Detroit Lions: Early Rookie Progress Reports

Every player wants to hit the ground running as the new league year gets underway—none more so than the rookies.

The Detroit Lions kicked off OTAs on the 26th, and everyone is excited to hear about how the shiny new toys are performing. Unfortunately, there won't be any hot takes here. The Lions didn't allow media members to attend the first day. And you won't find much on Twitter in the coming days either:

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Luckily not an issue for #Lions beat writers - no live tweeting allowed at OTAs. https://t.co/Hu0rBq0rv3

— Paula Pasche (@paulapasche) May 26, 2015"

But there have been developments that can give us better insight into the behind-the-scenes development of these young men. Click through to find out what five Detroit rookies have been up to and how their first offseason is shaping up.

DT Gabe Wright

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Gabe Wright isn't expected to replace Ndamukong Suh or Nick Fairley, but as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com explains, that hasn't tempered his enthusiasm:

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Wright was relentless in individual drills. He was consistently the first player off the ball and his quickness stood out in those drills. In the team portion of practice, Wright said he made it a point to hustle down the field to make plays on ball carriers, something defensive line coach Kris Kocurek emphasizes in practice on a daily basis. 

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The Lions' emphasis on character and attitude is evident from that passage. Wright is continuing a tradition started by Kyle Vanden Bosch and passed on by Suh.

But Wright is more than just a cultural fit. Marlowe Alter of the Detroit Free Press spent some time in the film room and penned an excellent piece on the Auburn product. I advise you to read the whole thing, but here's a snippet from his conclusion:

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However, if surrounded with other veteran talents where he is not the focal point of the defense, he can make an impact shooting gaps in the trenches. Wright must improve his consistency, and playing a low number of snaps and fighting for playing time in the rotation should force him to compete on every snap instead of occasionally stalling when his first move was negated.

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I'll admit that I was more of a Grady Jarrett guy heading into the draft. However, the more that comes to light about Wright, the more his selection makes sense.

S Isaiah Johnson

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

It's no secret that part of safety Isaiah Johnson's decision-making process focused on James Ihedigbo's holdout. He embraced the business side of his new profession by looking at the opportunity presented by the veteran's absence.

Unfortunately for Johnson, that opportunity vanished before it had a chance to be realized:

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#Lions S James Ihedigbo is reporting to the team today for OTAs, source said. A show of faith in the team, perhaps? He wants a new deal

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 26, 2015"

Johnson isn't going to beat out Ihedigbo, not even if the veteran had decided to stay away from organized activities in an effort to improve his financial situation. But he would have received extra reps. Those are invaluable to rookies looking to learn a system by doing rather than observing.

Detroit obviously coveted the former Yellow Jacket once the draft dust settled. It doled out a $12,000 signing bonus, which is a large sum in comparison to most undrafted free agents. This means that Johnson will get a better shot than most UDFAs. So long as he proves to be a special teams contributor, only Don Carey will stand in between him and the 53-man roster.

OG Torrian Wilson

John Raoux/Associated Press

Isaiah Johnson isn't the only undrafted free agent with a chance to stick. In fact, he may have one of the tougher roads to travel: Don Carey is an established stud compared to what Torrian Wilson will face.

Wilson doesn't have prototypical size, but he has a solid base, which is probably why the Lions want him to switch positions, per Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News:

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The Lions are giving the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Wilson, a three-year starter at left tackle for Central Florida, a shot to play guard as an undrafted rookie. He'll have plenty of competition, but if he can look comfortable on the inside, he'll have a better chance of making the team.

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Detroit has plenty of competition at tackle. So much so that Wilson would have zero chance of staying in Detroit past August at the position. The move inside will increase his odds exponentially, since the Lions are thin along the interior.

Manny Ramirez is the only one on the roster guaranteed a spot come September. That leaves one slot open for Wilson, undrafted free agent Al Bond and second-year "veteran" Darren Keyton. Bond is obviously in the same boat as Wilson, with Keyton having a slight experience advantage (one year), which could be overcome with some extra study time.

FB Michael Burton

Mel Evans/Associated Press

Michael Burton didn't go undrafted. However, he still had to prepare for OTAs if he wanted to be taken seriously as a professional fullback.

And it all started in the kitchen, as Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News details here:

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A former Rutgers fullback, the Lions drafted Burton in the fifth round this year, and he arrived in Allen Park weighing about 250 pounds after finishing his senior season closer to 230.

"It was just eating clean, but constantly eating," he said. "(I was) waking up in the middle of the night taking a protein shake."

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That's an impressive amount of weight gained, especially in the style that he's done it. The extra poundage has helped him take on a "smashmouth" mentality because he "love[s] being the guy that springs the open run."

This is an important development. Burton wasn't a particularly devastating blocker at Rutgers, although he was effective. His added weight should help him explode into linebackers and give him a better chance at kicking out defensive ends, giving Joique Bell and the next guy on this list the creases they need to move the chains.

RB Ameer Abdullah

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

By now, you know that Ameer Abdullah fielded punts at rookie minicamp. There's little else new regarding the second-round running back, but there are updates of note that could factor into how large a role he carves out this season:

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Lions RB Joique Bell did participate in OTAs today. Not sure how much, but a good sign after a couple minor surgeries this offseason.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) May 26, 2015"

While Joique Bell is the prohibitive favorite to be the No. 1 back, you shouldn't underestimate Abdullah's ability to carry the load. He's a stronger inside runner than he's given credit for, and he could prove to be a capable bell cow from time to time.

His impact will probably come as a change-of-pace and third-down back, although backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky has a strong opinion about another competitor for backfield snaps, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

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"Theo's too good to not put on the field," Orlovsky said after the first day of organized team activities today. "Theo has stuff that you can't coach, that you can't teach, that you're born from God with. He just has an ability to get open better than everyone else."

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There's an interesting battle brewing between Abdullah and Theo Riddick for the late-down duties. Abdullah has great hands and is a terror in space. Riddick proved how capable he was during two-minute drills when teams knew exactly what he was going to do.

Frankly, that's hard to ignore.

Much like 2013, the Lions boast a backfield full of options for every play. Abdullah is strong enough a runner to take snaps from both veterans, but Riddick and Bell won't make it easy.