Lions Rookie Minicamp Notebook: 1st Impressions On Detroit's Rookie Class

We got our first look at the Lions rookie draft class and undrafted free agents on Friday as the team hosted rookie minicamp at the team's training facility in Allen Park. From first-round pick Tyleik Williams to small-school players on a rookie tryout just hoping to make it another day in an NFL uniform, rookie minicamp is a melange of new players brimming with both optimism and trepidation at becoming a professional football player.

On a sunny, 54-degree morning with intermittent breezes between 5 and 15 MPH, 40 players took to the field. That includes the entire Lions draft class, of which only four are signed to contracts, and 10 UDFAs who have already signed contracts with Detroit.

Rookie minicamp is all about first impressions. It's Day One. Way too early to say anything definitive about anyone. With that in mind, here's my notebook from the day:

Tyleik Williams is impressive

The first-round pick quickly proved assistant GM Ray Agnew's pre-practice words quite accurate. Agnew talked about Williams' explosive power off the snap and that was readily evident in the early team drills. Didn't matter who was lined up across from him, they went backwards off the snap--even on run blocks.

Williams left the practice fields as the stretching period started and did not return. He worked off to the side with two trainers, doing bunny hops, leg stretches and kicks, and even a couple of sprints up Mt. Patricia at the north end of the practice facility. Williams suffered a minor hamstring injury during his pro day workout and this seemed like preventative maintenance; better safe than sorry.

Tate Ratledge at center

Detroit's second-round pick, Tate Ratledge only played right guard at Georgia. On Friday, he almost exclusively played center. That was true even with two natural centers, rookie UDFA Leif Fautanu and last year's UDFA Kingsley Eguakun, in the lineup with him. His snapping seemed fine, though admittedly my focus was on how Ratledge came out of his stance after snapping. Ratledge is every bit of 6-foot-6 and that proved too high in the run game at times. Again--first day on a new job, but something to keep an eye on as the offseason process progresses.

TeSlaa target

Isaac TeSlaa was very easy to notice because it appeared that every passing play where he was on the field, the third-rounder was the intended target. That's (probably) an exaggeration, but we definitely got a lot of chances to see TeSlaa running routes from all over the formation.

Wearing No. 18, TeSlaa showed off his athleticism and agility in his routes. His ability to catch the ball away from and outside of his frame is very impressive. The Lions used veteran CB Duke Shelley (a 6-year-vet on a tryout) to get into his pads at the line and there is still a learning curve for TeSlaa, who played as a 6-foot-4 slot receiver at Arkansas. He did have a couple of notable reps from my notes:

• He toasted tryout CB Tyson Russell with a slick inside-out release up the left sideline and sprinted away faster than the single-high safety could possibly close to the outside.
• In an early run rep, TeSlaa beelined for safety Dan Jackson and engaged the seventh-rounder in space before Jackson could even figure out where the back was heading. Reminded me more than a little of watching Jarvis Landry in his Cleveland prime.

Miles Frazier at tackle

LSU's right guard for the last two seasons, Frazier spent a good portion of his first day playing right tackle. Like Ratledge, the high pad level stood out. Frazier quite eloquently talked about how he was LSU's primary backup tackle in 2024 and practiced extensively in that role, and he appears comfortable with the assignment. As was the case at LSU, when he gets both hands on a defender, that defender has no chance.

Ahmed Hassanein, force of nature

It's impossible to not notice No. 61 playing defensive end. Hassanein is a bundle of kinetic, expressive energy. That includes between reps, when the sixth-rounder is talking loudly with teammates, coaches and no one in particular. When the offense and defense split fields, I stayed with the defense and got a longer look at Hassanein.

The best example of Hassanein came when new DL coach Kacy Rodgers was leading a drill that involved exploding out of a 4-point stance and staying low while striking a pad. His strikes to the bag sounded different, a definite louder pop. His aggressiveness got the better of him once, with Rodgers pulling the bag back a bit as 61 started. Hassanein very nearly face-planted, catching himself and then slamming the pad. He immediately got back into his stance and commanded Rodgers to do it again. Second rep, Hassanein had his typical explosiveness and powerful violence.

