🦁 Camp Chaos Incoming: Detroit’s Most Unpredictable Position Battles of 2025

LOffensive line uncertainty meets cornerback competition in what could be the most dramatic camp in years.

The sun’s barely started to toast the practice field at Allen Park, but make no mistake—things are about to heat up for the Detroit Lions. After a strong 2024 season and a rollercoaster of offseason roster changes, the Lions roll into training camp with real questions in two key areas: the offensive line and the cornerback room.

Let’s talk chaos. Beautiful, gritty, competitive chaos.

Big Shoes, Bigger Questions: The O-Line Shuffle

The retirement of Frank Ragnow hit hard. A five-time Pro Bowler and locker room anchor, Ragnow’s exit left a gaping hole in the center of one of the league’s most consistent offensive lines.

Now, enter a game of musical chairs featuring Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany, and rookie Tate Ratledge.

• Will Glasgow move to center, or stay put at right guard?
• Can Ratledge, the second-round pick, hold his own at either spot?
• Is Christian Mahogany ready to jump from promising rookie to full-time starter at left guard?

Mahogany, for his part, turned heads in limited 2024 snaps. With a 91.5 PFF grade and top percentile marks in both pass-blocking and run-blocking metrics, he could be the breakout star nobody saw coming…except the Lions, maybe.

Bottom line: three jobs, lots of bodies, and no clear answers yet.

Cornerback Room: Fresh Faces, Open Roles

On the defensive side, things are no less murky—and arguably, even more interesting.

Terrion Arnold is locked in. After that? It’s open season.

Newcomers like Ennis Rakestraw Jr., D.J. Reed, and Khalil Dorsey are in the mix. So is veteran Rock Ya-Sin, who may be playing for one last shot. And don’t sleep on Avonte Maddox or Amik Robertson, especially in the nickel.

The Lions have built a perfect storm of experience and youth in their secondary. But with roles still unsettled, this is going to be a positional dogfight.

The Dan Campbell Way

The good news? This is exactly how Dan Campbell likes it.

These position battles aren’t a bug—they’re a feature of a franchise on the rise. No jobs are being handed out. And with the kind of coaching depth Detroit’s built, especially with Hank Fraley mentoring the O-line, the Lions may turn uncertainty into a strength.

Just don’t blink during camp. Someone might grab a starting job when you least expect it.