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.

Bloomfield Township — Charlie Woods’ round was long, and his exit was fast.

Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, struggled again Tuesday at Oakland Hills Country Club and missed the cut by a wide margin in his biggest tournament to date, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Woods made two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey on his opening nine holes on the historic South Course, and posted a second-round 80 to finish the stroke-play portion of the United States Golf Association championship at 22 over par. He beat just 17 players in the 264-player field. Playing in front of the largest galleries on the course over his two days, including his famous father, who walked every step of the way over 36 holes, Woods missed the cut by 14 strokes. Tuesday’s round lasted more than 6 hours, because of a lengthy thunderstorm delay.

Following his round, Charlie Woods signed his scorecard and took photos with his playing partners, before jumping on the back of a waiting security cart, with Tiger Woods seated in the front. The cart, surrounding by more than a half-dozen police officers, peeled away and whisked the duo to their waiting SUV, which departed the parking lot within moments. Neither signed autographs nor spoke to the media, though they brought a lot of buzz to the tournament.

The tournament now moves into the match-play portion, starting Wednesday — though there’s work to do first. There will be a playoff in the morning, with 13 players competing for the final nine spots in the 64-player bracket. One of those players at 4 over par is Ann Arbor Skyline golfer Ieaun Jones.

Jones, 18, shot consecutive 72s, including Tuesday’s on the North Course, where he struck the well, but struggled on the greens. Jones missed a short birdie putt on No. 7, his 16th hole, but made a long one on No. 8, his 17th hole, to get inside the cut line for the playoff. The birdie on No. 8 snapped a string of nine consecutive pars.

“It was pretty frustrating, to be honest,” Jones said. “I had a lot of looks. I was hitting the ball great today. There’s not much you can do on the greens other than make the best strokes.

“I can definitely compete with the best. I hit it so good. And I was able to putt really poorly and still have a chance to make it tomorrow.

“We’ll see what happens.”

Making match play is most players’ goals entering the U.S. Junior Amateur, because from there, anything can happen.

The bracket will be finalized at the conclusion of the playoff, with the first round of match play set for Wednesday, two rounds Thursday, the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday, and the 36-hole championship match Saturday. The South Course will be used exclusively from here on out.

Jones is one of three Michigan men in the field, and the only one who can make mach play.

Lake Orion’s Connor Fox, 17, who go in by winning the Michigan Junior Amateur, finished 18 over par after a second-round 83 on the North Course that included a quadruple-bogey 9 on his second nine. With a dozen or more family members and friends watching, Fox didn’t play nearly as well as he wanted, but the Michigan State commitment learned a lot about what it takes to compete on his stage.

He also gets the memory of hitting the tournament’s first tee shot, Monday morning.

“I’ll remember that forever. I’ll never forget,” Fox said. “I’ve got four different angles of the video saved on my phone.”

Coldwater’s Ryker Ferguson, 18, who got into this week’s tournament as an alternate out of the qualifier at the Country Club of Lansing when another participant had to pull out because of the global travel issues, finished 30 over after a second-round 81 on the North Course.

To start the week, there were seven players in the field who were ranked in the top 120 of the world golf amateur rankings, and six of them advanced to match play.

That includes medalist Blades Brown (No. 103), a 16-year-old from Tennessee who was 6 under in stroke play, shooting a 2-under 68 on the South Course on Tuesday. Runner-up was Tyler Watts (No. 119), a 15-year-old from Alabama, who was at 5 under after a par-70 on the South. Also making the cut was 15-year-old Florida phenom Miles Russell (No. 116), the little left-hander who competed in last month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, the PGA Tour stop in Detroit. Russell was 1 under after a 1-over 71 on the South Course, where he began his round with four birdies in his first five holes.

Not ranked is Mack Edwards, who tied for third in stroke play at 4 under, after a 70 on the North Course on Tuesday. The North Carolina 17-year-old, who opened Tuesday’s round with a bogey and double-bogey before righting the ship, might’ve surprised everyone but himself.

