Lions Training Camp Report: Defense Arrives With New Attitude

Detroit’s offense looks ready to put up plenty of points again in 2024, but it’s the defense that’ll determine whether the Lions at long last reach the Super Bowl.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell speaks to the media before practice begins. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Brian Branch didn’t mince words on Monday night.

Branch, a standout second-year safety, was blunt in his assessment of why this secondary will be better than last year’s version

“I feel like the difference between this year and last year, shoot, this year we all have a common goal, we’re all playing off each other, we all know we’re in this together to the end,” Branch says. “Just having that mindset and chemistry this year is going to set us up.”

When asked if that wasn’t the case last year, Branch gave a clear answer before restraining himself.

“Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Most (definitely).”

Enough said. 

General manager Brad Holmes must have felt similarly. Last offseason, the Lions remade the secondary by drafting Branch and signing veterans in safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and corner Cameron Sutton.

The free-agent additions proved busts. Gardner-Johnson only played three games, and although Sutton led the team by playing 98.6% of the defensive snaps, he was released this winter after being charged with domestic battery.

With both Gardner-Johnson and Sutton elsewhere, Holmes swung a trade to land veteran corner Carlton Davis III from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then, in the draft, Holmes selected Terrion Arnold in the first round before nabbing Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second. 

“They don’t care who they go against, they’re some dogs,” Branch says. “That’s something coach Campbell and them, they bring in. … Having Carlton as a vet for those guys will set them up even in the long run, just teaching them tools and stuff they can put in their bag for the years to come.”

Last season, Branch came to the Lions as a second-round pick eager to make an impression. He did so, finishing fourth on the team with 50 solo tackles, alongside a team-high 13 passes defensed and seven tackles for loss, only eclipsed by star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. 

This season, Branch is looking to be part of the unit which helps define the team, not sink it. 

In 2023, the Lions allowed more air yards (3,246) than any other team. In fact, the gap of 566 yards between Detroit and the 31st-ranked Buccaneers was larger than the gulf between the Bucs and Seattle Seahawks, who ranked 14th. 

For Branch, the trio of corner additions should allow more versatility and freedom in his role, which he says will be a mixture of slot duties and safety play. That could also mean deploying Branch in unpredictable fashions.

“I can play more freely in a way,” Branch says. “(Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) can keep sending me on blitzes because we have the guys to lock down the receivers behind me. That’s a win-win right there.”

For 2024, Branch and the Lions have goals.

Branch won’t detail his personal ambitions, only saying they’re saved as a screenshot on his phone. 

As for the team, it’s clear: get to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. 

To do that, the Lions must erase the memory of last season’s debacle in the NFC title game. Detroit led the San Francisco 49ers by 17 points in the third quarter, only to fall 34–31 in a crushing defeat. 

For Branch, the game remains fresh motivation.

“It’s always going to be revenge,” Branch says. “Always.”

If the Lions are going to reach heights never seen in Motown during the Super Bowl era, the defensive backfield must rise up.

That starts with honesty about where the unit has been and where it wants to go.

For Branch, honesty is clearly no problem.

Best thing I saw: Dan Campbell’s “Anti-Fragile” T-shirt

Look, everything about Campbell is two things: authentic and full-throttle.

When you walk around the outer rim of the Lions’ training camp facility, where fans access the walkway to reach the stands, there’s a huge “GRIT” display in four bold, team-color letters. 

Campbell’s shirt, much like his fiery words and actions—such as getting in on conditional drills at times—are constant and therefore effective. It’s not a schtick, and it’s not a show.

This Lions team should take those words on Campbell’s T-shirt to heart.

Detroit can’t afford to be mentally fragile, or to look back at the past with anything other than the aforementioned mindset of revenge which Branch spoke to. 

For the Lions, Campbell’s vim and vigor need to set the tone, with the players following through to the end.

Best thing I heard: Barry Sanders talking about the 2024 Lions’ offense

“I have to see a continuation of last year, the great balance we had. I think we had defenses on their heels last year. I think in a lot of ways, we’re maybe a step ahead of the game. They didn’t know where we were coming from. I would say great balance and obviously, they have elite skill all over the place. Up front, receivers, tight end had a great year, obviously Jared Goff, running backs. They have a good thing going.”

Sanders isn’t wrong. In 2023, the Lions ranked tied for third in yards per play (5.9) while ranking fifth in yards per pass attempt (7.6) and fifth in yards per carry (4.6). Tough to find better balance than that. 

Coordinator Ben Johnson will also try to maintain strong numbers on third down and in the red zone, where Detroit ranked 11th and third, respectively. 

The big question will be how Johnson adjusts if there’s an injury to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown or tight end Sam LaPorta. While both are excellent weapons, the depth behind them is a concern, especially as third-year wideout Jameson Williams is yet to break out.

Perhaps Johnson’s biggest challenge will be quickly developing someone in that regard, giving the Lions some more reliable depth.

Veteran who impressed: Jared Goff, QB

Goff was in complete command of the offense during team drills, looking very comfortable in Johnson’s scheme.

On one drive, Goff found St. Brown underneath to beat zone coverage with quick decisions, a march which ultimately ended in the end zone. 

Later, with the practice ending on a two-minute drill, Goff once again sliced up Detroit’s first-team defense with an array of throws, only to be stopped short of a touchdown when receiver Daurice Fountain dropped an easy score.

With Goff, his comfort and decision-making are paramount to success. He’s got plenty of both playing under Johnson now for three seasons.

Rookie who impressed: Terrion Arnold

Unfortunately, Arnold got injured early in practice and didn’t return, having been tangled up while making a pass breakup in coverage against St. Brown.

However, even in limited reps, it’s easy to see why the Lions are so high on their first-round choice. 

Arnold, 21, has good size at 6'0" and 199 pounds, and plays with aggressiveness and a rare athleticism. St. Brown is one of the league’s best route-runners, yet Arnold stayed in his hip pocket, swung around to disrupt the catch point and was physical enough to dislodge the ball. 

It was admittedly a small sample size on Monday night, but Arnold had the look of a keeper.

Song of the day: The chants of the crowd

Were the Lions playing music? Yes. Softly. It was drowned out by the throng of Detroit supporters clad in Honolulu blue, who at one point lustily booed a young man courageous enough to wear a Green Bay Packers jersey into the stands.

For those of us old enough to remember when the Lions were a joke (and if you’re over the age of three, that’s you), seeing the enthusiasm at Allen Park said plenty about the hype, and the expectations, around this team.