Lions rookie minicamp: Big praise for Tyleik Williams, a glimpse of the new coaches, and more

New York Times

10-05-2025

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Lions rookies took the field for rookie minicamp Friday morning, their first taste of NFL action.
The real test will begin later this summer, when the pads go on and the competition increases. Some will be fighting for starting jobs, and others will be fighting to simply prove they belong. But right now, they're just trying to get their feet wet. And even though it was a light day of work, Friday offered a solid glimpse of the class and why they're here.
Advertisement
Let's discuss.
Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew was here this morning to preview the new draft class, as he does each year before rookie minicamp. Agnew and Holmes came up together with the Rams organization — Agnew as a player before joining the front office, Holmes as a scout and talent evaluator. They see the game the same way, as one would imagine.
'It started with Brad and Dan being on the same page, and the rest of us, we follow their lead,' Agnew said. 'We're not going to be pressured about what anybody says. If the guy doesn't fit what we're looking for, we're just not going to take him. At the end of the day, when a guy's playing for you and he's making plays, …they'll forget that you took him over whoever they wanted you to take. We just stick to what we believe. No special formula or anything — just stick to what we believe.'
No surprise there. And no surprise that a former NFL defensive tackle like Agnew had nothing but praise for 2025 first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. He shared his scouting report of Williams Friday morning.
'As we watched Tyleik throughout the year, the kid just got better and better and better every time you watched him, he got better and better. I think there's a lot more growth with this kid. This kid's got a lot of upside. I don't think he's reached his full potential yet. He's got a chance to be a really, really good player for us. We were excited he was there for us to pick him. Great player. He's got a chance to be a really, really good run player. I think he's underrated as a pass rusher. …This kid has a chance to be a force in the middle. As a defense, if you're not good in the middle, you're not very good. This guy will help us, man.'
How about the other side of the trenches? Agnew went against interior offensive linemen for the majority of his career. He knows which guards gave him trouble and which ones he loved facing. Does it shape his evaluation of the position, in a year where the front office that employs him drafted two of them in Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier?
Advertisement
'Obviously, you want a physical player, tough, aggressive,' Agnew said. 'The guys you hated the most when you played against them were those pricks, man, that would hit you after, and they played with that grimy attitude. They would hit you after the play and all that. You hated those guys, and you knew you had to come to work when you played against those guys. Those are the types of guys you look for, those gritty guys, those guys that compete and finish blocks, they block through the whistle. I would just say those guys — the guys that you hated to play against.'
The biggest surprise of the Lions' draft was the trade and selection of Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa, but the more you hear about his story, the more it makes sense why the Lions coveted him the way they did. Agnew confirmed as much Friday.
'Isaac TeSlaa, you talk about a tough, physical, competitive human being,' Agnew said. 'What stood out in his Senior Bowl is like when you go into team period and he's blocking, he was just wearing those DBs out. I mean, just wearing them out. And then the guy catches the ball. Everything is with his hands, he barely ever uses his body. Tough kid, good run after the catch. We're excited about him. I think he's got a ways to go. I think the upside this kid has, he's got a chance to be a really good player for us. …Glad we were able to get this kid. He was born to be a Lion.'
That sentence — 'born to be a Lion' — has meaning now because of the way this organization has drafted the last five years. They believe they've added to their impressive collection of homegrown talent with this group. And there's reason to believe they're right.
It's weird to say at an event that's supposed to be player-focused, but it was hard not to notice the new coaching staff. After having so much continuity on staff, this was a change of pace. It was our first time seeing them in a practice setting, and man (yes, that was intentional), these are all Campbell guys.
Advertisement
Both coordinators, John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard, were active and involved in today's practice. Morton is more of an active participant in practice than Ben Johnson was. Not to say one is better than the other, but this is consistent with what I've heard about Morton. He's always coaching. That doesn't change as a coordinator. Same thing for Sheppard. I watched Sheppard give tips to a draft pick like Hassanein and even a tryout invitee like Corey Flagg Jr. They're all getting coached the same, and it doesn't matter how you got here.
