Predicting Detroit Lions Training-Camp Standouts

As you're reading this, rookies and a few veterans are milling about Allen Park. It's (almost) finally here!

It's been over a month since the Detroit Lions have done anything on the field together. Thankfully for Detroit, the news around the team has been silent. Nobody has gotten arrested or jeopardized the season with a foolish injury.

And without anything to feed the news cycle, now is the time for final predictions and training-camp primers (out tomorrow!). So please click through one more time for five players poised to shine this summer.

DT Caraun Reid

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Did you hear that Caraun Reid worked out with Ndamukong Suh this offseason? I thought so.

But did you know that he spent time in the film room with the All-Pro defensive tackle? Here's what Reid had to say about the experience, per Kyle Meinke of MLive Media Group:

"

I mean, he's the best at what he does. He's the best in the world for a really big reason: He takes everything seriously. He has a great regimen. On the field, he's relentless. There's no one way you can describe him. There's no one attribute. He's just all-around dominant, and he knows the game. He studies the game. He loves the game.

So that's what I learned from him, and try to emulate.

"

You knew that too, ah? I figured as much. But this scoop doesn't need to be fresh to lend legitimacy to Reid's sudden interest in a starting position.

Reid couldn't handle professional power last year. He wasn't strong enough to jump from the Ivy League to the NFC North, leading to just 112 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

That area of play happens to be one of Suh's specialties. If Reid has not only added the necessary strength but also better technique, he will see four times as many snaps this season, with an ecstatic fanbase cheering him on.

DT Tyrunn Walker

Rogelio Solis/Associated Press

The team isn't going to hand Reid a starting spot. He has a chance, but he'll have to beat out the imported Tyrunn Walker to do it.

Walker came to Detroit for its attacking style. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's scheme should showcase his speed and quickness so he can land a long-term deal next offseason, or at least that's Walker's hope.

But there is some indication that he can beat out Reid because of his run-game chops.

For instance, the Lions were looking at 2nd-and-1 midway through the second quarter of their Week 7 matchup against Walker's New Orleans Saints. They ran Joique Bell behind the right side of an overloaded line in an effort to pick up the first down.

That pitted Walker against Larry Warford in hand-to-hand combat. Walker got low off the snap and fought to a standstill, helping corral Bell for a one-yard loss.

It's just one play for a defensive tackle who graded out around league average against the run. However, it's a nice sign to see Walker hold up to the power of one of the league's more talented guards. That's more than we've seen out of Reid.

OG Laken Tomlinson

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Laken Tomlinson wouldn't have made much sense for the laterally moving plays of last season, but he's a perfect fit for "running off the ball," which is how Warford described the new attack, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Tomlinson finished with the fifth-highest run-blocking grade out of 103 offensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus, and only tackles rated above him. He can also be effective in the pull game, although offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi would be smart to keep him inside on screens.

The simplified offensive scheme should help him get off to a fast start. There won't be nearly as much mental stumbling as there was last season for most of the linemen, although if anyone could handle it, a dual-degree Duke graduate could.

It will be interesting to see how Tomlinson responds to NFL quickness, though. Agility isn't his strong suit. Still, this is a first-round talent in a scheme that plays to his advantage. Being allowed to take the fight to the defensive line should help offset any small disadvantages.

RB Ameer Abdullah

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Detroit's dedication to unearthing its run game extended to the backfield, too. Ameer Abdullah was a somewhat-surprising second-round pick for Detroit, considering who was still on the board, but nobody was particularly upset with the decision.

Abdullah can easily be mislabeled as a scatback. He has the agility and burstability to make defenders pay in space, yet his strength will force fans to notice him in August.

He doesn't have Marshawn Lynch-level power. But his smoother bulk runs through arm tackles and bounces off hits that defenders don't follow up with wrap-ups, extending plays and converting third downs.

Plus, he can use all three of those attributes in the passing game. Lombardi called Abdullah an "even better" receiver than he realized after watching the Nebraska product catch passes during OTAs and minicamp, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

And now Lombardi will be forced to find enough throws for three running backs with receiving skills. I'm sure he's not sweating it too much, though.

QB Matthew Stafford

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

It's understandable if you want to ignore all of the glowing reports about Matthew Stafford becoming a more accurate passer. It's not even August. How often are bad narratives leaking out of practice facilities this early?

It's only been a year for this particular team and this specific player.

On August 1, 2014, Birkett put out a practice report titled "First-team offense struggles in late-game drill." And what was the result a few months later? A November post from Birkett titled "Lions offense still searching for answers (and end zone)."

You don't need to continue searching if you had already found the answers months earlier.

So it is encouraging to see Stafford moving through his progressions and making accurate throws because he's comfortable in the offense. There's a reason that teams in the league value continuity. It boils actions down to muscle memory, allowing players to play a split-second faster.

There's still a long way to go before Stafford answers the big question regarding his consistency. But mental quickness and accuracy are the most important prerequisites, and it may finally be time for Stafford to show off graduate-level work.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.