The Detroit Lions just wrapped up their first week of organized team activities (OTAs), and they ended it with a practice that was open to the media. That gave reporters a first real look at how the squad is shaping up this year.
During Friday’s practice, the team went through a bunch of drills—both solo work and full team stuff. And it was the defense that stood out, mainly because they were constantly putting pressure on the quarterback.
There’s been a lot of buzz about the Lions’ pass rush lately. They didn’t bring in a big-name edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, but Marcus Davenport is back on a one-year deal. If he can stay healthy, he might end up being a real asset.
Davenport only played two games last season before a triceps injury shut him down. Hutchinson, too, had a rough year and broke his leg in Week 6. Now both guys are working on a strong comeback, hoping to boost a defense that tied for 23rd in sacks last year.
On the latest episode of the *Lone Wolves* podcast, the hosts debated whether Hutchinson and Davenport could be enough to hold their own, especially with a tough 2025 schedule full of playoff-caliber teams. Co-host Christian Booher said, “If you get the best version of Marcus Davenport… this dude plays with his hair on fire. He’s physical, good with his hands, strong. If he stays healthy, there’s definitely something there. Maybe he’s not matching Hutchinson sack for sack, but he could easily be in that 8-10 sack range and be a solid piece next to him.”
The episode also served as a nice recap of what went down during the open practice. They talked about a few other standouts, like Tate Ratledge getting reps with the first team, Gio Manu’s progress, some thoughts on the secondary, and how QB Hendon Hooker is looking as he heads into his third NFL season.
