It’s been a busy two days for the Detroit Lions rookies. Over the last 48-hours, fans have seen the 2019 draft class assigned jersey numbers, a few of them sign their rookie contracts, an additional 13 undrafted players sign deals, and a host of non-signed players roll into Allen Park for rookie minicamp. The Detroit media isn’t permitted to attend rookie minicamp, but the Lions’ media department released pictures and video of the first day of minicamp on their social media accounts. The video focuses mainly on the players drafted by the Lions, so here is a reminder of those players and their new numbers as you watch: T.J. Hockenson – 88 Jahlani Tavai – 51 Will Harris – 43 Austin Bryant – 94 Amani Oruwariye – 46 Travis Fulgham – 84 Ty Johnson – 38 Isaac Nauta – 89 P.J. Johnson – 92 There’s a lot of cool moments in the video and some of my favorites highlights came from Day 3 picks. Johnson showed off his quick and violent hands, Oruwariye’s smooth hips were on display and Fulgham looked like the smooth athlete he illustrated he is during pre-draft testing. The top moment came from the Lions first round pick when at the 56-second mark Hockenson dispatched of a blocking sled with ease:<doc-sep>The Detroit Lions rookie minicamp fired up on Friday morning. Before the festivities started, the Lions officially signed 13 undrafted free agents who were slated to participate in the weekend minicamp. Most of the names were already known, but this makes it official. Among the most prominent are LB Malik Carney, WR Jonathan Duhart and OT Ryan Pope. Related Lions gave OT Ryan Pope the biggest UDFA guaranteed deal The full list of 13, in alphabetical order: Nate Becker, TE, Miami OH Beau Benzschawel, OG, Wisconsin Malik Carney, LB, North Carolina Jonathan Duhart, WR, Old Dominion Tre Lamar, LB, Clemson C.J. Moore, S, Ole Miss Matt Nelson, OT, Iowa (played DL in college) Donald Parham, TE, Stetson Anthony Pittman, LB, Wayne State Ryan Pope, OT, San Diego State Ray Smith, DT, Boston College Micah St. Andrew, OG, Fresno State Kevin Strong, DT, Texas-San Antonio<doc-sep>For most players, rookie minicamp marks the beginning of their NFL careers. In attendance at the Detroit Lions’ 2019 rookie camp were their nine draft picks and 13 undrafted free agent signings, along with a handful of tryout players hoping to prove themselves worthy of a roster spot. Alongside all of these rookies though, are three more players trying to secure their current spot on the roster. Safety David Jones and wide receivers Chris Lacy and Deontez Alexander participated in minicamp this weekend as well. Jones originally went undrafted out of Richmond in 2018 and spent his rookie season on the Patriot’s practice squad. Near the end of the year, he was released by New England and quickly added to the Lions’ practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the team at the conclusion of the season. Lacy signed with the Lions during training camp in the last offseason after a brief stint with the Patriots as an undrafted player out of Oklahoma State. He had a strong showing in the preseason, which led him to be one of the first signings to the team’s practice squad after final roster cuts. He spent most of his rookie season on Detroit’s practice squad but was called up to the active roster at the end of the season and appeared in one game, but did not record a single statistic. Alexander is an extremely athletic undrafted receiver out of small-school Franklin College who first joined the Lions in the 2018 offseason after a tryout with the team. He participated in training camp and came into contention to be that years camp darling. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during camp and was placed on injured reserve, and was released not long after that. He found his way back to the practice squad in late November and signed a reserve/future contract at the end of the season. UDFA WR Deontez Alexander is fast becoming a fan favorite for the #Lions after he was picked up and it's easy to see why. Good size, but great speed, explosion, and agility for his position, culminating in an elite #RAS at WR. pic.twitter.com/fv5G72qbBW — Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 15, 2018 All three players, while no longer rookies, are longshots to make the final 53-man roster. With solid performances at this year’s rookie camp, they hope to get some extra looks from the team and prove they have what it takes to play in the NFL.