27 vs 28

Dan Jackson wears No. 28, while Ian Kennelly rocks the 27 jersey. If you didn't know anything about either player before this practice, there isn't a football soul alive who would guess that Jackson was the draft pick and Kennelly is the undrafted free agent. Kennelly is bigger, considerably more muscular, and showed quite a bit more range in coverage--especially from a single-high alignment.

That's not a knock on Jackson, who is more of a downhill striker and short-area coverage type of safety. Kennelly, from D-II Grand Valley State, is much more of a centerfielder-type of safety, albeit one who will absolutely come up and throw his size around; that's all over his Lakers film. Jackson's skills aren't expected to shine as much in an unpadded practice. The reserve safety positions behind starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch appear wide open as rookie minicamp begins. Don't overlook Kennelly, who earned some pre-practice praise from Ray Agnew, too.

The 2024 UDFAs

Four returning Lions from 2024 who spent their seasons primarily on Detroit's practice squad were participants: Safety Erick Hallett, LB DaRon Gilbert, EDGE Isaac Ukwu and OL Kingsley Eguakun.

Hallett had some moments in coverage, showing the ability to flip his hips quickly and click-and-close on the ball.

Gilbert seemed allergic to catching the ball in a coverage drill, but the 2024 UDFA from Northern Illinois gets to top speed in an instant and showed good body control and quick reactions in off-ball drills.

I didn't see much of Ukwu, who always seemed to be on the opposite side of the formation from where I was stationed. Eguakun played left guard in early drills and his lack of size against the bigger DTs was evident.

Quick hits

UDFA signee Jackson Meeks made the catch of the day late in practice. He leapt over CB Tyson Russell to haul in a deep pass from tryout QB Cole Snyder that hung up a little, snatching the ball in front of and over Russell before thrusting backward and to the turf with the ball secured in both hands. Meeks, from Syracuse (and Georgia before that), has a good understanding of using his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame.

RB Anthony Tyus wastes no time or energy in getting through the hole. Just as he did at Northwestern and then for the Ohio Bobcats, Tyus showed decisive vision and impressive balance for a taller (he's 6-1/226) back. After practice, I talked with Tyus, a Kalamazoo-area native, about his pass protection and receiving ability. The bright-eyed Tyus should make a nice understudy for David Montgomery and Craig Reynolds in his rookie season.

There were three TEs in camp. Two of them are signed UDFAs, Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss) and Zach Horton (Indiana). Yet it was the tryout player, Luke Deal of Auburn, who was the most consistent blocker and was also pretty clearly the best functional athlete of the trio.

One UDFA who several draft analysts were surprised didn't get selected was Arizona State center Leif Fautanu. After seeing him in person in comparison to the linemen around him, it's easier to understand why. While Fautanu is listed at 6-2/315, he's quite visibly shorter and shorter-armed than all his rookie linemates. During stretching drills, he labored and struggled with anything requiring much range of motion, too.

Tryout player Keith Cooper, a big-framed defensive end from Houston, looks like he could stick--if not in Detroit, then on another NFL roster. He was a very big problem for the tackles and TEs to try and block.

Former Michigan State DT and one-time Philadelphia Eagle Raequan Williams was on a tryout, and he took advantage of Tyleik Williams missing most of the day. Now 28, Williams appeared to be in great physical shape and still has his long-armed moves to get off blocks that made him appealing back in the 2020 NFL Draft.

There were no kickers, punters or long snappers at the rookie minicamp. Last year, UFL kicker Jake Bates and undrafted long snapper Hogan Hatten each began their quest to ultimately make the Lions in this setting. Both will go into training camp without any real challenges to their spots--and rightfully so, after impressive first years in Detroit.

New RB coach Tashard Choice is not someone who needs a microphone. Choice makes sure his feedback is received, both positive and negative. New DL coach Kacy Rodgers already shows a more hands-on approach than his recent predecessors, and his instantaneous teaching seemed to be well-received by the players.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions rookie minicamp notebook: 1st impressions on Detroit's rookies