the ball as much?’” LaPorta said. “It’s like, ‘Dude, we scored the most points of any team in the NFL in the last five years. Everybody deserves the ball.’”

LaPorta expects the offense to look similar despite Ben Johnson’s exit to Chicago, but he’s open to hearing new ideas from new coordinator John Morton: “There might be different ways that Johnny wants to give me the ball, maybe other areas where we might step away from it,” LaPorta said.

“I think there’s a relationship that needs to be built there as well, and we’ll learn what each other needs.”

ALLEN PARK — Rookie minicamp can be overwhelming.

The on-field work isn’t terribly taxing compared to what’ll come in training camp, but first-year players are often drinking from a firehose — learning the playbook and getting mental reps is the biggest test — when they initially arrive in the building of the NFL team that drafted them less than a month prior. Doing this amongst a crowd of new coaches and teammates makes it all the more challenging.

But for wide receiver Dominic Lovett, who the Detroit Lions selected with the 244th overall pick, he’s got a familiar shoulder to lean on.

“I’ve seen (cornerback) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) around the building. I almost cried. He’s done gotten so big. He’s grown up,” Lovett, clearly a jokester, said Friday after the first practice of rookie minicamp. “That was a great full-circle moment because Ennis really helped me when I got to Mizzou. He was that big-brother figure for me. Just to come back, see him — him basically being another big brother for me, just at a higher level, the highest level, I can’t ask for more than that.”

Lovett and Rakestraw spent two seasons together at Missouri (2021-22) before the former transferred to Georgia ahead of the 2023 season. Rakestraw, Detroit’s second-round pick in last year’s draft, arrived to college one year ahead of Lovett, and he imparted his knowledge on the receiver early on in their overlapping tenures.

“I would say that Ennis helped me from Day 1 when I was at Missouri, all the way up until now,” Lovett told reporters through a Zoom call April 26, shortly after the Lions drafted him. “We had great battles, one-on-ones. There were days he got the best of me and there were days that I got the best of him. But every day after practice, he would stay with me and help me with something on how I can beat a defender and what a defender doesn’t like. And vice versa, I would also give him tips, as well. … Even when I was at Georgia, I could still call him and get tips.

“And now that we’re teammates, man, it really just come full circle.”

It’s no guarantee Lovett makes Detroit’s initial 53-man crew as a rookie — standing out as a seventh-round pick is difficult on one of the NFL’s best teams — but his path to the active roster is clear: Make the most of his moments on offense, and (more importantly) shine when given a chance on special teams.

Lovett didn’t play much on special teams at Missouri, but he served an important role on punt coverage while at Georgia. The Bulldogs allowed 57 yards on punt returns last season, but they didn’t allow a single yard in 2023. That’s a credit to punter Brett Thorson and Georgia’s gunners — Lovett and Arian Smith, who the New York Jets selected in the fourth round last month.

“Honestly, it was really just hard work,” Lovett said of the incredible defense on punt return. “Really, the big thing is probably communication, just being on the same page as the other 10 guys with you, knowing what everybody’s assignment was, where they had to be. Shout out to the greatest punter in the world. You know who you are.”

Lovett added: “I didn’t play special teams until I got to Georgia. That’s where I found my value — actually, my love in it. I feel like special teams is just another way to be on the field and also another way to compete. I feel like it’s a one-on-one battle from the man across from you. It’s just you versus him. I told them I’m willing to do whatever to get on the field. So, you need me on special teams? I’ll do it to the best of my ability and have fun.”

Lovett (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) spent most of his time at Georgia in the slot, but he’s confident in his ability to play on the outside. Lovett did receive 223 snaps out wide when he was a freshman at Missouri, though that number shrank in 2022 (54), 2023 (82) and 2024 (79), as he took on more of a slot-centric role.

But just because he didn’t see much opportunity there doesn’t mean he thinks he can’t get the job done, if needed.

“It don’t really bother me,” Lovett said of those who claim he can’t play on the outside. “It’s an adjustment. Everybody has to get adjusted. That’s a challenge that I’m ready to take on. When the time comes, I’m just going to do what I do.”

ALLEN PARK — Tate Ratledge thinks he’s going to fit right in with the Detroit Lions, and it’s not because of his tattoo.

That part is simply a coincidence.

Ratledge, who has a lion inked on his right forearm, sees similarities between the program he’s leaving — Georgia, which has won two of the last four national titles — and the franchise he’s joining. Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Georgia headman Kirby Smart both “believe in physical football players, tough football players (and) smart football players,” and Ratledge, an offensive guard who stood out as a starter for the Bulldogs over the last three seasons, fits that description.

“I’m here to do whatever helps the team win,” Ratledge told reporters through a Zoom meeting Friday evening, shortly after the Lions selected him with the 57th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. “I’m a team player through and through. If they need me to go kick out to tackle, I’ll go kick out to tackle. If they need me to be an X receiver and run go balls, I can do that. … I just want a chance to compete, and a chance to go out there and do my best every day.”

The Lions moved up three spots to secure Ratledge, trading Nos. 60 and 130 to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Nos. 57 and 230. They leapt over the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens in the process. The Raiders and Ravens went on to select TCU receiver Jack Bech and Marshall pass rusher Mike Green, respectively.

It was the first of two trades on Friday for the Lions, who later moved up for Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Ratledge (6-foot-6½, 308 pounds) made 34 starts in his tenure at Georgia, with each coming at right guard. He’s credited with allowing two sacks and 18 total pressures over 1,180 career pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and his grade as a run blocker in 2024 (74.7) ranked 32nd among the 315 guards who received at least 150 run-blocking snaps.

The Lions already have veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany on the roster, but Ratledge figures to compete with them for a starting role. Glasgow, 33 years old in August, appeared in 16 of Detroit’s 17 games last season. Mahogany, meanwhile, got one start in the regular season and another in the playoffs, impressing in the limited sample size.

“I’m in the spot right now where all I can do is ask for a chance to compete,” Ratledge said. “I think I have a lot of those traits to go to a winning program, coming from one, knowing what it takes; knowing what has to be done to win. Right now, I’m in the position where all I can ask for is a shot to compete. Go in there, compete and give it my all every day and try to make that team better.”

Last year, general manager Brad Holmes affectionately said Mahogany has “got some dirtbag in him.” The phrase was meant as an ode to the mean streak and toughness Mahogany plays with, and Ratledge falls in that same bucket.

Ratledge doesn’t think it’s possible for an offensive lineman to play at a high level without having some “dirtbag” to him. That’s music to the ears of Campbell and Holmes.

“Just like Mahogany fit what we were looking for, Tate fits what we’re looking for — whether he’s got his mullet or not,” Holmes said. “He plays the game the right way. He’s tough; he’s physical; he’s a lot more athletic than you may think, and he’s got a lot more versatility than people may realize. That’s really when he really, really rose through the process for us. Those guys fit. They’re smart; they’re tough; they’re gritty, and they play our style of ball.”

Ratledge’s mullet, which has already begun to develop a cult-like following, was born as a joke during the COVID-19 pandemic. His father gave him the haircut in their front lawn, and he decided to keep it after an “eight-month awkward phase.”

A Georgia native who was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020, Ratledge had been at Georgia for the last five seasons. The Lions never had him in for a visit in Allen Park, but the team met with him while at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Ratledge remembers speaking with offensive line coach Hank Fraley and having “extensive” conversations about the system and “just knowing football.”

“I’ve always been a fan of Coach Campbell and the way he runs his program, just seeing what he has to say, how he runs his team, the way his offensive line plays,” Ratledge said. “Just everything about the way he runs his team, I feel like, is a great fit.”