<doc-sep>The Detroit Lions will hold rookie minicamp this weekend, but if you want to know anything more about how the feet-wetting process is going, you'll have to lean on your imagination. The three-day session is completely closed to the media. And we won't even be hearing from coach Matt Patricia before the practices this year. That's just how it goes around Allen Park these days. What we do know is this will be the first taste of professional football for the Lions' nine draft picks, more than a dozen undrafted free agents and a couple handfuls of tryout players attempting to make a strong enough impression over the weekend to land a roster spot and a longer look. It's not an exaggeration to say this will be the last time some players will strap on the pads, while for others, it's hopefully the beginning of a long and prosperous career. Without the good fortune of setting eyes on the rookies as they learn the ropes running through drills and basic formations, let's take a look at how the first-year group could factor into the depth chart come training camp. ► Tight end T.J. Hockenson A rarity for the position, being selected among the first 10 picks in the draft, outside expectations will understandably be high for the Iowa product. Lions general manager Bob Quinn expressed confidence Hockenson will be a quick study, but we're all familiar with the difficult transition young tight ends have coming into the league. He'll probably split time close to evenly with free-agent addition Jesse James this season. If Hockenson manages to catch 40 or more passes, while making good on his reputation as a stellar blocker, it would be be strong start to his career. ► Linebacker Jahlani Tavai At Hawaii, Tavai split his time between standing up on the line and off the ball in both middle and weakside alignments. That versatility should suit him well in Matt Patricia's defense. It's disappointing we won't get an early look at where Tavai is lining up his first couple of days in Detroit, to glean whether the Lions are seriously considering moving Jarrad Davis out of the middle linebacker role he's played the last two seasons. The more likely option is Tavai will be the third option in three-linebacker packages to start the year as he develops into the long-term replacement for Christian Jones. ► Safety Will Harris With Harris' size and speed, you can bet he's going to play a significant role on special teams right out the gate, potentially even working as a gunner on punt coverage. On defense, he has a skill set that allows him to line up both in the box or as the high man patrolling center field. That makes him a long-term backup at both spots with the ability to be a matchup piece against offenses that lean heavily on their tight ends, similar to the way the Lions used DeShawn Shead last year. ► Defensive end Austin Bryant The Lions have three veteran workhorses on the edges in Trey Flowers, Romeo Okwara and Devon Kennard. As long as that trio is healthy, Bryant, the 2017 All-American, will be left to clean up the scraps. At 270 pounds with long arms, he should give the Lions a boost as a pass rusher on clear throwing downs. ► Cornerback Amani Oruwariye If we are to believe analyst opinions, Oruwariye appears to be the steal of Detroit's draft class. With excellent size, adequate speed and good ball skills, he has the potential to be a good fit as a long-term pairing with Darius Slay. But the pro game allows less contact with receivers, putting an added emphasis on technique. That results in a slow transition for most young cornerbacks, so don't anticipate the rookie to quickly and easily leapfrog a veteran like Rashaan Melvin. ► Wide receiver Travis Fulgham The Lions starting receivers are set, but there's an opening for a versatile fourth option to replace TJ Jones' spot on the roster. Fulgham's blocking ability is only going to bolster his chances of seeing the field as a rookie. Additionally, he shares some traits with new teammate Marvin Jones, particularly the body control and spatial awareness to haul in deep passes without great separation. If Fulgham can carry that skill into the pro game, his value significantly increases. ► Running back Ty Johnson When healthy, Johnson has shown to be a patient runner who can get tough yards despite being undersized. In Detroit, he'll need to show he can do more out of the backfield than just carry the ball, especially as a pass-catcher. The expectation is he'll be in the mix as a kick returner, as well. ► Tight end Isaac Nauta There's a ton of competition in the tight end room. Nauta will have to make his case for a roster spot not just with his versatility on offense, but also his special-teams contributions. He didn't test well at the combine, but