Day 7 of Detroit Lions training camp was an absolute pressure cooker, hitting almost 2.5 hours in brutal humidity that felt like 130%. With the sun beating down, a ton of players were either out or had to leave practice early, mostly because of cramping and heat issues. The Lions had to rotate heavily and keep their starters on low pitch counts, and that opened the door for a bunch of reserves to get massive opportunities. Spoiler alert: several of them didn’t just walk through it, they kicked it down.
Altmyer Grabs the Spotlight Under Pressure
With Teddy Bridgewater sidelined, quarterback Luke Altmyer essentially doubled his usual reps, slinging the ball for both the second and third-team offenses. This undrafted rookie has been seriously impressive, showing off fantastic arm speed and accuracy. He fired the ball between two defensive backs in zone coverage twice on Thursday, which is just straight-up surgical. He hasn’t thrown more than one or two interceptions all camp, which is insane for a new guy. What’s even wilder is his poise, way more than you’d expect. While his progressions can sometimes take a bit too long, he’s already showing improvement. And get this: he led the offense to a win in the two-minute drill at the end of practice, showing some serious command when it mattered most.
Running Backs and D-Linemen Step Up Big
The running back room was missing some key guys like Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, and Sione Vaki from team drills, which meant Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small got to share first-team reps. Saylors kept flashing that impressive speed and a wicked one-cut style. Small, meanwhile, ran with some serious power, especially between the tackles in those red zone drills. Both guys definitely got a boost from some strong run blocking, with Tate Ratledge having his best day of camp, no less. On defense, Tyler Lacy and Mekhi Wingo were super limited, letting Ahmed Hassanein and Skyler Gill-Howard jump into significant first-team work. Hassanein continues to live up to the fan hype, putting together another standout day. He notched two tackles for loss and two sacks against the second team. That second sack was a thing of beauty: he stunted with Gill-Howard, then absolutely “okey-doked” Mason Miller for a free shot at Altmyer. He was a little out of control and bumped the rookie QB, which is a big camp “no-no,” but he still got a huge win against Blake Miller in one-on-ones.
These guys grabbed their shot with both hands on a brutal day. What’s next? More competition, more opportunities. The stakes are clear: these performances are making a serious case for roster spots, and we’ll be watching closely to see if they can keep this momentum rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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