Friday was our first chance to see RBs coach Tashard Choice — a former NFL RB hired away from Texas to coach RBs here in Detroit. By all accounts, Choice is an excellent coach. He worked with Bijan Robinson at Texas and Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech, with the pair now reunited in Detroit. He takes over for former Lions RBs coach Scottie Montgomery, who's now coaching wide receivers. If you'll recall, Montgomery took over for Duce Staley in 2023. Staley made his presence known every time he stepped on the field with his booming voice and trash talk — as seen on the 2022 season of 'Hard Knocks' — while Montgomery was a bit more reserved by comparison. It's hard to match Staley's fire, but Choice feels closer to Staley than Montgomery on the sliding scale. His energy is infectious out there. He seems like a coach who's going to relate well to players, while still coaching them hard on the details. Really liked that move.
Montgomery — while not as, uh, animated as Staley — did a great job coaching Detroit's running backs, and now finds himself coaching receivers with Antwaan Randle El off to Chicago. It's a place of comfort for him as a former receiver who had coached receivers in the NFL at various stints prior to his time in Detroit. It was good to see him working with the group. He's a coach who really emphasizes details and is a true teacher on the field. Feels like he's going to be a great fit in the WR room. Montgomery was working with former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski, who joined the staff as an offensive assistant this offseason. Very active and vocal. The whole staff was, really.
There will be time to observe the entire coaching staff, but this was a nice introduction.
• Williams was limited at rookie minicamp. He participated in the walk-through period but was spotted jogging up the hill off to the side during individual drills before going inside the building. He said it was part of a plan the Lions have for him after coming off an extended college season. He said he's all healed from his Pro Day tumble, so doesn't sound like there's anything to worry about here. No reason to push him on May 9.
• TeSlaa looks the part of an NFL receiver. He's got size, he accelerates quickly, has second-level speed and strong hands. The Lions were moving him around, playing in the slot on some looks and out wide on others. I spent the majority of time watching him on Friday. He was separating with ease on crossers and out routes, using speed and footwork to create space. He made a toe-tap catch on the sideline during one period, and was targeted on three consecutive routes during the final team period — catching two of them. On a comeback route, TeSlaa created separation, worked back to the ball, adjusted to a low pass (former EMU QB Cole Snyder was throwing) and caught it — with six-year veteran Duke Shelley in coverage. That's the sort of stuff that Jared Goff will love. He's a QB-friendly receiver in a lot of ways. It's not hard to see the vision here.
• Ratledge is cross-training at center in addition to guard. Somewhat of a new development, though Ratledge did say he repped there in practice at Georgia. He still projects as a guard long-term but if he can add center responsibilities to his plate, he could make himself even more valuable.
Advertisement
• Ahmed Hassanein had a nice day, from what I saw. More importantly, he seems like a guy who takes coaching well. I watched Sheppard pull him aside and give him a pointer after a rep. Hassanein nodded and went right back to line up again. What stands out about Hassanein is just how grateful he is to be here. He was even grateful for the snacks and food available at the team facility. It kinda speaks to how far he's come. Speaking of food: Hassenein said he hasn't explored the area much and is more focused on football right now, but he did hear there's good shawarma here. He heard correctly.
• Former Georgia S Dan Jackson was born to play special teams for Dave Fipp. That's his best path to making the team, and a role he could thrive in as he works his way up the defensive depth chart. Smart player the Lions will like.
• Jackson's Georgia teammate, WR Dominic Lovett, will also have to play special teams to make the roster. But he's excited about the opportunity, and an easy guy to root for. Lovett's a character. Quick-witted, good personality and sense of humor. Some of the beat writers likened him to former Lions RB Jamaal Williams, if that tells you anything.
• Former Houston edge Keith Cooper Jr. was among the standouts defensively. Big guy at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. Got in the backfield on more than one occasion before plays were blown dead. Keeping an eye on him.
• Former Indiana UDFA FB/TE Zach Horton has a ways to go before he puts himself in roster contention, but I'm a fan. Throwback player. Excellent blocker. Kinda looks like a longsnapper running around wearing No. 40 but he's gritty.
• UDFA RB Anthony Tyus III — who began at Northwestern before finishing at Ohio — had a very nice day. He's got a presence to him at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds. A bigger back who moves well. Got some love from the coaching staff on a few runs. A local product from Portage, Mich.
• Speaking of local products — former Michigan State DT Raequan Williams and former Michigan S Aamir Hall were among the list of tryouts attending rookie minicamp. Other local players there for tryouts included Snyder and Ferris State WR Malik Taylor. UDFAs Ole Miss TE Caden Prieskorn (Lake Orion, Mich. native) and Grand Valley State S Ian Kennelly also have ties to the area.
(Top photo of Tyleik Williams: Junfu Han / USA Today)