the Lions believe Nuata's film is more representative of his abilities. ► Defensive tackle P.J. Johnson Johnson doesn't have a lot of experience, but he is a massive interior lineman worthy of development. He'll have a shot to make the roster as a fourth defensive tackle, but even if he doesn't, he's a perfect candidate for the practice squad. Either way, he'd benefit from attaching himself at the hip to veteran Damon Harrison. ► Guard Beau Benzschawel Benzschawel's signing has yet to be announced, but it's been reported the former Wisconsin guard is Detroit bound. He plays a position where the team has an open competition for a starting job, but it would be asking a lot for the undrafted rookie to jump a trio of veterans to claim that job. More realistically, with a strong offseason program, he could push for one of the team's backup interior lineman spots. ► Offensive lineman Ryan Pope The Lions reportedly awarded Pope the most guaranteed money of any UDFA. That doesn't assure him a job, but it does show how much the team believes in the potential of the 6-foot-7, 320-pounder.<doc-sep>
ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions officially have a new offensive tackle, and he has to be considered a legitimate contender to make the team despite going unselected in last month’s draft. Ryan Pope (San Diego State) was among 13 undrafted free agents signed by the Lions ahead of their rookie minicamp, which opens today. The others: Tight end Nate Becker (Miami, Ohio), guard Beau Benzschawel (Wisconsin), linebacker Malik Carney (North Carolina), WR Jonathan Duhart (Old Dominion), linebacker Tre Lamar (Clemson), safety C.J. Moore (Mississippi), offensive tackle Matt Nelson (Iowa), tight end Donald Parham (Stetson), linebacker Anthony Pittman (Wayne State), defensive tackle Ray Smith (Boston College), guard Micah St. Andrew (Fresno State) and defensive tackle Kevin Strong (Texas San-Antonio). It’s a good bet at least one of those guys makes the roster in the fall. Last year, undrafted receiver Brandon Powell stuck with the club after leading Detroit in receiving during the preseason. The year before that, Tion Green stuck with the club after leading Detroit in rushing during the preseason. Both players spent the entire 17-week season on the 53-man roster. Zach Zenner is headed into his fifth year with the club after originally making the team as an undrafted rookie out of South Dakota State. He led the NFL in rushing during the preseason in 2015. The path is always a little tougher as an undrafted rookie, but Detroit has shown over the years that these guys will have legitimate opportunities to compete for roster jobs. And perhaps no UDFA has a more legitimate opportunity this year than Pope. It starts with the money. Detroit guaranteed him at least $145,000, which is massive money for a UDFA. For comparison, Powell was guaranteed the most money last year. He got $44,000. Teams usually guarantee the most money to the players they most don’t want to lose, so clearly Detroit likes Pope. He certainly has the size they’re looking for, too, at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds. That makes him Detroit’s longest player on the roster, and the only guys who weigh more are offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and defensive tackles Snacks Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson and P.J. Johnson. “Bigger is better, right?" general manager Bob Quinn said after targeting big players up an down the draft. “Bigger, longer -- if they’re athletic enough -- that’s what you want to build (around). There’s a few guys at certain positions that really matter in our defense, and you guys have been studying the kind of players we’ve picked here the last year-and-a-half. So, that kind of goes into the equation.” Pope began his college career at Long Beach City College before making his way to San Diego State. He played almost exclusively on special teams as a sophomore, then won the right tackle job as a junior. He played through a hand injury that year, then began popping up on NFL radars during a standout senior season in 2018. He started 10 games at right tackle before finishing the season at left tackle due to the suspension of Tyler Roemer. He allowed three sacks and 15 total pressures on 377 pass-blocking sets, and was named second-team all-Mountain West. He fell out of the draft mostly because of inconsistent fundamentals, but the Lions clearly like the clay they are working with, and now they get a chance to begin molding it as their rookie class descends upon Allen Park for the start of minicamp.