4 Under-the-Radar Lions That Could Make Impact in Training Camp

The day has finally arrived. The Lions will take the Allen Park practice field for their first full practice of training camp on Wednesday.

With training camp comes a variety of intriguing position battles for Dan Campbell’s squad. Plus, as is the case with every camp, there are bound to be multiple under-the-radar players that catch the attention of fans and pundits alike. 

With that said, let’s take a look at four of those types of players that have a chance to make an impact at camp this summer. 

TE James Mitchell 

Prior to the beginning of last season, Mitchell – a 2022 fifth-round pick – looked like he had a chance to move up the Lions’ tight ends depth chart. 

But then, last season came and went, and Mitchell emerged from it with just two catches. Meanwhile, Sam LaPorta took the league by storm, and set all kinds of rookie records, and Brock Wright firmly took control of the No. 2 TE job.

Fast-forward to this summer, and Mitchell will have to fight tooth and nail for a spot on Detroit’s 53-man roster. LaPorta and Wright are firmly entrenched as the team’s top two tight ends, but Mitchell – a third-year pro – does at least have a fighter’s shot to beat out Shane Zylstra for the No. 3 TE job. With a solid enough camp, I believe that Mitchell will do just that.

WR Daurice Fountain 

Fountain, with a strong showing in training camp, could be in contention for a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locks to be Detroit’s No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Meanwhile, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Kalif Raymond will battle it out in camp for the No. 3 receiver job. However, the Lions’ depth at receiver is a bit murky after that, which leaves the door open for Fountain.

Fountain, a big-bodied wideout at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, spent most of last season on Detroit’s practice squad. Yet, the former Colts and Chiefs receiver spent OTAs this spring practicing with the first-team offense, and caught the attention of several media members. 

“He’s in the mix,” Campbell said of Fountain during OTAs. “I mean, we still have a spot open, I mean, we’ve got a couple of spots. We know what Saint (St. Brown) is, we know what Leaf (Raymond) can bring to the table, we like where Jamo (Jameson Williams) is going. But, I mean, there’s still — you go 11 personnel, we’ve got another spot over there.”

OT Connor Galvin

You can never have enough offensive line depth. 

It’s why Galvin, an undrafted rookie free-agent signing by Detroit in 2023, is a dark-horse candidate to make the Lions’ 53-man roster out of camp. 

The second-year pro was a preseason standout for Detroit last summer, suiting up for all three exhibition games and recording a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.2. Then, at the end of last season, the front office rewarded his efforts on the team’s practice squad by inking him to a futures deal. 

It’s a clear sign of the organization’s confidence in the 24-year-old. And although Colby Sorsdal and Dan Skipper appear to be ahead of him on the depth chart, Galvin should still have a chance to be one of the team’s primary backups at offensive tackle in 2024.

DT Kyle Peko 

Peko has a chance to be a very nice depth piece along the interior of the Lions’ defensive line. A free-agent acquisition by Brad Holmes in early May, Peko brings with him 42 games of NFL playing experience. In his career, he’s produced 56 total tackles, including four tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.

Most recently, he suited up for the Tennessee Titans, with whom he played in 13 games last year (including 10 starts). During Peko’s lone season in Tennessee, new Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams was his position coach. With Peko being reunited with Williams in Motown, it should give the 31-year-old defensive lineman a legit shot to claim a roster spot out of camp.