Things to Watch in Week 2 of Lions' OTAs

Lions' offense needs to get back on track in week two of OTAs.

Hendon Hooker / Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions have embarked on their second week of OTA practices in Allen Park.

Among the notable developments last week, third-year receiver Jameson Williams was named the Lions' "most improved" player by head coach Dan Campbell.  

Without further ado, here's what I'll be on the lookout for in week two of OTAs.

Does Hendon Hooker rebound? 

The pressure will be on Hooker to bounce back after an underwhelming first week of OTA practices. 

The second-year passer tore his ACL in his final season at Tennessee, and spent the majority of his rookie campaign rehabbing that very injury. 

Subsequently, the dual-threat signal-caller is preparing for what is basically his debut NFL season, and is expcted to experience some growing pains along the way. 

Although Hooker is the favorite to win the backup job to Jared Goff, the Lions' coaching staff has said time and time again that he'll have to earn it. That's why it is of utmost importance for Hooker to rebound with a strong showing in OTAs, and to put together quality reps throughout the summer, too. 

Does Detroit's offense play better? 

The Lions' offense was noticeably a step or two behind the defense during the first week of OTAs.

Goff started off last Thursday's 11-on-11 session with three straight incompletions. Meanwhile, as noted above, Hooker experienced a myriad of struggles, most notably with his accuracy and processing skills. 

As a whole, the defense outplayed the offense, and maybe some of the offense's woes can be attributed to the unit getting re-acclimated to Ben Johnson's elaborate playbook. 

Whatever the offense's issues may have been, it'd be nice to see Johnson's unit get back on track this week.

Rookie progression 

Offseason workouts are always an important time for rookies to prove their worth, and this week's session of OTAs will be no different.

The eyes of many fans and pundits alike Thursday and Friday will be on Detroit's 2024 draft class. It's a group of gritty, hard-nosed players that fit the culture of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. So, it'll be interesting to see if these individuals -- the likes of Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Giovanni Manu -- continue to acclimate themselves to playing in the Motor City.

Along with that, I'll be closely watching how Arnold -- who garnered a healthy dose of first-team reps during OTA practices last week -- fares against the ones this week (e.g., Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams). 

Will Lions play bigger rotation of defensive linemen? 

DJ Reader, Josh Paschal, Marcus Davenport, and James Houston were all non--participants in last Thursday's practice open to the media.

I'd like to see each of the aforementioned defensive linemen get some reps with the media in attendance this week.

Most notably, I'd like to see what Reader, one of Detroit's prized offseason acquisitions, looks like playing alongside Alim McNeill on the interior of the defensive line. 

Additionally, I'd like to get a look at what kind of juice Davenport and Houston have coming off the edge after their injury-plagued 2023 campaigns. 

Houston and Paschal, meanwhile, are two Lions players with the most to prove entering the upcoming season. I believe that how they perform in OTAs, minicamp and training camp will be critical to how much they play to open up the 2024 campaign.