“Look, sure, I haven’t had the resume of Blades Brown and Tyler Watts, but hopefully this is the start of something good,” said Edwards, who walked off his final hole Tuesday afternoon with a big fist-pump after making a 5-footer for par. “I feel like I’ve played some pretty solid golf in the recent months, and it’s feeling good now. And if I can go out and play like this on these golf courses, it’s definitely a confidence boost.”

Edwards tied for third at 4 under with New Zealand’s Joshua Bai, 18, who was last year’s runner-up.

Also at 4 under was Lev Grinberg, a 16-year-old who was born in Ukraine, and Chase Kyes, an 18-year-old from Alabama who made the Sweet 16 in last year’s U.S. Amateur, before losing to eventual champion Bryan Kim.

The 2023 experience or Kyes certainly helped prepare him for the pressure cooker that is major-championship golf, but it probably still didn’t prepare him for what he’s experienced this week. He made match play while playing his stroke-play rounds with Charlie Woods, and in front of Tiger Woods and a big, old gallery.

“I’ve never played in front of a crowd like that before,” said Kyes, whose dad, Ryan, was Mr. Baseball in Michigan in 1997, posing a .551 career batting average at Detroit Country Day. “But it was a great experience. Good for my future.”

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

The 313 is turning 323 and we’re throwing Detroit a one-of-a-kind birthday party by raising the city’s flag, eating 323 cupcakes and dancing to live music!

Join Local 4 in partnership with Raise the Flag on Wednesday, July 24th for Detroit’s Birthday! The celebration will be from 12pm-6pm at the Spirit of Detroit Plaza with live music performances, “Only in Detroit” trivia hosted by the one and only comedian T.Barb and a special anniversary ceremony at 3:13pm that will commence with 323 cupcakes!

You can’t have a birthday party without cupcakes right! Three of these 323 cupcakes will have a golden ticket inside. The golden ticket will win you $100 worth of Detroit themed swag from Raise the Flag and Local 4. The cupcakes are custom made by a local Detroit baker known as Flavorful Creations, who regularly has a booth at Eastern Market. Sara of Flavorful Creations bakes with love and you can find many of her products sold as black owned businesses in Detroit such as The Commons Detroit, a coffee shop/laundry mat and the Neighborhood Grocery Store that aims to provide local products and fresh produce, both located in Eastside Detroit. Sara is making a variety of cupcake flavors to represent the City of Detroit’s flag with flavors such as lemon, blueberry and strawberry in regular, vegan and gluten-free options. She’s even sourcing her blueberries from local Cornelius Williams, known as “The Blueberry Man” and other vendors from Eastern Market. We’re thrilled to have her baked goods at Detroit’s 323rd Anniversary (Birthday) party.

Flavorful Creations Products are located in the following stores: The Commons Detroit, Neighborhood Grocery, Healthwise, Holiday Market, the Detroit Pepper Company, Morningside Café, The Water Station, Jungle Juice Bar, Radical Plants, Neu Kombucha, Smokey G’s Smokehouse, The Congregation and Eastern Market.

Now, let’s get to the entertainment portion of the celebration because you’re in for a treat! In partnership with Raise the Flag Festival, we’ve curated an amazing list of performances. We’ll gear up the festivities with Electric Otto’s Funk Factory followed by comedian T. Barb’s “Only in Detroit” Trivia. After you’re done laughing and winning swag from T. Barb, prepare your ears for original beautiful and soulful blues sang by Laura Rain and then The Dropout, who is an indie-pop post-edm guitarist, saxophonist and singer. Closing out the celebration will be DJ performances by Ray Jones & Billy Love, Deeper Waters and DJ Gonzilla.

We recently partnered with City of Detroit’s Human Resources Department who will be hosting a hustle demonstration 30 minutes into the celebration! So get ready to shake what your momma gave you and do the hustle! In addition to their hustle contribution, there will be a small health fair within the event offering a variety of resource tables to stop by, blood pressure screenings, and raffles. Some of the resources include Blue Cross Blue Shield, HAP, American Red Cross, and Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education.

This event is free and open to all ages.

Food will be available for purchase on site.

When: Wednesday, July 24th from 12pm-6pm

Where: Spirit of Detroit Plaza (outside the Spirit of Detroit statue)